"For Kamala to address her roots was a powerful move. I think she recognizes this is not a trivial voting bloc," one expert said.

In her vice presidential acceptance speech Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention, Sen. Kamala Harris of California acknowledged her husband, her children, her sister, her nieces, her godchildren, her uncles and her "chitthis." And it's her use of the Tamil word for "aunts" that created an emotional stir on social media.

Many praised Harris' use of "chitthi," a term of endearment for a mother's younger sister, a paternal uncle's wife or a stepmom in the Tamil language. Harris' use of it as the first Black woman and the first Asian American on a major-party ticket marks a more significant moment for the diaspora, who see themselves reflected on a national political platform in an especially divisive climate.

According to AAPI Data, 54 percent of Asian American registered voters said in a recent poll that they are supporting Joe Biden. About 29 percent said they will vote for President Donald Trump, and 1 percent said they will vote for a third-party candidate. The remaining 16 percent are undecided.

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