Presidential Town Hall

Since 2008, the Presidential Town Hall has served as a forum for AAPIs to push for AAPI issues to be addressed and on the radar of campaigns and the media. In giving presidential candidates a space to directly address AAPI community members, leaders, and organizers, the town hall has become one of the few spaces geared specifically for candidates to speak directly to AAPIs, about the issues important to this growing electorate.
View the 2020 Presidential Town Hall
The event streamed online via APIAVote’s Facebook page, on NBCNews.com, NBC Asian America and on NBC News’ Facebook and Twitter accounts, on the PBS Newshour’s Facebook, and the WORLD Channel’s Facebook Live account.
- To view the 2016 Presidential Town Hall videos, click here.
- To view the 2008 Presidential Town Hall videos, click here.
National Asian American & Pacific Islander Leadership Summit
The Summit provided 4 specific tracks of programming in conjunction with the Presidential Town Hall on June 27. This allowed participants to dig deeper on various issues and learn also how to mobilize the AAPI community for the 2020 elections.
Find out more about the workshops and sessions, its list of topics and speakers, as well as to view the recordings:

2020 Presidential Town Hall Host Committee

Frequently Asked Questions
The Presidential Town Hall was the largest convergence of over 2,000 Asian American and Pacific Islander professionals and community leaders in the nation. Over 1.1 million viewers also streamed the town hall online. We organized virtually and it was held in the afternoon of June 27, 2020. This was a historic moment because, as a collective group, this was the largest opportunity for the presidential candidates to participate and address our communities’ needs for the General Election. This also allowed our communities to unite our voices in political engagement that year and into the future.
Sign ups to host a watch party and to learn about how to become a SUPPORTING ORGANIZATION were organized here.
See our growing list of Sponsors, Host Committee and Supporting Organizations
Both presidential candidates were invited.
The Presidential Town Hall was scheduled for the afternoon of June 27. A number of workshops and convenings happened in the days leading up to the Town Hall as well as dates afterward. This included various panel discussions, trainings, and more related to youth engagement, election protection, policy priorities, GOTV and voter registration. Explore the full descriptions of sessions.
Supporting Organizations
18 Million Rising (National)
1990 Institute
42nd Parallel
AAPI-NC
Act To Change (DC)
Adhikaar
Alpha Kappa Delta Phi International Sorority, Inc
APACEvotes (WA)
APAPA Albany Chapter (NY)
APAPA Davis Chapter (CA)
APAPA Folsom Chapter (CA)
APAPA San Diego (CA)
APAPA-UTC (UT)
API Initiative (CA)
API Middle TN
APIA VOTE MI
AREAA CA Orange County Chapter (CA)
AREAA Greater Jacksonville (FL)
AREAA- Greater Seattle Chapter (WA)
AREAA Las Vegas (NV)
AREAA San Diego (CA)
Asian American Advertising Federation (3AF)
Asian American Association of New Mexico
Asian American Christian Collaborative (IL)
Asian American Coalition of Chicago (IL)
Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF) (NY)
Asian American Organizing Project (AAOP) (MN)
Asian American Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus of Nevada (NV)
Asian American Student Union at the University of Maryland College Park
Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC) (National)
Asian Americans in Action (CA)
Asian Business Association (CA)
Asian CineVision (NY)
Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) (NV)
Asian Counseling and Referral Service (WA)
Asian Culture And Education Society USA (TX)
Asians In LA
Asian Law Alliance (CA)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (NV)
Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association
Asian Pacific Development Center (CO)
Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Foundation (CA)
Asian Real Estate Association of America – Brooklyn Chapter (NY)
Asian Roundtable of Colorado
Asian Services in Action (ASIA) (OH)
ASIAN, Inc. (CA)
Asian/Pacific Islander Caucus of the Iowa Democratic Party (IA)
AsiaTown Cleveland
Association for Asian American Studies (National)
Austin Asian Complete Count Committee (TX)
Berkeley chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) (CA)
Boise Valley Japanese American Citizens League (ID)
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) (MA)
California Sikh Council (CA)
CAPE (Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment) (CA)
Center for Employment Training (CA)
Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc. (GA)
Center for Southeast Asians (RI)
Chinese American Museum of Chicago
Chicago Asian Network (IL)
Chinese Culture Connection, Inc
Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association (UT)
Chun Group (NC)
Coalition of Asian American Leaders (MN)
Colorado Dragon Boat (CO)
Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership (CAPAL) (WDC)
Council of Korean Americans (National)
Council of Pakistan (CA)
Council of Pakistan American Affairs
Dear Asian Americans Podcast (CA)
Denver Asian American Pacific Islander Commission (CO)
El Paso Asian American & Pacific Islanders (TX)
Emgage-TX
Epic Movement (National)
Faith and Community Empowerment (formerly KCCD) (CA)
Federation of Philippine American Chambers of Commerce (National)
Fil Ams Political Organization with Equal Representation (NV)
FilipinX Americans in Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics (FASTER) (CA)
Filipino American Heritage and Arts Museum (NV)
Filipino American Democratic Club of NY
Filipino American National Historical Society, Utah Chapter
Filipino American Veterans Group (NV)
Filipino Young Leaders Program (NV)
Florida Asian Services (FL)
Florida Asian Women Alliance (FL)
Florin Chapter Japanese American Citizens League – Sacramento Valley (CA)
Greater Birmingham Chapter of AREA (AL)
Greater Orlando Asian American Bar Association (FL)
Harvard Law School Asian Pacific American Law Students Association
Hop Sing Tong Denver (CO)
Howard County Chinese School (MD)
Iowa Asian Alliance (IA)
Island Liaison
JACL Chicago (IL)
JACL Pacific Southwest District (CA)
JACL St Louis Chapter (MO)
JACL Washington DC Chapter (DC)
Japanese American Citizens League – Mile High Chapter (CO)
Japanese American Citizens League, San Jose Chapter (CA)
Japanese American Citizens League, Seattle Chapter (WA)
Japanese American Citizens League – New York Chapter
Japanese American Service Committee (IL)
Ke One O Kakuhihewa (HI)
Korean American Center (CA)
Korean American Coalition – Los Angeles
Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity, Inc
LEAD Filipino (CA)
Little Lights Urban Ministries (WDC)
Marshallese Youth of Orange County (CA)
Miami-Dade County Asian American Advisory Board (FL)
Michigan Asian Pacific American Affairs Commission
MinKwon Center for Community Action (NY)
NaFFAA Rocky Mountain States (Region V) (CO)
National APIDA Panhellenic Association
National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (National)
National Asian Pacific Center on Aging (NAPCA)
National Association of Asian American Professionals – Chicago (IL)
National Association of Asian American Professionals – San Jose
National CAPACD
National Federation of Filipino American Associations Nevada (NV)
National Filipino American Lawyers Association (NFALA)
National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA)
National Tongan American Society
New American Leaders
New Virginia Majority Education Fund
New York Immigrant Coalition
North Carolina Asian Americans Together (NC)
OCA Asian Pacific American Advocates Utah
OCA-Asian American Advocates (East Bay)
OCA Greater Cleveland – Asian Pacific American Advocates (OH)
OCA-Greater Houston Asian Pacific American Advocates
Ohio AAPI Democratic Caucus (OH)
One East Palo Alto (CA)
Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (CA)
Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance (OCAPICA) (CA)
OPAWL – Building AAPI Feminist Leadership in Ohio
Pacific Islander Health Board of WA
Philippine-American Friendship Community Inc. (NJ)
Pilipino American Los Angeles Democrats (PALAD)
Pilipino Workers Center (SC)
Portland Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League (OR)
Rising Asian Pacific American Coalition for Diversity (RAPACD) (NV)
Rising Voices of Asian American Families (MI)
Rock the Vote
SAAVETX (TX)
Sacramento Chapter, JACL
San Diego JACL (CA)
San Fernando Valley JACL (CA)
San Mateo chapter JACL (CA)
SEAMAAC, Inc
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) (National)
Southeast Asia Resource Action Center
Southern Nevada API Queer Society (#SNAPIQS)
Taiwanese American Professionals – Washington DC Chapter
The 2020 Project (CO)
The Commonwealth Seminar (MA)
The Wallace H Coulter Foundation
The Rita M. Cacas Foundation, Inc. (MD)
The Yappie
Twin Cities JACL (MN)
United Chinese Americans (UCA)
UCLA Center for EthnoCommunications
VAYLA New Orleans (LA)
Vietnamese American Community of Utah
Vietnamese American Roundtable (CA)
The Voice of Viet Vegas Foundation (NV)
Washington Leadership Program (WDC)