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It\u2019s just after 6 a.m. at a mosque in suburban Georgia, and the topic of discussion over breakfast is Kamala Harris. \u201cLet\u2019s see what happens, right. The South Asian community knows that they have a really pivotal role and that their turnout, their engagement could shift the election one way or another. Asian Americans are the fastest-growing voting bloc in Georgia, and South Asians make up the largest percentage of that group, totaling around 86,000 eligible voters. Joe Biden won the state by just over 11,000 votes in 2020. \u201cThe path to the White House runs right through this state.\u201d Kamala Harris is presumed to be the first Democratic presidential nominee of South Asian heritage. \u201cThere\u2019s so much hope that I feel now.\u201d Here in Fulton County, we found new enthusiasm, but also some waiting to see where Harris will stand on the issues. \u201cI\u2019m definitely re-engaged. I consider myself an independent. I\u2019m not sure if I\u2019m going to vote before Kamala Harris entered because I was so unenthusiastic about both candidates.\u201d \u201cBut I don\u2019t know if anyone really expected how exhilarating it would feel. As a South Asian, you know, I feel a connection to her. This time, I would like to be more engaged and actually doing something besides just voting.\u201d Parul Kapur is now hosting meetups with friends as she prepares to organize a fund-raiser for the very first time. When did you guys hear and what was your reaction when you heard that?\u201d \u201cShe\u2019s been a U.S senator. Now, she\u2019s been vice president for four years. That\u2019s a pretty impressive r\u00e9sum\u00e9. But deep inside, I was like someone who looks like me is going to be the next president of the United States.\u201d \u201cThat\u2019s very true.\u201d \u201cA lot of people, I think, were, you know, like going to vote for somebody like Biden regardless because they were scared. And, you know, it felt very much like they were going to bite the bullet. Whereas now people feel energized and you want to vote.\u201d And while shared identity resonates for the group, the conversation ultimately shifts back to policy. \u201cAnd somehow we forget that there is a middle class for a lot of us. Taxation, inflation, all those are important issues for us.\u201d \u201cThe economy, essentially, which is what I think ultimately this election is going to come down to anyway.\u201d Back at the mosque, the conversation turns to one specific issue: the war in Gaza. \u201cThe Asian American community doesn\u2019t always fit into a nice box along the political spectrum. We all carry different identities. I\u2019m a Muslim American. And how I see the election is kind of a combination of these different factors. Gaza is still the primary issue that I\u2019m looking to see where Kamala Harris will differentiate herself from Biden.\u201d Asian American voters here decisively chose Biden in 2020, but in the four years since, their support for him has declined. These voters could be crucial for Harris to win or lose the state. \u201cShe has the potential to change the equation of how things are done for the better. The entire society is changing. I have seen that because when I arrived is when the change started, right \u2014 \u201969 until today. That has been what they call the \u2018browning of America,\u2019 Asians, Indians.\u201d \u201cIt\u2019s an open conversation. So I think the Asian American vote, they can be convinced to switch loyalty for candidates and parties. I\u2019m pretty confident I\u2019ll vote now, but I\u2019m going to leave a little bit of wiggle room because so much can happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n