Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Aapis) in Georgia Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (Aapis) Represent a Powerful New Force in Georgia Politics
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Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in Georgia Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) represent a powerful new force in Georgia politics. Since 2000 the AAPI population has grown 138%, and of the 495,467 AAPIs who live in Georgia, more than 300,000* are registered to vote. AAPIs, alongside Black, Brown, and immigrant communities are the growing new majority in the New South. Demographics At A Glance ● AAPIs are the fastest growing population in Georgia. ● AAPI communities are diverse. South Asian, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, and Filipino are among our largest ethnic groups. ● Language barriers remain a reality for many. 44% of AAPIs are Limited-English speakers. ● Two-thirds of AAPIs are citizens. Of this group, 30% are native-born U.S. citizens and 36% are foreign-born naturalized citizens. AAPI Voters in Georgia ● There are more than 300,000 registered AAPI voters in Georgia.* ● Naturalized U.S citizens make up the majority of eligible AAPI voters in the state at 75.7%. Native-born citizens make the remaining 24.3%. ● Gwinnett, Georgia’s second-most populous county, has the largest AAPI population. Fulton and Dekalb counties have the second and third largest populations. 2020 Electoral Gains ● In the 2020 General Election, 186,289 AAPIs cast their ballots. ○ 15% voted at the polls on Election Day. ○ 85% voted early or by absentee mail-in ballots ● AAPI voter participation grew 62.7% from 2016 (116,904 voted that year). ● Between 2016 and 2020, AAPI voter engagement expanded. Voter registrations grew by 80,000. AAPIs in Office: State Elected Officials ● Georgia State Senate ○ Senator-Elect Dr. Michelle Au, District 48, Elected 2020 (Chinese American) ○ Senator Sheikh Rahman, District 5, Elected 2018 (Bangladeshi American) ● Georgia State House ○ Representative-Elect Marvin Lim, District 99, Elected 2020 (Filipino American) ○ Representative Bee Nguyen, District 89, Re-Elected 2020 (Vietnamese American) ○ Representative Sam Park, District 101, Elected 2016 (Korean American) * Counts are based on AmericaVotes VAN using Catalist models, AAAF data, and scores developed by Prof. Tom Wong. .