Kamala Harris Faces Wave of Anti-Campaign Misinformation Targeting Chinese-American Voters

 Since Kamala Harris's nomination as the Democratic candidate, misinformation campaigns have surged on social media, falsely accusing her of "stealing someone’s husband," specifically that of former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. This baseless claim initially circulated in English, but it quickly spread across Chinese-language platforms, evolving into even more inflammatory accusations. According to PiYaoBa, a Chinese fact-checking organization, some translations referred to Harris as a “mistress,” a term that took root on platforms like WeChat, gathering over 100,000 views and using slurs common in Mandarin.

The spread of this type of disinformation—known as "platform jump"—occurs when English-language rumors are translated and adapted for platforms popular among Chinese Americans, explains Jinxia Niu, digital engagement program manager at Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA). “About 80% of the attacks on Harris are personal, misogynistic, and aimed at inciting distrust,” Niu said. This misinformation not only circulates rapidly on platforms like X and WeChat but often grows in views due to repeated sharing across multiple social networks.

A recent CAA report found that Chinese-speaking users encountered 228 significant disinformation pieces in the year leading up to July, amassing over four million views. Many of these attacks tie into broader narratives, including conspiracy theories, immigration concerns, and targeted assaults on Democratic values. Dorothy He, communications director for the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), says that these campaigns aim to suppress voter turnout among Asian Americans or to sway them toward alternative political perspectives.

The 2024 Asian American Voter Survey (AAVS) revealed that Democratic support among Chinese Americans remains significant. In 2020, 56% of Chinese Americans backed Joe Biden, and in 2024, Harris’s candidacy has increased Democratic support among this group to 65%. However, Trump’s support among Chinese Americans has also risen by 7%. Despite these figures, misinformation continues to target this demographic, leveraging cultural perceptions and tapping into longstanding gender norms to undermine Harris’s reputation.

Anti-Harris disinformation often gains traction among first-generation Chinese immigrants aged 45 to 75, many of whom may carry cultural beliefs about gender roles, Niu noted. “They may view terms like ‘mistress’ as particularly damaging, feeding into stereotypes that target women’s roles and status in society.”

Some of the misinformation goes beyond personal attacks, falsely connecting Democratic policies to communism, a tactic that resonates among Chinese immigrants wary of authoritarianism. Conspiracies claiming Democrats support “woke” agendas or “communist ideals” have become increasingly common, as misinformation spreaders look to frame social justice movements as “a threat worse than communism,” according to the CAA.

Despite these campaigns, both major political parties have shown limited engagement with Chinese-American voters. The 2024 AAVS found that 42% of Chinese Americans had not been contacted by the Democratic Party, while 60% had no outreach from Republicans, marking the lowest outreach levels among Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) groups. Civic engagement rates are similarly low, and many Chinese Americans rely on non-English news sources, with 81% reporting they speak another language at home and 17% primarily accessing non-English news.

As the election draws near, concerns mount over the potential influence of misinformation on Chinese-American voters. “During the 2020 election, conspiracy theories swayed many in the Chinese community,” Niu stated. “Once these ideas take root, it becomes harder for factual information to penetrate.”

With Chinese Americans making up a growing portion of the U.S. electorate, targeted outreach and culturally sensitive information remain essential to combatting these harmful narratives. Niu and others emphasize the need for greater political engagement to address the spread of misinformation and empower voters to make informed choices in the upcoming election.