US 2024 election: Chinese-Americans launch group backing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz

America’s top trade official among those hailing Democratic presidential candidate as ally of community that could prove a swing bloc

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US Vice-President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, boards Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:50am, 6 Sep 2024Updated: 6:00am, 6 Sep 2024

A group of US politicians and community leaders on Wednesday launched ‘Chinese-Americans for Harris-Walz’, the latest in a cascade of affinity groups supporting 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz.

“What we have on the ticket are two dragons,” said US Trade Representative Katherine Tai at the two-hour Zoom launch event, noting that both Harris and Walz were born in the lunar year of the dragon.

Tai spoke about the particular challenges experienced by Chinese-Americans, becoming one of several among the some two dozen speakers to mention or allude to the impact of tense US-China relations on the community.

“It is hard to be Chinese-American in America,” Tai said. “There is a level of scrutiny that is placed on our community by virtue of our origin stories, our names.”

“This is something that this community may get particularly and feel particularly strongly: an extra set of responsibilities in order to feel like we are proving ourselves as Americans,” she added, saying Harris saw Chinese-Americans as “integral” to the country’s fabric.