Heritage Is Not a Hashtag: Mobilizing APIDA Voices at the Ballot Box

It’s Asian Pacific Islander American Desi American (APIDA) Heritage Month, when everyone suddenly remembers that their favorite coworker is half-Korean or that spam musubi is technically “cultural.” Our feeds fill up with nostalgic photos of grandparents in the homeland, glossy infographics, and a feast of hashtags like #ProudToBe and #MyHeritage. But while we pile our plates with celebration, one essential ingredient often gets left out of the conversation: our political power. 

As an Asian Pacific Islander, I know what it means to serve culture on the table but keep civic engagement in the back pantry. For many of us, especially children of immigrants and refugees, voting was not part of the family recipe. It was too foreign, risky, or not for “people like us.” But our political apathy isn’t rooted in who we are. It’s in what we’ve been fed. 

The numbers don’t lie. According to the Pew Research Center, although Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S. electorate, only 59 percent of eligible Asian American voters turned out in 2020. That’s compared to 66 percent white and 63 percent Black voters. Let this margin not just be a statistic but a siren. If we are bringing the rice, we need to bring the receipts. 

A 2022 study by APIAVote and AAPI Data reveals that 58 percent of Asian American voters weren’t even contacted by political parties. Imagine being invited to a potluck, showing up with homemade pancit, and no one acknowledges you’re there. That’s the APIDA voter experience. Under-invited, under-valued, and often left out of the main course. 

The truth is, we’re not powerless. Organizations like Young Invincibles understand civic participation is a basic need, not a garnish. Their mission to amplify the voices of young adults and advocate for economic, educational, and health equity makes space for people like us to take a seat at the table and speak up once we’re there. 

So, how do we cook up stronger civic engagement in APIDA communities? 

Stop serving the model minority myth
Being silent and “successful” doesn’t fill our plates. It only starves our communities of representation. The idea that good behavior will earn us political inclusion has expired.  

Make politics part of the family meal
Civic engagement shouldn’t be the side dish we forget on the stove. It belongs at the center of the table. If we can argue over whose mom makes the better biryani, we can talk about who’s voting for the city council. 

Save a seat for younger voters
Young Invincibles has shown that if you give young people a platform, they’ll bring the heat. Whether it’s memes, zines, or food festivals with voter booths, we need to meet folks where they’re already hungry for change. 

This APIDA Heritage Month, we aren’t just sharing our food, stories, and Spotify playlist of sad diaspora songs. But we are also bringing our full selves to the ballot box. We’re not just bringing appetizers. We are hosting our own potluck and feeding the whole party. 

Camille Serrano, CA