BOOK BANS In 1953, a young writer named Ray Bradbury wrote a dystopian novel named Fahrenheit 451 about a society where “subversive” books are banned (Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which books burn). He was horrified by the Nazi book burnings of the 1930s when books by Jewish, communist, social, liberal and pacifist authors (among others) were ceremoniously destroyed by members of the German Student Union because they were considered opposed to Nazism. Seventy years later, history is repeating itself as Republicans, determined to drag America to its most regressive time, are raising a hue and cry in local school boards and districts to ban books they claim will offend children of certain races (read: white), if they learn the reality about slavery in America. More than 1,500 book bans have been instituted in U.S. school districts over the last nine months, a study has found, part of a rightwing censorship effort described as “unparalleled in its intensity.” The books selected for banning include works by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, among others. Twenty-two percent of the books directly deal with race and racism, while 33 percent deal with LGBTQI issues. It’s tempting to see this as a political stunt; certainly there is some evidence that harping on the non-existent “Critical Race Theory in Schools” contributed to Republican gains in Virginia . That success has bred a thousand copycats in districts across the country where Republicans think they can gain traction. But there is also some evidence that there is an ideological wing of the Republican party that fervently believes in the supremacy of white thought. And banning books about the Black American experience is just a slippery slope to banning books, which don’t perfectly align with white supremacist thinking. How about books about Hindu gods? How about books that extol Indian/Asian values, dress, rituals and experiences? Every Democratic activist, especially activists of color, have to see these book bans as canaries in the coal mine — if we ignore this troubling movement as not relevant to us, we will be the ones getting “othered” in the near future. What can we do? For one, we can stay engaged and informed about attempts to ban books in our local schools. We can communicate with family and friends about the need for freedom of expression, and voice solidarity with teachers who expose our children to varying points of view and different cultures. We can make our voices heard at school board meetings and local media about never, ever curtailing the ability of young minds to hear, read, and learn about every aspect of our history and culture, the good and the bad. How should you respond to book bans and challenges to other library resources? Check out the American Library Association's step-by-step suggestions here . Please see other resources below for more information. Keep checking back here for TSB activities around this issue. More Resources

About Us In the 2020 election cycle, the core team of TSB-Wisconsin expanded to include a fifth member, Arjun Shreekumar who brought energy and expertise in field-organizing to the team. In addition to making personal contacts with the local South Asian community, TSB-Wisconsin has collaborated with the state Democratic Party to access the digital voter database (NGP VAN) to set up phone banks and target registered and non-registered voters of South Asian origin. Finally, we reached out to TSB-Illinois and recruited 10 volunteers who graciously agreed to participate in the phone bank calls. With the Illinois team and our local volunteers, we contacted all voters of South Asian origin across the state. Contact the Wisconsin Chapter Register to Vote Vote by Mail Return to Chapters Map Donate to They See Blue ® PROTECT OUR RIGHTS As South Asians, we must unite to protect our rights and those of all Americans. To do that, we must be actively engaged in our democracy against those who want to see it crumble. Your contribution through ActBlue will help us elect more Democrats and expand the majorities in the House and Senate in 2022.

About Us They See Blue® Georgia was founded in August 2019. Since then, we’ve hosted numerous events with Georgia Democratic candidates, including a 2020 Election Kickoff event, which featured keynote speaker and Georgia House of Representatives Minority Leader Stacey Abrams and then U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff. Our members and chapter events have been featured in the Washington Post, New York Times, NBC Asian American, NRI Pulse, Scroll, among other news outlets. ​ In the 2020 election cycle, we called and texted thousands of South Asian voters and wrote 7,000 postcards on behalf of Democratic candidates. ​ More than 20 of our 400 members were trained to be poll workers or poll observers for the Nov. 3 general election, and several volunteered to answer questions from voters for the Georgia Democratic Party Voter Protection Hotline. ​ Two of our core team members served on the Georgia Biden-Harris Asian American Pacific Islander Leadership Council, and many of our members work as staff for local Democratic campaigns. Contact the Georgia Chapter Register to Vote Vote by Mail Return to Chapters Map Donate to They See Blue ® PROTECT OUR RIGHTS As South Asians, we must unite to protect our rights and those of all Americans. To do that, we must be actively engaged in our democracy against those who want to see it crumble. Your contribution through ActBlue will help us elect more Democrats and expand the majorities in the House and Senate in 2022.

Donate to Candidates Raphael Warnock Georgia As Senator, Reverend Warnock will bring to Washington the concerns of struggling Georgia families who wonder why no one is looking out for them. He will focus on fighting for quality, affordable health care, for the dignity of working people who are paid too little as our government works more for Wall Street, and to make sure every voice is heard. Learn More Donate Josh Harder California Josh Harder is seeking re-election to CA District 10 in 2022 Learn More Donate Donate to Georgia Minority Voter Turnout Organizations New Georgia Project Action Fund Fair Fight

GEORGIA RUNOFF – HOW TO VOTE Register Voters in Swing State ​ VOTE IN PERSON EARLY VOTING BEGINS DECEMBER 14 ​ ELECTION DAY IS JANUARY 5, 2021 VOTE ABSENTEE REQUEST YOUR BALLOT MAKE SURE YOU HAND DELIVER YOUR BALLOT TO YOUR REGISTRAR’S OFFICE OR LOCAL DROP BOX. FIND YOUR BALLOT DROP BOX FIND YOUR EARLY VOTING LOCATION FIND YOUR POLLING PLACE

About They See Blue ® Our voice. Our vote. Our Origins The They See Blue® organization, founded in July 2018 in the San Francisco Bay Area, seeks to leverage a cultural connection to advance civic engagement among like-minded South Asians.​ In the 2018 midterm elections, we mobilized the South Asian community in California's Central Valley with a laser-focused strategy to flip the CA-10, CA-21, and CA-22 House seats from red to blue. ​ With the help of various grassroots organizations, we attracted 200 volunteers, held successful fundraisers, and conducted targeted outreach to South Asian families through canvassing, phone banking and sponsoring political ads on local radio stations. As a result, Democrats won CA-10 and CA-21. ​ Today, They See Blue® is a registered Section 527 organization. We work with all-volunteer chapters in each state which are independent grassroots organizations. Our Mission With the momentum from our 2018 achievements, we replicated our playbook nationally in subsequent election cycles. Our goal is to support They See Blue ® chapters in all states with large South Asian populations and mobilize these voters in battleground states to ensure Democratic control of the White House, the Senate and the House. ​ The mission of the They See Blue ® organization is to mobilize and engage Americans of South Asian* origin in the democratic process to help Democrats win federal, state and local races. ​ *Afghan • Bangladeshi • Bhutanese • Indian • Indo-Fijian • Indo-Caribbean Maldivian • Nepali • Pakistani • Sri Lankan • Diaspora ​ In the 2020 national elections, we ramped our efforts across the country, including Georgia, where we helped get two Geogia Democrats elected to the U.S. Senate. Our organization made a real difference. Our Organizing Strategy A report by The Center for American Progress found a greater than 10 percent turnout gap between white Americans and eligible Asian American voters. This gap has existed for decades and shows no sign of closing without targeted intervention. Our fundamental organizing strategy is to increase voter turnout among Democrats and Independents in the South Asian American community by leveraging personal relationships and shared cultural identity. DATA Collect robust disaggregated data on Asian Americans. Eliminate language barriers to voting LANGUAGE OUTREACH Prioritize Asian-American outreach in political campaigns End discriminatory voter-purging policies EQUALITY REGISTER Remove barriers to voter registration Our Guiding Principles General policies We are not an issues-based group, though many of our members feel passionate about specific issues and are motivated by them. We are focused on US politics in our organizing and do not take stances on non-US politics. ​ Candidate endorsement We officially do not support any candidate until they win the primary and become the Democratic nominee (though informal early engagement is OK). We support Democratic nominees who are in critical swing districts or states, regardless of their position on specific issues. ​ Organizational structure We are a group of individuals focused on electing Democrats up and down the ballot. Each of us is a volunteer (though some do more than others). ​ Culture We are an inclusive “big tent” organization with a diversity of views, and we strive to maintain a courteous and respectful discourse — meaning no personal attacks — in our messaging forums. We do not tolerate racism, casteism, classism, homophobia and transphobia, religious discrimination, sexism and other forms of discrimination and exclusion. ​

PRESS RELEASE Return to Press Release Page They See Blue® congratulates Nusrat Choudhury as first Muslim woman to be confirmed as federal judge JUNE 18, 2023 — They See Blue®, an organization focused on mobilizing South Asian voters to elect Democrats, congratulates civil rights lawyer Nusrat Choudhury who was confirmed to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. She is the first Bangladeshi-American and female Muslim federal judge to achieve that honor in the nation. “We are very pleased by Judge Choudhury’s confirmation,” said They See Blue® co-founder Rajiv Bhateja. “The Biden administration is to be complimented for its openness to diversity in judicial appointments. This would not have been possible but for the narrow Senate majority, which underscores the importance of voting in every election.” The Senate June 15 confirmed Judge Choudhury by a 50-49 vote, with every Democrat except one supporting her. She has been a dedicated civil rights and civil liberties attorney, advocating for equal justice under the law. Chicago-born and bred, Judge Choudhury, who has degrees from Columbia and Princeton Universities and Yale Law School, was most recently the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union. She also previously worked as a development associate for Women’s Prison Association & Home, Inc. and for Spence-Chapin Services to Families & Children, both based in New York City. Judge Choudhury joined the ACLU in 2008 as a Marvin M. Karpatkin Fellow, supporting its Racial Justice Program in a variety of federal constitutional and statutory matters at the trial level, including conducting legal research, preparing and taking depositions, and factual investigations. The following year she joined the ACLU’s National Security Project as a staff attorney. Her cases involved constitutional rights matters, including due process, equal protection, freedom of religion and protection against unreasonable search and seizure. About They See Blue: Founded in 2018 by four South Asian Americans, They See Blue® has grown to more than 6,000 members with 22 grassroots chapters nationwide. As a registered Section 527 all-volunteer organization, They See Blue® seeks to engage and increase the participation of South Asian Americans in the political process of our great country and to help elect Democrats. For more information, see: https://theyseeblue.org ###

2024 Key Democratic House Races According to experts, the political climate favors Democrats to take back the House. Below are two dozen seats that we think are critical for the Democratic Party to hold or capture. They See Blue® will be supporting these candidates through get-out-the-vote efforts, advertising and other means. Please consider donating to these candidates. As voters in these states choose their candidates in primaries, we will post brief profiles here with their campaign websites where you can find more information. Please also view the Senate candidates that we're supporting. Please consider donating to these candidates. Check back for updates to this list. View Key Senate Races Arizona-01 FLIP AZ-01 Primary is July 30 Republican David Schweikert is the incumbent. Ballotpedia lists 10 candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. The primary is July 30. PLEASE NOTE: They See Blue does not endorse candidates in primaries. There is no link to the candidate's website below. Candidate Website Arizona-06 FLIP AZ-06 Primary is July 30 Republican Juan Ciscomani is the incumbent. Ballotpedia lists Kirsten Engel, Jack O'Donnell and Vieri Tenuta as candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. The primary is July 30. PLEASE NOTE: They See Blue does not endorse candidates in primaries. There is no link to the candidate's website below. Candidate Website California-09 Hold Josh Harder U.S. House Member, California-District 9 Harder, who is vying for this fourth term in the House, finished atop the state's March 5 top-two primary system in which voters cast ballots for the top two candidates regardless of party affiliation. He got about 53 percent of the vote and will face Republican Kevin Lincoln II, who received about 29 percent of the vote. Candidate Website California-13 FLIP Adam Gray Member, California State Assembly Gray, who has served as a state assemblyman for a decade, finished second in the state's March 5 top-two primary system in which voters cast ballots for the top two candidates regardless of party affiliation. He got 46 percent of the vote and will face incumbent Republican John Duarte, who received 54 percent of the vote. This is a rematch of the 2022 election. Candidate Website California-22 FLIP Rudy Salas Former Member of the California State Assembly Salas, who served in the state assembly from 2012 through 2022, came in second in the state's March 5 top-two primary system in which voters cast ballots for the top t candidates regardless of party affiliation. He received about 31 percent of the vote to Republican U.S. Rep. David Valadao's 33 percent. Candidate Website California-27 FLIP George Whitesides Former NASA Chief of Staff and aerospace entrepreneur Whitesides, a former NASA chief of staff and former CEO of Virgin Galactic, finished second in the state's March 5 top-two primary system in which voters cast is ballots for the top two candidates regardless of party affiliation. He got 31 percent of the vote and will face the top vote-getter, incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Garcia, who received 57 percent of the vote. Candidate Website California-41 FLIP Will Rollins Former Federal Prosecutor Rollins, who worked for the U.S. Department of Justice, finished second in the state's March 5 top-two primary system in which voters cast ballots for the top two candidates regardless of party affiliation. Rollins received 41 percent of the vote to Republican incumbent Rep. Ken Calvert's 50 percent. This will be a rematch of the 2022 race that Calvert won by 4.6 percentage points. Candidate Website California-45 FLIP Derek Tran Consumer Rights Attorney Tran, who is a consumer rights attorney and U.S. Army veteran, is challenging incumbent GOP Rep. Michelle Steel in the November general election. In the state's March 5 top-two primary system in which voters cast ballots for the top two candidates regardless of party affiliation, Tran received about 16 percent of the vote, second to Steel's 55 percent of the vote. Candidate Website California-47 OPEN Dave Min Member, California State Senate A member of the state Senate since 2020, Min, who previously was a law professor at University of California at Irvine, is vying for the seat that is currently being held by Democrat Katie Porter. Porter lost a U.S. Senate nominee and opted not to run for her congressional seat again. Min finished second in the state's March 5 top-two primary system in which voters cast ballots for the top two candidates regardless of party affiliation. He received 26 percent of the vote below Republican Scott Baugh's 33 percent. They will face off in the Nov. 5 general election. Candidate Website Nevada-01 HOLD Dina Titus U.S. House Member, Nevada-District 1 Titus, who's been a member of the U.S. House for about 15 years, is running unopposed in the June 11 Democratic primary to represent the district that she has served since 2013. A former professor of political science, Levin is also a former member of the Nevada Senate. Candidate Website Nevada-03 HOLD Susie Lee U.S. House Member, Nevada-District 3 Lee, who has represented her district in the U.S. House since 2019, is facing opponent RockAthena Brittain in the June 11 primary, according to Ballotpedia . The seat was once held by Jacky Rosen who was elected to the U.S. Senate. PLEASE NOTE: They See Blue does not endorse candidates in primaries. There is no link to the candidate's website below. Candidate Website Nevada-04 HOLD Steven Horsford U.S. House Member, Nevada-District 4 Businessman Horsford, who has represented his congressional district since 2019 and from 2013-2015, faces Levy Shultz in the June 11 Democratic primary, according to Ballotpedia . PLEASE NOTE: They See Blue does not endorse candidates in primaries There is no link to the candidate's website below. Candidate Website New York-03 HOLD Tom Suozzi U.S. House Member, New York-District 3 Suozzi, who once held his congressional seat before giving it up two years ago to run for an unsuccessful bid as governor of New York, won a Feb. 13 special election to fill the seat after George Santos was expelled by the U.S. House. He is running for a full two-year term but will face several opponents in the June 25 primary, according to Ballotpedia . PLEASE NOTE: They See Blue does not endorse candidates in primaries There is no link to the candidate's website below. Candidate Website New York-04 FLIP NY-04 Primary is June 25 Republican Anthony D'Esposito is the incumbent. There are a half a dozen candidates running in the June 25 primary, according to Ballotpedia . PLEASE NOTE: They See Blue does not endorse candidates in primaries There is no link to the candidate's website below. Candidate Website New York-17 FLIP NY-17 Primary is June 25 Republican Mike Lawler is the incumbent. In the June 25 Democratic primary, candidates MaryAnn Carr and Mondaire Jones are vying to face Lawler in the general election, according to Ballotpedia . PLEASE NOTE: They See Blue does not endorse candidates in primaries There is no link to the candidate's website below. Candidate Website New York-18 HOLD Rep. Pat Ryan U.S. House Member, New York-District 18 Incumbent Ryan is running for a second term in the House. According to Ballotpedia , he is facing Alexander Saulino in the June 25 Democratic primary. PLEASE NOTE: They See Blue does not endorse candidates in primaries There is no link to the candidate's website below. Candidate Website New York-19 FLIP NY-19 Primary is June 25 Republican Marc Molinari is the incumbent. There are four candidates listed in the June 25 Democratic primary vying to face Molinari, according to Ballotpedia . PLEASE NOTE: They See Blue does not endorse candidates in primaries There is no link to the candidate's website below. Candidate Website New York-22 FLIP NY-22 Primary is June 25 Republican Brandon Williams is the incumbent. There are five candidates listed in the June 25 Democratic primary vying to face Williams, according to Ballotpedia . PLEASE NOTE: They See Blue does not endorse candidates in primaries There is no link to the candidate's website below. Candidate Website Ohio-01 HOLD Greg Landsman U.S. House Member, Ohio-District 1 A former public school teacher, Landsman was unopposed in the March 19 primary. He's vying for his second two-year term in the House. He will face Republican Orlando Sonza in the Nov. 5 general election. Candidate Website Ohio-09 HOLD Marcy Kaptur U.S. House Member, Ohio-District 9 A member of the House since 1983, Kaptur ran unopposed in the March 19 primary. She is the longest-serving woman in congressional history. She will face Republican Derek Merrin in the Nov. 5 general election. Candidate Website Ohio-13 HOLD Emilia Sykes U.S. House Member, Ohio-District 13 Sykes, who was elected in 2023 to the seat once held by Tim Ryan, is vying for a second term in the House. She ran unopposed in the March 19 Democratic primary and will face Republican candidate Kevin Coughlin and another candidate in the general election. Sykes served in the Ohio House of Representatives before her congressional election. Candidate Website Pennsylvania-07 HOLD Susan Wild U.S. House Member, Pennsylvania-District 7 Wild, who has been a member of the House since 2018, is running unopposed in the April 23 Democratic primary. Candidate Website Pennsylvania-08 HOLD Matt Cartwright U.S. House Member, Pennsylvania-District 8 Attorney Cartwright, who has been in Congress since 2019, is running unopposed in the April 23 Democratic primary. In the November general election, he will likely face Rob Bresnahan Jr., who is also running unopposed in the GOP primary. Candidate Website Pennsylvania-17 HOLD Chris Deluzio U.S. House Member, Pennsylvania-District 17 A former U.S. Navy officer and attorney Deluzio, who is vying for a second term in the House, is running unopposed in the April 23 Democratic primary. In the November general election, he will likely face Rob Mercuri, who appears to be running unopposed in the GOP primary. Candidate Website

Chapters > Texas GROWING A NATIONAL MOVEMENT Texas is within Democratic reach in 2020! Though Texas has trended blue over the last several decades, the political tide in this state is beginning to turn as young, minority voters register to vote in droves. Texas has had historically low voter turnout, so registering and mobilizing progressive South Asian voters en masse can have a profound effect on this state's political landscape, and can shift Texas blue in 2020. Help join this historic effort!

MEDIA GALLERY They See, Watch, and Hear Blue Photos Videos Podcasts/ Radio Event Coverage TSB Georgia Election Kick-Off Event Part 1 TSB Georgia held its 2020 Election Kickoff on Feb. 8. Keynote speaker was former Georgia Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, U.S. Senate candidates Sarah Riggs Amico, Teresa Tomlinson, Jon Ossoff, and Georgia State Senator Sheikh Rahman, the first Muslim and first South Asian in the state senate. This is Part 1. TSB Georgia Election Kick-Off Event Part 2 TSB Georgia held its 2020 Election Kickoff on Feb. 8. Keynote speaker was former Georgia Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, U.S. Senate candidates Sarah Riggs Amico, Teresa Tomlinson, Jon Ossoff, and Georgia State Senator Sheikh Rahman, the first Muslim and first South Asian in the state senate. This is Part 2. Messages from Candidates Congressman TJ Cox's Message Congressman TJ Cox thanks the They See Blue team for their efforts and contributing to his 2018 campaign's success in California. Congressman Josh Harder's Message Congressman Josh Harder thanks the They See Blue team for their efforts and contributing to his 2018 campaign's success in California.

National Chapters Building a community across the United States. Join a chapter in one of our target states or start on e. (Chapters are independent all-volunteer grassroots organizations.) Please click the dots on the map or state names below the map to find information on that chapter Button Button Button Button Button Button Button Button Button Button Arizona California-LA California-Sacramento Georgia Illinois Iowa North Carolina Ohio Pacific Northwest California-San Diego Michigan Pennsylvania California-SF Bay Minnesota Texas-Austin Colorado DMV Florida Nevada New England New York/New Jersey Texas-Houston North Texas Wisconsin

About Us In August 2020, the They See Blue® Colorado chapter was founded to get out the vote in South Asian populations in the state. We have grown to more than 80 members and followers. In the previous election cycle, we helped plan a fundraiser for Senate candidate and former governor, John Hickenlooper. Goals Continued engagement at the local level to help elect progressive candidates at all levels of government. Contact the Colorado Chapter Register to Vote Vote by Mail Return to Chapters Map Donate to They See Blue ® PROTECT OUR RIGHTS As South Asians, we must unite to protect our rights and those of all Americans. To do that, we must be actively engaged in our democracy against those who want to see it crumble. Your contribution through ActBlue will help us elect more Democrats and expand the majorities in the House and Senate in 2022.

PRESS RELEASE Return to Press Release Page They See Blue® Applauds Biden Signing Inflation Reduction Act into Law, But It’s Just a First Step AUGUST 16, 2022 — The Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law today by President Biden, will significantly cut carbon emissions, lower prescription drug prices and reduce our deficit. They See Blue® hails this landmark legislation that will transform American lives and provide the foundation for greater progress in energy, the environment and healthcare. Americans overwhelmingly want our government to take action to address the deleterious effects of climate change and this bill delivers, helping us reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030. “Our communities believe climate change is a top priority and this important legislation shows that Democrats are committed to action in addressing climate change while delivering on people’s energy needs,” said Rajat Srivastava, a co-founder of the They See Blue® organization, which is tasked with mobilizing Americans of South Asian origin to vote for Democrats. “But this is just a good first step as we deal with more frequent and intense wildfires, droughts and storms.” The legislation includes $369 million that will spur consumer investment in more energy-efficient appliances, solar technology and electric vehicles; incentivize manufacturing commitment to create reliable, cleaner energy production; and drive energy investments in disadvantaged and rural communities. But the law will do so much more. It will allow Medicare to directly negotiate drug prices and cap out-of-pocket costs as well as lower Affordable Care Act premiums. While it will cap insulin costs at $35 per month for Medicare patients, Senate Republicans voted it down for private insurance patients. We need to take care of all Americans. To pay for all this, the legislation will raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans and corporations for their fair share and bolster IRS tax enforcement. This will help pay down America’s debt that will counter inflation and grow the economy. “We commend the Biden administration and congressional Democrats in delivering benefits to the American people, but we have to do more,” said Srivastava. ###

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