News Roundup: AAPI Voters in Midterms, Doctor Meeting

Report: Asian Americans Play Bigger Role in Midterms

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders — the nation’s fastest growing voter bloc — are set to “play an increasingly consequential role” in the upcoming midterm elections, according to the 2026 AAPI Voter Survey, which was published by Aapidata.com using data from the University of California-Berkeley’s Asian American Research Center.

According to the survey, the U.S. is home to 16 million eligible AAPI voters as of this year.

AAPI voters “represented consequential shares of the electorate in competitive congressional districts across states including Arizona, California, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia,” according to the survey. “That influence is especially important in elections decided by narrow margins. In 2024, AAPIs made up significant shares of the eligible electorate in key battleground states, including 12% in Nevada, 4.4% in Arizona, 4.2% in Georgia, 3.3% in Pennsylvania, and 3.0% in Michigan, North Carolina and Wisconsin.”

Among the survey’s key findings:

•Nine in 10 AAPI registered voters say they plan to vote in the 2026 midterm elections, up from 84% in 2022 and 86% in 2018; seven in 10 of the voters say they are absolutely certain they will vote.

•The increasing cost of living and price inflation dominate concerns of AAPIs. Nine out of 10 surveyed Asian Americans and nearly that number of Pacific Islanders say inflation “is very or extremely important in deciding how they vote.”

•Most AAPIs currently prefer Democratic candidates in congressional races. “Democrats hold an advantage on voters’ top issue: 63% select the Democratic candidate for U.S. House compared with 24% Republican.” A total of 44% say they trust Democrats to do a better job on the issue of inflation, compared with 18% who trust Republicans. AAPI voters favor Democratic candidates by more than two-to-one in the 2026 congressional elections: 60% Democratic vs. 24% Republican for U.S. Senate, and 64% Democratic vs. 22% Republican for U.S. House.

•But many AAPI “voters remain unreached.” Around four in 10 report getting “no contact from the Democratic Party” and nearly six in 10 say have gotten no contact from the Republican Party.

•Family and friends and academic experts “are the most trusted messengers” of election information, followed by community journalists and AAPI community-serving organizations. Pacific Islander adults report particularly high trust in AAPI community-serving organizations.

•Voting preferences remain divided between in-person and alternative methods: 45% prefer voting in person, 34% by mail, and 15% by ballot drop-off. Combined, 49% prefer mail or drop-off, essentially unchanged from 50% in 2022.

44 People Become Citizens

Forty-four immigrants from 23 different nations became citizens on Aug. 26, taking the Oath of Allegiance in a naturalization ceremony at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston.

“This is an incredibly special day in the lives of new citizens and their families. It’s a privilege to offer the peace and beauty of the gardens as a setting to mark the moment,” said Grace Elton, CEO of New England Botanic Garden in a statement.

This was the sixth annual naturalization ceremony to take place at the botanic garden, a tradition the garden says started during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the time, the garden was among the few places that could provide an outdoor ceremony safely.

Those naturalized were from Albania, Argentina, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, India, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Peru, Russia, South Africa, Spain, and Turkey.

U.S. District Judge Margaret R. Guzman presided over the event.

State Promotes Jobs in Mental Health, Substance Abuse Help

A statewide campaign is underway to help connect job seekers, students and those considering a job change with careers in mental health services.

Dubbed the “Turn Your Compassion Into Your Career” effort promises to help people get into the behavioral health field by providing information about jobs, education and training, financial assistance and career support available across Massachusetts, according to the administration of Gov. Maura Healey.

The campaign started earlier this summer and will continue through September. The effort includes public service announcements on billboards and building community partnerships in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Vietnamese, Arabic, Haitian Creole and Simplified Chinese. It also connects people with scholarships, grants and state financial aid programs that can help cover the cost of education and training. Those ready to enter the workforce or take the next step in their careers can find job-search resources and connect with workforce support services across Massachusetts.

Workers in the field of mental health and substance abuse often help support patients, their families and communities. Jobs include peer support specialists, community health workers, substance use counselors, mental health counselors, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists.

For more information, visit www.mass.gov/turn-your-compassion-into-your-career.

Asian American Ballet Project Offers Residency Slots

The Asian American Ballet Project marks its fifth anniversary by launching the 2027 Asian American Ballet Project Choreographer Residency Program and now has an open call for choreographers.

“Asian American-identifying emerging and established choreographers” are encouraged to submit application by Oct. 13.

The four choreographers selected for the residency will receive resources to allow them to create their best work and grow as artists, a $1,000 stipend, a two week residency including 15 hours of dedicated rehearsals, the opportunity to work with an Asian American musical collaborator, and audience and industry professional feedback.

American Chinese Medical Group Explores New Tech

Bringing together over 100 medical professionals from around the world, the nonprofit group American Chinese Medical Exchange Society held its annual meeting Aug. 22 at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. The doctors discussed topics such as advances in liver transplant technology and surgery, new warning signs of heart disease, robotics in surgery, and obesity.

Under the theme “Medical Advances 2026,” the meeting included experts in clinical medicine, biomedical research, pharmacy, medical law, and health-system management. Hospital leaders, pharmacists, physicians, and other health professionals from Shanghai, Guangzhou, and other parts of China also participated, according to the group.

The program highlighted advances in medicine, clinical practice, hospital management, and professional collaboration and tackled topics such as disease, aging, chronic illness, emerging technologies, and public health challenges, which the group says “do not stop at national borders.”

Among those who presented were the group’s president Dr. Xue-Jun “June” Kong, whom the Sampan profiled earlier for her work around autism; Dr. Devin Eckhoff, chief of transplantation and director of the Transplant Institute at BIDMC; Dr. Peter Medawar, professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School; , Dr. Jamie McCabe, an expert in structural heart disease at BIDMC; Dr. Zhao Liu, an endocrinologist and physician nutrition specialist at Beth Israel Lahey Health; Dr. Calvin Pan, clinical professor of medicine in gastroenterology and hepatology at New York University; and Dr. Wenliang Chen, a board-certified general surgeon at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital–Plymouth and senior deputy editor for general surgery at UpToDate.

Boston Taiwan Film Fest

The annual Boston Taiwan Film Festival kicks off at the Somerville Theatre on Sept. 10 with a screening of “Hero Hito.” The festival will take place at area theaters including the Brattle Theatre and the Museum of Fine Arts Boston through mid-October. For a full list of films and times, see https://taiwanfilmfest.org/program-schedule-2026

— Sampan Staff