From margin to mainstream: Asian Americans celebrate victories and address challenges

This past Friday, local Asian American non-profit organizations gathered at the Clarkston Community Center for the annual Festival of the Arts, hosted by East x Southeast, to celebrate Asian representation in comedy and highlight the growing power of the Asian American vote. Despite making up seven percent of the population in the United States and 4.59 percent of the electorate in Georgia, Asian American voters are increasingly seen as deciding factors in local elections, according to Shani Chea, Program Director at the Asian American Advocacy Fund. “We are just about 5 percent of the electorate, but when you look at the numbers, that s 261,000 registered voters. A lot of elections are decided by 50,000 votes or less,” said Chea.  Local elections are a particular focus for Asian American advocacy groups because of their direct impact on community services and policies. “What s happening on the federal level affects us indirectly, but the local level affects us directly,” ex