The Emerging Power of Our Voices and Votes: The AAPI Victory Alliance

Hi there! I’m Varun Nikore, Executive Director of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Victory Alliance. We work to build AAPI political power across the country by:

• Educating on progressive issues; 
• Creating and advocating for policies that affect our communities; and
• Building alliances with organizations to help AAPIs exert their power and be the margin of victory at the local, state, and national levels.

As an organization, we believe one of the best ways to educate others about the challenges Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities face is to have a seat at the table, which is why we fight for representation as hard as we do. We work to ensure that the most underrepresented parts of our wide and diverse communities are uplifted and their voices are heard.

AANHPI communities cover vast nations of origin, from Iran in the West to the Pacific Islands and Hawaii in the East. We span from Kazakhstan and Mongolia in the North to Sri Lanka and Indonesia to the South. Everytown’s theme for AANHPI Heritage Month, “Not a Monolith, Not Silent,” is salient here—it very much speaks to the importance of America seeing each of our identities and recognizing the emerging power of our voices and our votes.

I’m a campaign and elections strategist at heart. Every year, AANHPI Heritage Month reminds me of the untapped potential of our fast-growing and influential community. It also reminds me of how we as AANHPIs, with our growing political clout, can alter the destiny of this nation. As a community, we’re just starting to exercise our voice—but we have much more gas in the tank.

In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of hate crimes carried out against AANHPI community members. The Alliance is alarmed by this continued hate and violence and we consistently strive to work against the vicious rhetoric against our community members and all people of color. We know the gun industry has been targeting our communities—leveraging fear and hatred for profit. With gun ownership being a risk factor for both suicide and homicide, hate puts the AANHPI community at risk in more ways than one.

In early 2020, The Alliance realized that we had to do more work on gun violence prevention. Guns are the number one killer of children and teens in the United States. As we prioritized more youth-centered issues, we recognized the need for more programming around gun violence prevention. Students—a powerful group of voters—are highly impacted by, and care deeply about, gun violence prevention.

This year, as part of the AAPI Gun Violence Coalition, we hosted our third annual convening in Houston and it was a resounding success! The trust, community, and synergy created there inspired me to believe that great things are in store for our coalescing community. When I see how strong and full of purpose gun violence survivors are in the face of senseless tragedy, I feel even more motivated to speak out against gun violence and support survivors. The Alliance is also committed to supporting those who choose not to, or are unable to, speak out about their personal experiences and stories.

I’ll never forget a survivor from the Taiwanese Church in Laguna Woods, California, who thanked me for organizing the most recent AAPI Against Gun Violence convening. I was so touched and moved. I couldn’t help but think that I should have been thanking her for being an inspiration in how she forgave her shooter despite her unspeakable trauma. While this isn’t a possibility for everyone, nor should it be the goal, the conversation reminded me of the strength and nuance in each survivor’s story.

My own relationship with my AANHPI identity is evolving. Up until the last few years, I honestly didn’t feel a connection to this part of my identity. It was only through the recent rising hate and violence against AANHPI communities—coupled with our growing power and heightened voices—that I realized we’re growing further together as a community. It gives me warmth to recognize that I now have a larger AANHPI family I never knew existed.

“We believe that one of the best ways to educate others about the challenges Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities face is to have a seat at the table, which is why we fight for representation as hard as we do.”

—Varun Nikore, Executive Director of the AAPI Victory Alliance

I celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month with food and a dose of reflection on my AANHPI identity. And of course, the APAICS Gala is often the centerpiece of events in D.C.

I encourage those who do not identify with an AANHPI community to reflect on their roots this month. Every American today, except for Native Americans, has immigrant roots. This AANHPI Heritage Month, take a moment to reflect on your own immigrant background. It’s important to recognize that, while some members of AANHPI communities are among the more recent immigrants to the United States, we are all part of a nation shaped by immigration throughout its relatively short history.

Learn More

See how Everytown is marking AANHPI Heritage Month. 

Join the AANHPI Moms Demand Action Caucus group.

Join the AANHPI Students Demand Action Affinity Group.