A September 30 report by Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics (LEAP) states that, with the growth of the Asian American population, this formerly “silent” minority group is marching toward the mainstream and already exerts considerable influence on mainstream politics and civic rights and interests.
The report, entitled “The State of Asian America: Trajectory of Civic and Political Engagement,” is a joint publication by LEAP and the University of California Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Multi-Campus Research Program (UC AAPI Policy MRP). The report analyzes the current state of affairs of America’s Asian-Pacific population from the angles of immigration, geography and political participation.
Voter participation is growing more rapidly among Asian Americans than in any other U.S. minority group, notes Paul Ong, director of the UC AAPI Policy MRP and main editor of the report. If the current trend persists, says Ong, Asian Americans will soon come to play a key role in U.S. national elections and in many other spheres.
LEAP, established in 1992, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to leadership development in Asian-American communities. LEAP President J.D. Hokoyama says that he hopes the publication of this report will draw wide public attention. Hokoyama claims that a “quiet revolution” is afoot among Asian Americans, and that their daily increasing influence will soon be felt in a variety of political issues on a national scale. The report clearly shows that Asian Americans are marching toward the mainstream, and will soon play a decisive role in numerous spheres from civic rights to political participation to human affairs, says Hokoyama.
The 11-chapter report presents an array of data illuminating the current condition of the Asian-American population with respect to wealth, political participation, immigration, Internet use, growth of nonprofit organizations, participation in the 2010 population census, and other issues. The report states that 61 percent of Asian Americans were not born on U.S. soil, a greater percentage than any other minority group, and predicts that Asian Americans will continue to have higher immigration rates than any other minority groups at least until 2030. Asian Americans also distinguish themselves in the area of naturalization, a crucial prerequisite for participation in the political process: 57 percent of all Asian-American immigrants attain citizenship, once again higher than any other U.S. minority group. Voter registration is also extremely high among Asian Americans.
According to the report, enrollment in political parties can best illustrate Asian Americans’ positions on different political issues. However, political stances differ significantly between Asian Americans born outside the country and those born on U.S. soil. Although the first-generation immigrant population is growing most rapidly, the nature of its political participation differs from that of second- and third-generation Asian Americans, due to cultural differences and lack of organizational support. Research has shown that Asian-American political participation is similar to that of Hispanic immigrants in the 1980s: first-generation immigrants, combined with second- and third-generation, are beginning to form an influential electoral constituency, mostly leaning toward the Democratic Party. One out of every two Asian Americans is a Democrat, according to the report.
States where Asian-American political influence is most strongly felt include California, New York, New Jersey, Texas, and Nevada. Paul Ong points out that it was because of the influence of Asian voters that Democrat Jim Webb was able to unseat incumbent Republican George Allen in the 2006 Virginia senatorial race.
Following the publication of the report, LEAP will sponsor a series of round-table discussions in Asian American organizations across America, to further institutions’ understanding of the Asian-American outlook. LEAP will hold conferences in Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle during early October in hopes of raising public awareness of this minority group’s increasing influence.
