ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Spectrum News is highlighting voices of gamechangers in the Central Florida community.

What You Need To Know

  • May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

  • According to the organization APIA Vote, only about half of Asian voters were contacted by either of the major political parties in 2022

  • Central Florida’s AAPI Coming Together group has been working to engage AAPI voters, and say they are often overlooked by politicians

  • Vriti Shah, a Seminole County student, has been working with AAPI Coming Together, and started her school’s first Asian Students’ Association

Vriti Shah, a Seminole County high school student, has been working to amplify voices of the AAPI community in Central Florida.

During a meeting for AAPI Coming Together in Orange County, Shah helped decorate colorful posters with powerful meaning.

Shah wrote bold bubble letter messages in crayola marker reading “ACT! VOTE!” and “IT MATTERS!”

AAPI Coming Together (ACT) is a relatively new grassroots organization hoping to engage AAPI voters. Recently, the organization launched ACT Young, which is an offshoot branch aimed at high school and college students.

That’s where Shah, a Lake Mary High School junior, comes in.

“I’ve been such an advocate of voting my entire life, and I knew I had to sign up for it,” said Shah.

According to a 2022 survey by APIA Vote, only about half of Asian American voters were contacted by either major political party.

Despite that Asian Americans have been the fastest-growing group of eligible voters in the U.S. for years, Kam Shenai with AAPI Coming Together says the group is often overlooked by politicians.

Shenai added that while Asian Americans account for roughly 7% of the nationwide population, less than 1% of people holding elected office belong to the group.

“To engage the community, we are to educate them and we are to empower them,” said Kam Shenai, co-founder of AAPI Coming Together.

While she can frequently be found at AAPI Coming Together meetings, Shah recently took to a new platform to amplify her voice: the newspaper.

Back in April, Shah wrote a commentary piece for the Orlando Sentinel. The piece detailed her experience going to a new high school. While the day was filled with the same jitters other high schoolers may have, she wrote that she faced additional pressure as she battled with her cultural identity and finding students who could relate.

Shah said ultimately, she and some friends got together to create Lake Mary High School’s first Asian Student Association (ASA). While the first step was establishing the group, Shah said there was a need for education ahead as well. 

“Many classmates heard the discussion of a new ASA and ridiculed the topic, asking if it was an ‘anime-fetishizing club,’” Shah wrote. “Others were alarmed that I, an Indian student, was co-founding ASA, because they didn’t know that India was, in fact, part of Asia.”

Shah’s piece in the Orlando Sentinel may not be her last — she says she is hoping to pursue a career in journalism one day. In the meantime, she’s also working on what could be a second installment in the Sentinel.

“I’m so excited for what’s left to come for AAPI representation, especially in Florida," Shah said. "I can’t wait to get out there and vote in November."

While Shah said it will be her first time at the polls, the coming election will also be her parent’s first time voting.