Hong Kong Diaspora and Their Vote Choice in the 2024 US Presidential Election

• In Event: Live under Democratic Backsliding: National Security Law in Hong Kong

Abstract

Diasporas exhibit dual loyalty – to both their homeland and their country of their residence. Yet
little is known how diasporas negotiate this dual loyalty, especially in their vote choice in host
country elections. Hong Kong diasporas in the US were motivated by their concern for their
homeland, and many supported Trump in the 2020 presidential election as they perceived a
Trump administration to be more effective in constraining and even punishing the Chinese
government. This study provides an updated examination of Hong Kong diaspora’s vote
intention and motivation in the 2024 presidential election. Has Hong Kong diaspora’s support for
Trump remained or have they changed their attitude on Trump given the multiple indictments he
faces? Was the transformative protest movement in 2019 a critical juncture for Hong Kong
diaspora in the US to acquire a stronger partisan ID? Moreover, to what extent does US foreign
policy stance on China, Taiwan, Ukraine, and Israel impact Hong Kong diaspora’s voting
calculus? I plan to field an original survey with an experimental component to buttress the causal
impact of dual loyalty and voting behavior in the host country.

Author

• Maggie Shum, Penn State Erie, the Behrend College