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Latinas use their vote as a tool for change, according to a survey that showed that they are, in particular, the most committed to electoral processes in the United States, which is why it is necessary to create political dialogues that reflect the experiences and priorities of these voters.
And women are voting more and more every day; Latina, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) and African American voters represent an important part of the community, but they do not feel represented or heard by political representatives, according to the results of a new survey released on May 9 by Intersections of Our Lives (Intersections of our lives).
During a briefing organized by Ethnic Media Services, a panel of experts discussed the survey findings and explored priority issues for female voters, noting that 53 percent of AAPI women, 57 percent of African American women, and 60 percent of Latina women are highly motivated to participate in the November 5 election.
Sung Yeon Choimorrow, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, spoke about the importance of collaborations between organizations, thanking In Our Voice and the Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice for addressing issues of health, social justice, gender equity and reproductive health, which are among the most present concerns for women.
The survey sample included 850 Latina registered voters and 850 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters.
Choimorrow emphasized the importance of including diverse communities, highlighting the alliance's commitment to representing the experiences of women of color.
Rising costs are a top concern for women, with affordable health care, fair housing, abortion care, fair job creation, and closing the wage gap being top of mind for AAPI, Black, and Latina women.
Lupe Rodriguez, executive director of the National Latinas Institute for Reproductive Justice, highlighted the significant influence of women of color voters in the upcoming elections, emphasizing the importance of understanding the attitudes and motivations that drive women of color to the polls.
Celinda Lake, president of Lake Research Partners, explained that women of color have empowered the country over the past year, with 57 percent of Latinas, 55 percent of AAPI women, and 49 percent of African American women motivated to participate in the upcoming elections, feeling that their participation is important in determining the future of the country.
Roshni Nedungadi, research director and founding partner of HIT Strategies, explained that she worries about the most vulnerable communities, young voters, LGBTQ+ voters, mostly marginalized communities; in these sectors, the rising costs are what really worries them, 35 percent of Latina women, 33 percent of AAPI women and 29 percent of African-American women say that rising costs were one of their most important problems.
Another key issue was housing and the wage gap, with 92 percent of Black women, 89 percent of AAPI women, and 88 percent of Latina women prioritizing the creation of well-paying jobs over the need for more affordable housing.
Regina Davis Moss, president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda, reiterated that the issues of greatest concern are reproductive justice, housing, employment and educational opportunities for women of all ages.
She said that 9 out of 10 women of color have said that voting is very important, so it is necessary for this sector of the population to be truly heard and represented.
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