In the 2024 presidential election, over 60% of Asian American voters supported Democratic candidate Kamala Harris — a decline from the 68% who backed Joe Biden in 2020. The drop was most pronounced among voters aged 30–44, Chinese Americans and independents.

Ellen Lee Zhou, an immigrant from Guangdong, China, ran for San Francisco mayor in both 2019 and 2024. A self-identified MAGA (Make America Great Again) supporter and active member of her local church, Zhou promotes conservative policies. Just like US President Donald Trump, she promised to address San Francisco’s homelessness and drug crises and advocates for gun ownership rights. Zhou earned 14% of first-choice votes in her 2019 campaign.

Her story raises a compelling question: why do she and her community, despite being immigrants, support Trump?