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The fastest growing racial group in the state is looking to flex its political might as both major parties seek their allegiances this election.

The billboard can be seen by driverspassing through Alamance County along Interstate 40. One moment, it flashes NC Chinese Americans for Biden, and then, on the same electronic screen, the blue background turns red and the text becomes Chinese Americans for Trump 2020."

The billboards were paid for by two local groups of Chinese Americans and exemplify the complexities of North Carolinas Asian-American electorate. Members of this diverse and emergent voting bloc tend to have fewer allegiances to political parties, making them the focus of both major parties.

I think for the 2020 election, theres this understanding that because (Asian American and Pacific Islanders) are generally more independent and infrequent voters at times, theyre persuadable, and so its worth making the effort to reach out to this community, said Chavi Khanna Koneru, executive director of North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NCAAT), a Raleigh-based advocacy group.

This fall, as the two presidential campaigns try to tilt this toss-up state their way, Asian Americans in North Carolina have embraced early voting and canvassing, aware of their growing influence.

The engagement level is really, really high this year, said Ya Liu, a Chinese American who serves on theCary Town Council. Not only are the campaigns paying more attention but within the Chinese communities, people talk about politics all the time. I think the stakes are really high.

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Asian Americans areNorth Carolinas fastest-growing racial group, with prominent Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese, Korean, and Filipino communities concentrated around Greensboro, Charlotteand the Triangle Area.

State Board of Election data shows 103,000 registered voters identify as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), though some believe the number is higher, as some voters report their race or may mistakenly register as American Indian instead of Asian American Indians.

Seeking a fuller count of the electorate, Liu teamed up with a data scientist and a lawyer totrawl through the states raw voter data and identify Asian Americans by their names. According to their model, there are 180,000 registered Asian American voters in North Carolina, and 92,549have already voted early. This would be a 51.4% turnout, above the statewide turnout rateas of Oct. 28. Liu

This week, NCAAT released one of the first pollsto specifically gauged the attitudes of AAPI voters in North Carolina. Conducted in partnership with the U.S. Immigration Policy Center, the poll found 64% of AAPI voters were more determined to vote this year than in previous elections.

More than one in five said either they or their families had faced discrimination during the pandemic. Some believe President Trumps references to coronavirus as the Chinese virus and Kung Flu will propel more Asian Americans to the polls in protest.

Its really upsetting, Liu, a Democrat, said.

Polls indicate Asian American voters lean towards Biden this election, though by margins narrower than some other minority groups.

According to the national 2020 Asian American Voter Survey, 54% of respondents said theyd vote for Biden while 30% said theyd vote for Trump. Indian Americans, who are the largest group within the AAPIelectorate in North Carolina, supported Biden the most (66%) while Vietnamese Americans were the lone Asian American group to favor Trump over Biden, 48% to 36%. Vietnam is a communist country, and many Vietnamese Americans perceive the GOP as being tougher on communism.

The Vietnamese people are originally refugees because of the Communists, said Amy Nguyen, president of the Vietnamese Association of Charlotte. So, they came here and dont want to have our history from Vietnam repeated.

Like Nguyen, AAPIcommunity leaders say early voting has been popular, especially for groups that dont always have the strongest turnout.

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In past elections, Khanna Koneru, who is Indian American, said shes found her community to be difficult to politically energize. Yet this year, shes seen a spike in involvement, buoyed in part by Kamala Harris, daughter of an Indian American, running as the Democratic nominee for vice president.

I think it makes a huge difference seeing any presidential candidate pick a person of Asian American, particularly of Indian American descent, and a woman as a running mate, is a powerful acknowledgment of our community, Konerusaid.

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Campaigning for AAPI voters, the Trump campaign has hosted 100 AAPI-centered events across the state, with some held in Mandarin and Vietnamese.

Asian Pacific Americans for Trump are energized and inspired by the policies that President Trump has put in place to help their communities," said Trump campaign spokeswoman Kara Caldwell.

AAPI voters are also among the 22 constituencies the Biden campaign has identified as crucial for winning the state. While the campaign has scaled back in-person rallies due to the pandemic, its hosted virtual tours featuring AAPI politicians and celebrities.

Though the presidential race grabs the most attention, Liu said several less prominent races featuring AAPIcandidates have fueled higher turnout. In 2015, North Carolina elected its first Asian-American to the state senate, Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake), and have since seen more AAPIpoliticians in the General Assembly and in city government. Ronnie Chatterji, an Indian American, is on the ballot this year for state treasurer.

This election cycle, Liu started the Chinese American Voter Alliance whichsent out 17,000 postcards in both English and Mandarin encouraging residents to vote for Democrats, while NCAAT in Actionhas distributed almost nine times as many mailers.

All of this happened with the last 10 years, Liu said. The population is growing and is eager to have representation.

While Liu recognizes AAPIs expanding political presence, she still feels the electorate could get more respect from the media, politicians, and the state board of elections which doesnt include a separate AAPI categoryon its main weekly voter registration reportor in its main daily early voting snapshot.

The Asian story in politics is such an untold story, she said. In North Carolina, this electorate is growing. And its going to be becoming more powerful.

Brian Gordon is a statewide reporter with the USA Today Networkin North Carolina. Reach him at bgordon@gannett.com or on Twitter @briansamuel92.

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With high turnouts, Asian Americans in NC poised to impact the 2020 election - The Fayetteville Observer