APIAVote (Asian Pacific Islander Vote) is a national organization that aims to increase the civic participation of the Asian American/Pacific Islander community. On July 21, the organization is holding a town hall meeting in which the presidential nominees from both major parties in this election cycle have been invited to discuss issues important to the Asian/Pacific Islander Americans. According to SALDEF (Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund), one of the event’s sponsors:

Hear the campaigns of the Presidential candidates, President Barack Obama (D) and Governor Mitt Romney (R), address issues important to the Sikh American and Asian Pacific Islander American community.

Presidential Town Hall
Saturday, July 21, 2012 from 3-6pm Eastern Time (2-5pm Central/12-3pm Pacific)
Center for the Arts Concert Hall at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia

Are you in the Washington, DC area? RSVP and join us in person!  Click here to reserve your seat.

Not in Washington, DC? You can watch the program online. We will be posting a link to the website where you can watch it here soon.

This would be the first event of its kind, and hopefully both candidates will directly participate.

During this election cycle, it is clear that the candidates are reaching out to all communities for what is expected to be a close election this November. Recently, President Obama spoke at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies gala back in May, while Mitt Romney addressed the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) a few days ago.  This attention to various constituencies in the United States by the candidates provide unique opportunities to voice our concerns to the next President of the United States.

See the full notice on SALDEF’s website about attending or viewing the Town Hall.