NCAPA Applauds First Asian American to Moderate General Election Debate

Tonight, CBSN anchor and CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano will become the first Asian American to moderate a general election debate hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Quijano is also the first anchor of a digital news service to moderate such a debate.

"Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are underrepresented in all forms of media, so having representation on the national stage during this election season is a major milestone," said National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) National Director Christopher Kang. "Diverse voices in the media help ensure that all communities are seen and that our perspectives are heard and recognized. Elaine Quijano is an accomplished journalist, well-deserving of this honor, and because she is Filipino American, it is especially fitting that tonight’s debate occurs during Filipino American History Month.”

The vice presidential debate will take place at 9:00 p.m. ET tonight in Farmville, Va., between Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana.

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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 35 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.