May 28, 2026
Stop AAPI Hate Action to roll out national voter contact program for 2026 midterm elections, aims to raise $1M to mobilize AAPI voters in select districts with competitive House races
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Amid rising state violence and racism, Stop AAPI Hate’s new political and advocacy arm will expand capacity to strengthen AAPI civic infrastructure, mobilize AAPI communities long-term
NATIONWIDE — Over six years after its founding, Stop AAPI Hate today announced the launch of Stop AAPI Hate Action, its new 501(c)(4) political and advocacy arm dedicated to strengthening long-term AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) political power and civic engagement nationwide.
Stop AAPI Hate Action was created to help expand the AAPI community’s capacity to organize, mobilize, and take action amid rising authoritarianism and deepening threats to communities of color and immigrants. A central focus is to help translate the lived experiences of AAPI communities – particularly with racism, discrimination, and exclusion – into sustained civic and political participation.
From the surge in anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic, to the increase in xenophobic policies and racist rhetoric under the current Trump administration, AAPIs have continued to face escalating state violence that is fueling new waves of hate targeting a broader swath of the community – particularly South Asians and immigrants. Assaults by the federal government today include racial profiling by ICE, which has led to sharp increases in ICE arrests and deportations of AAPIs; efforts to slash fundamental protections like voting rights, due process, and birthright citizenship; and attacks on H-1B visas, green cards, and other pathways AAPIs have long relied on to build lives in America.
“Stop AAPI Hate has been at the forefront of calling out and combating anti-AAPI hate – and now, we’re building the political power needed to defeat it on every level,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate. “Across America, we are seeing an increasing sense of urgency from AAPIs and allies who want to fight back against growing assaults on our safety, freedoms, and democracy – but there’s a need for more clear, accessible pathways for our communities to act at the scale and speed this moment demands. Stop AAPI Hate Action aims to strengthen AAPI civic engagement and organizing infrastructure on a national scale, so that more AAPIs can take action and make an impact, no matter where they live.”
Stop AAPI Hate Action builds on years of local and state-level organizing by AAPI activists and groups across the country. It is designed to complement and strengthen this existing ecosystem by adding national-scale organizing capacity and helping to fill critical gaps in civic engagement and organizing infrastructure in regions where resources remain limited or nonexistent.
Stop AAPI Hate Action will leverage its national reach and digital presence to:
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- Boost AAPI political and civic participation via national grassroots mobilization efforts that provide concrete opportunities for everyday people to take action
- Build cross-state organizing networks to strengthen AAPI voter engagement and turnout, creating and fortifying infrastructure beyond just traditional battleground states
- Recruit and activate volunteers from non-competitive districts to engage with AAPI voters in key competitive districts where AAPI communities can make a decisive difference, leveraging culturally-grounded and identity-based outreach strategies
- Support multilingual civic engagement and public education efforts that help increase political and civic participation among underrepresented and undercontacted AAPI communities
- Strengthen volunteer leadership and long-term community engagement outside of election cycles
“As the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, AAPIs have both the opportunity and responsibility to help shape the future of this country,” said Andy Wong, Managing Director of Advocacy for Stop AAPI Hate Action. “Stop AAPI Hate Action is about ensuring AAPI communities are not just visible and active in moments of crisis, but consistently empowered, engaged, and organized to shape the decisions that impact our lives and our future. We want to help people turn their individual pain, fear, and outrage into collective power, action, and change for years to come – starting with the 2026 midterm elections cycle.”
As part of its broad range of work, Stop AAPI Hate Action will launch next month a nationwide voter mobilization effort for the November midterm elections to help shift the balance of power in Congress.
Stop AAPI Hate Action is aiming to raise and spend approximately $1M for this effort. It will focus on recruiting volunteers across the country to engage with AAPI voters in competitive districts – mobilizing them in support of House candidates who can better protect AAPI communities in the face of Trump and his loyalists’ racist, xenophobic, and authoritarian agenda. The program will leverage culturally-grounded, multilingual voter outreach (in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Korean) to drive direct voter contact efforts primarily via phone banking. It will also weave in South Asian-to-South Asian and Filipino-to-Filipino voter outreach in English.
“For too long, AAPI communities have lacked adequate investment in infrastructure to fuel sustained political participation,” said Tamlyn Tomita, Chair of CAPA21 – a leading partner in Stop AAPI Hate Action’s midterm elections efforts. “There is a pressing need for culturally competent, national-scale voter engagement work that meets AAPIs wherever they are. Stop AAPI Hate Action will help fill that gap by connecting communities across the country and expanding opportunities to get involved in the political process. We are proud to support this work ahead of the critical 2026 midterm elections and excited to see it grow.”
For more information and future updates, visit stopaapihate.org.
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About Stop AAPI Hate and Stop AAPI Hate Action:
Stop AAPI Hate (501c3) is dedicated to exposing and combating racism and discrimination against Asian American and Pacific Islander people in the U.S. We research and document anti-AAPI hate, support and empower survivors, spread awareness of our communities’ challenges and triumphs, and advocate for policies that help our communities thrive.
Stop AAPI Hate Action (501c4) mobilizes Asian American, Pacific Islander, and allied communities to raise their voices, hold leaders accountable, and shape decisions that affect their lives – transforming individual pain and outrage into collective action and community power.
