¼ª²ÊÍøÍøÕ¾

The number of Asian grocery stores and supermarkets in the NC Triangle have grown significantly since the 1990s, reflecting the rapid growth of the Asian population in the area. The stores have also become gathering spaces for folks across the diaspora, looking for flavors that remind them of home.

Since 2020, registered Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander voters in North Carolina grew by 31% and about 72,000 voted early for the 2024 election. But Asian American organizers say many found the vote-by-mail process challenging, and that tensions have increased between parties at the polls.

The town of Cary is asking its residents to vote on a $560 million parks and recreation bond measure during this election cycle. Many believe the rapidly growing area needs more recreational facilities, while others balk at the proposed 26% property tax increase.

Many of North Carolina's Hmong residents live in western North Carolina, which was badly impacted by Helene. Community leaders say that families, especially older folks, need access to Asian food staples and language interpretation assistance to apply for federal disaster relief funds.

Indian American voters are excited about the possibility that Vice President Kamala Harris, being of Indian and Jamaican descent, could become the Democratic nominee for president. Indian Americans also make up the largest portion of North Carolina's rapidly growing Asian American and Pacific Islander population.

A team of two artists and an oral history scholar created a mural next to Union Station in Raleigh. It’s dedicated to recognizing joy and belonging for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders who live in North Carolina.

While Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders comprise just 4% of North Carolina's population, their numbers and political power are growing rapidly. Across the state, AAPI advocates are empowering their communities to speak up and participate during this election year.

Many Hmong refugees settled in western North Carolina in the decades following the Vietnam War. Now that they’re getting older and are dealing with more health issues, they’ve become more reliant on their adult children to serve as interpreters in healthcare settings, which can be challenging given major differences between the English and Hmong languages.

Schools in south suburban Charlotte reflect a boom in Asian students. Jigna Patel is the principal of Ballantyne Elementary, where many students and parents share her Indian roots.

UNC-Chapel Hill student Shristi Sharma grew up in a small town in Iowa, believing she was American — until a conversation with her father during middle school changed everything she knew about her life.