Minority voting has been a major theme in this election cycle. African Americans are voting as a bloc for Senator Obama. Latino Americans are voting mostly for Hillary Clinton. Little has been reported, however, about the so-called "quiet minority," Asian Americans, who have also voted in large percentages for Clinton in the primaries. On Super Tuesday in California, Asian Americans voted three-to-one for the Senator from New York. Clinton was quick to respond to a major Asian American political organization survey and she benefited from name recognition and positive feelings among the community for President Bill Clinton, who appointed Norm Mineta Secretary of Commerce, the first Asian American cabinet member. The community is settling into the fact that Clinton's chances of becoming the Democratic nominee have plunged since Super Tuesday.
Bel Leong-Hong, the chair of the Democratic National Committee's Asian Pacific Islander American Caucus, remains an uncommitted superdelegate who could see either Clinton or Obama being an asset to Asian Americans. As she watched the nail-biting race between senators Clinton and Obama this season, she saw minimal difference between them on issues concerning Asian Americans.
"On the one hand, you've got Barack Obama, who has family members that are Asian American; you have Barack Obama who has grown up in an Asian American environment and so you've got this whole issue that he understands our culture." Leong-Hong said. "On the other hand, you've got Hillary Clinton whose husband as the president of the United States did a lot for the Asian American community. He's the one who appointed the first Asian American cabinet member."
Yet none of the three presidential candidates has emphasized Asian American issues in general, nor has the mainstream media. "My rant is that, as Chinese Americans and as Asian Americans, we haven't really had any visibility in the mass media. You think about it during this political season -- the candidates think to add us in as 'oh, and Asian Americans,'" Leong-Hong said. At a time when the topic of China raises ambivalence in political debate, Asian people in America could also be an important resource and asset in developing sound foreign policy. So far, the candidates' statements concerning China have carried tones of measured hesitation.
When talking about minority voters this election cycle, mainstream media have primarily focused on two groups: Hispanics and African Americans. Asian and Pacific Islander Americans are the third largest ethnic minority -- sometimes stereotypically called the "quiet minority". Making up 5 percent of the U.S. population and as much as 12 percent in states like California, their power and influence remains largely untapped.
Clinton's Super Tuesday watch party in Burbank, Calif.
A group called the 80-20 Initiative may have influenced the strong show of support for Clinton on Super Tuesday. The organization's goal is to mobilize the pan-Asian community to become more powerful as a swing voting bloc, ideally "directing 80 percent of our community's votes and money to the candidate endorsed by the 80-20, who better represents the interest of all APAs," according to their website. If effective, the group would mobilize their constituency to vote 80 percent on election day in favor of their endorsed candidate. Because Hillary Clinton was the first presidential candidate of the three to respond to a questionnaire from 80-20 regarding Asian American issues, the group threw their support behind her leading up to Super Tuesday. Since then, Barack Obama has sent a response to the questionnaire, and the group currently does not endorse any particular candidate. John McCain has yet to respond.
Why Hillary? Super Tuesday, Burbank, Calif.
Leong-Hong stresses that the issues most important to the Asian American community are immigration, family reunification, and language barriers that affect access to things like social services and capital for small businesses. While most discussions on immigration hinge around debates over the Mexican border, deportation of immigrants who have been living in the U.S. -- sometimes for nearly their entire lives -- also splits Asian American families.
And as S.B. Woo, the co-found of 80-20 points out, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reported that Asian Americans still have the lowest glass ceiling compared with other groups.
The main barrier to garnering more attention to the effects of policy on Asian Americans partially lies within the community itself. The Center for Asian Americans United for Self Empowerment, or CAUSE, is a Southern California-based nonprofit group trying to improve voter turnout among Asian Americans. Sharon Chen, the group's executive director, said she knows that voter turnout can be vastly improved. "Asians don't vote, they don't make a fuss," Chen said. "We have the lowest voter turnout of any group...A lot of it is cultural. A lot of Asians are brought up and taught not to question authority or the system."
Not questioning the system not only means not making a habit of voting, but also not running for political office. Chen also said that especially with those who are doing well financially, there are ways in which Asian Americans can work hard and succeed without ever having to vote or get involved.
"If you asked me 30 years ago if I would be as heavily involved in politics as I am today," said Leong-Hong, "I would have said no way." Leong-Hong attributes the lack of political involvement to a cultural fear. Those who may have experienced living in countries with repressive governments may fear entering politics.
Groups like CAUSE and 80-20 try to counter any existing apathy or fear. Chen said, "[The Asian population] is growing really quickly, and it's a shame we're not harnessing our potential." With the sizeable influence Asian Americans can wield in an election, as evidenced by Super Tuesday, candidates running for office would do well to campaign within this community. As Leong said, the conversation needs to go beyond just addressing this constituency as an afterthought to other ethnic groups. In a close election, the result could come down to a swing group, which, considering their support for Clinton, could very well be Asian Americans.
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We are all Americans, not Asian - Americans, African - Americans, Irish - Americans, Native - Americans or any other hypenated American. I don't care if your ancestors came over on the Mayflower or were just naturalized, you are an American, period.
We need to stop living in a hypenated world. The more hypens the more separation. Issues that affect some Americans affect all Americans eventually so we need to work together to solve problems.
With McCain talking about making Bobby Jindal his VP, I wonder if this would affect the Asian-American vote at all? My wife is Asian Indian/American (I am white), and while she says she will still vote for Obama, her parents would vote for McCain (even though they are registered Democrats) if Jindal were his running mate. Would this divide Asian American voters along identity politics, with those of Indian descent mostly voting for McCain and most of the rest voting for Obama?
Having dated several Asian American women,, I'm not surprised that the Asian community is 3-1 for Hillary. Bottom line, weatlhy Asians will not support a black candidate, because it's not in their self interest. Financially Asians want to compete with whites, not blacks.
I've been around it enough that there just is a disdain of black people by Asians. Similar to blacks and latinos as no ethnic group wants to be considered the bottom rung of society in American society. Sorry to say it, but especially amongst older Asians, they will be more inclined a white candidate. I think the question is whether Asians support a Democrat or Republican.
Wow! You've dated several Asian American women, so I guess that makes you the expert! No need for Asian Americans (like myself) to post our opinions....
If what you say is true; We in Hawaii would not have voted 3 to 1 for Obama!
We have one of the lowest AA populations in America.
And amongst the highest Asian voting population not including our Senatorial and Congressional delegation.
Get over it!
Well it's twofold: you're correct in saying that 1st generationals particularly look down on Blacks. No getting past it. And secondly: they don't particularly care for new ideas.
Of any kind.
Ever.
So this 3-1 break really might just have to do with how Asians skew conservative, naturally and that 1 ratio is represented by the newer (truer!) second generation Asians.
As a 57 year old American (born in Chicago) of Japanese descent, and Obama supporter, let me say this, I think of my ethnicity very little. I mean, in our family we have a little joke - we're the Japanese people who never have a camera on hand.
I have been part of a group that sought redress and it was a mess! There were differences of opinion but no one wanted to make waves so issues were talked about in a round about manner rather than head on. Eventually, the goal was met and everyone was satisfied but it revealed reasons why cohesiveness as a group might not be further achieved. I may look Japanese but culturally, I'm American so it was frustrating (keeping my mouth shut always is).
I would suspect that her sex has little to do with your decision making. So, to any Asian Americans reading this - think long and hard about support of Clinton. Has her behavior been acceptable to any of you? She's hard working, but is she honest? Is she truthful? I think that an objective look would certainly tell you that Obama would be a much better choice for not just Asian Americans but for America itself.
Seriously, of all the other racial groupings Asian-Americans have the least internal cohesiveness of all.
This is due to a number of things foremost being:
1) A great number of 1st & 2nd Generation Immigrants
2) A general distaste for public displays of ANYTHING
3) A general disconnectedness with the term "Asian" as an identifying marker. Asia is the single largest continent in the entire world. We are Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Japanese first, Asian second.
It's mostly that last point. None of the Asian-Americans here will consolidate because none of us think of ourselves as primarily Asian. We're all secondarily Asian and our Ethnic loyalties run far stronger than any kind of communion we might bear between ourselves and another Asian ethnicity.
Lest you think the Koreans and Japanese actually get along.
Asian American / Pacific Islander designation is perhaps the broadest and most diverse census group, and each nationality has its own voting patterns. Filipinos, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Indians, Vietnamese, etc. also skew differently, depending on their history (colonialism, anti-communism, etc). Relations between countries of origin and the US also have an undue impact on immigrant politics. As such, beyond California and New York/New Jersey, it may be difficult to mobilize the entire group as one block.
As an Asian American who considers herself something other than "silent," I nevertheless would not choose to get into the "identity politics" rat race that this primary season has become on the democratic side. The United States is a country that boasts many ethnic communities, including WHITE ethnic communities, and many other "minority" communities that are distinguishable on grounds other than ethnicity. The specific issues that one group cares about may differ from those that another cares about. But one thing is clear: The democratic candidate is ALWAYS going to have their interests in mind more than the GOP candidate. To me, though, it makes zero sense to complain if a candidate for national office does not include "ethnicity specific" language in his/her stump speech. The president is the leader of an entire nation. And as such, the president needs to be even-handed in his/her treatment of all of the country's citizens. No one group, be it gays, Asians, blacks, women or white Appalachian men should condition their votes on something as superficial as one candidate making specific mention of their specific group's special interests.
I think when we get into the General Election the Asian Americans will be fine with Obama. His sister is Indonesian and her husband is Canadian Chinese American. When people start to see his relatives it will open up the door of diversity. When your immediate family is made up of African, white, and asian american I find it hard to believe Obama has hate. These are people in his bloodline. People he could understand better than any average joe. Having a father from Africa, a sister in Hawaii stepfather from Indonesia, a wife from the southside of chicago, and granparents and mother from Kansas shows me he can actually understand every different culture there is and how to deal with it.
Besides the immigration issue I think Asian Americans realize that they have the same problems as everybody else. Same problems with gas prices and American Economy. Also there are Asian Americans serving this country. The should back the Democrat in November.
Thank you for this! This needs to be seen more widely. My Wife is Chinese-American, I am just a white, WASP........a growing minority :)........... seriously........... the Asian American community has much to offer our country in a multitude of areas, but especially with expanding the awareness of the rest of us concerning the inevitable continued growth of globalization and how we as Americans can best work with the rising influence of Asia. Keep up the work ............
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Posted May 22, 2008 | 11:32 PM (EST)