In one of the most stirring parts of her victory speech on Saturday, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris honored her late mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan Harris.

When she came here from India at the age of 19, maybe she didnt quite imagine this moment, Harris said. But she believed so deeply in an America where a moment like this is possible.

The historic candidacy of the first Black and Asian American woman to be elected vice president likely helped drive Asian American and Pacific Islander voter turnout to new heights, several AAPI advocates and scholars told HuffPost.

Traditionally, any time weve seen an Asian American candidate run, we typically see a lot larger numbers because suddenly youre hearing more about their background, and the community is looking to identify with that candidate because of that similar background, said Christine Chen, executive director of APIAVote, which works to increase AAPI civic engagement. [With] our community especially experiencing what we experienced in 2020, with the rise of anti-Asian sentiment, were looking for someone that will not only see and hear us but also respect us.

Sara Sadhwani, assistant professor of politics at Pomona College, has researched the effects of Asian American candidates on Asian American voter turnout. In a study of candidates for the California State Assembly from 2012 to 2018, she found that in general, having an Asian American candidate boosted Asian American turnout in districts with a significant proportion of Asian American residents, although those results can vary depending on nationality or ethnicity.

While its too early to say definitively, Sadhwani believes its likely Harris had the same positive effect because of the notion of linked fate. She explained thats this idea that if one person in our community is doing better and advancing and taking on these kinds of roles and positions of power, then its going to be better for the community as a whole.