WARREN, Mich. (Diya TV) — Political leaders, celebrities, and community organizers converged on Michigan over the weekend to push for increased voter turnout in the state’s AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) and Arab American communities. The events formed part of a broader campaign to get out the vote for key demographic groups heading into Election Day, as Michigan stands at the center of a battle for several electoral votes.
Featured speakers included Maya Harris, the Honorable Julie Su, the Honorable Dilawar Syed, actor and activist Mark Ruffalo, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal of D-Wash., and Maryland Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller, among others, as part of a series of events focused on energizing local communities on the weekend. Those included an “AANHPIs for Harris” canvass launch featuring Ms. Harris, Mark Ruffalo, and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, among others, in Canton – this was to energize supporters locally and send in the canvassers with all that they needed.
Representing a growing political influence by Michigan’s AANHPI and Arab American communities, events organized by groups such as AAPI Victory Fund, Emgage Action, and Michigan One Campaign hosted participants who all echoed a need for civic engagement, from Ruffalo telling the crowd to make their voices heard and “decisions made now will impact future generations.”.
Later, Ruffalo and Rep. Jayapal met with young leaders from Michigan’s South Asian, Arab American, and Chaldean Assyrian communities. The meet-and-greet provided an opportunity to discuss the various issues affecting these communities, while emphasizing the significance of casting ballots in order to actually shape policies that will determine their lives.
The weekend wrapped up with a brightly Diwali-themed “Party at the Polls” near the Canton Summit polling location. The crowd included Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Maya Harris. An attorney and public policy advocate, Harris headlined the event with a focus on the point that unification and community efforts are important during elections.
On Sunday, efforts targeted faith communities in the Detroit metropolitan area. US Deputy Secretary of Labor Julie Su and Lt. Gov. Miller visited a Sikh Gurdwara in Rochester Hills and a Muslim mosque in Troy to listen to the concerns of the community. Meanwhile, US Special Envoy for Economic Development Dilawar Syed engaged with Pakistani American voters in Ann Arbor by encouraging them to keep demanding more and get politically active.
