By The New York Times (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-22 19:09:10 | Updated at 2024-10-22 21:38:09
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Democrats in particular have tried to reach Filipino American voters, who now make up the largest Asian American group in Nevada.
By Amy Qin
Amy Qin reported from Las Vegas, where she spoke with more than two dozen Filipino American community leaders and voters.
Oct. 22, 2024Updated 2:56 p.m. ET
In Las Vegas, a growing number of Filipino Americans are teaching students, caring for the sick and keeping the casinos running. After work, many trickle into the off-strip California Hotel & Casino to enjoy oxtail soup and head to Filipino-owned businesses to shop.
They were long overlooked by political campaigns that focused on reaching other ethnic groups. But candidates are now heavily courting Filipino voters, who are seen this year as a deciding factor in the swing state.
Candidates from both parties are showing up to Filipino banquets in custom-made dress shirts and traditional Filipiniana gowns. And the presidential campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris has rolled out “Pinoy Pride” billboards around Las Vegas and released several ads that feature Filipino leaders in Nevada talking about the economy and health care.
“We’re not just warm bodies at their campaign events anymore,” said Joel Enriquez, a Filipino American who owns a small business and was featured in an ad released last week for Ms. Harris. “They actually want to engage with us now.”
Of all the presidential battleground states, Nevada has the largest proportion of Asian American voters, comprising nearly 12 percent of the electorate. And Filipino Americans constitute the largest group within this population, with nearly 59,000 registered voters in a state that President Biden won by just over 33,000 votes in 2020, according to APIAVote, a nonpartisan, voter education group for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
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