the california primary:
asian american ballots for clintonby susan moua
Asian Americans have been criticized for lack of participation in elections due to the community being less politically engaged than others. This could be the reason why many politicians running for office, whether it is for Congress or for president, do not place gaining the Asian American vote as a high priority. However, this past February 5, when Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton went head-on, racing to win the democratic electorate for California, it seems as though the Asian American ballots that were cast in California might have made a difference.
On February 5, while many were racing to the polls to cast their votes, Asian Americans were doing the same along with a few other things as well; some were learning how to vote and some were figuring out where they could go to vote. Korean Americans in the United States that day were calling the Korean Resource Center from as early as 7:00 A.M. In an online article, “Did Asian Americans Swing California for Clinton?”, found on newamericamedia.org, Dae Jung Yoon says that five hundred calls were made to their hotline and over a hundred people visited the resource center with questions about the election. Common questions, according to Yoon, were about polling locations and ways to obtain provisional ballots. The results revealed that, for Asian American voters at least, the choice between the two Democratic candidates appeared to be an obvious one.
The result of the California Democratic primary the Asian American vote was 75 percent for Clinton and 23 percent for Obama, a suprising 3-1 ratio. Many believe that the overwhelming amount of Asian American ballots cast for Clinton led to her win in California. According to newamericamedia.org, Asian Americans are currently 5 percent of the U.S. population, and are the fastest growing population group in America. In a study by the U.S. Census, the Asian American population is expected to double by 2050, from 14.4 million to 33.4 million. With this prediction in hand, it is evident the Asian American vote can be powerful, and presidential candidates have begun to dedicate some of their campaign to gain the Asian American vote. However, David Lee, the executive director of Chinese American Voter’s Education was quick to point out that this primary just proved that Asian Americans can participate in a political process and make a difference. “It’s too premature to conclude that Asian [voter]s made a difference because both parties still haven’t nominated their presidential candidates.”
During a CNN election report about Asian Americans and who they were voting for president, the three minute report was quick to emphasize that Asian Americans were comfortable with Hillary Clinton because during the 90’s, Bill Clinton helped Asian Americans and because he is her husband, she will most likely do the same. Other reasons given were they did not want a Black president, or were fearful of change. After this aired, the Asian American community was outraged. Anderson Cooper, the host, interviewed only Asian Americans with heavy accents and even made a light joke about an Asian American woman who said Clinton that sounded like “Lincoln.” Overall, CNN’s portrayal of Asian American involvement with the presidential election is racist and misleading of the Asian American population. Why does Asian American support for Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama translate into not wanting a Black president?
Over all this talk about the statistics that show an overwhelmingly support of Asian American for Hillary Clinton has me thinking about the huge supports from Cal Students for Barack Obama. Walking to class on Super Tuesday, it seemed many more students were supporting Obama. That is why, to be honest, I was surprised when I heard Clinton won the California Primary. At Cal, I was walking in Obamafest but it did not show in the ballot results for California, let alone just Asian Americans. Andy Morales, a Cal Student and an Obama supporter, says, “For Asian Americans in college, I think the majority of us voted for Obama because we are a generation that is knowledgeable about the election. I am not saying that elder Asian Americans do not know what they are doing when they are voting, I just feel maybe they do not know fully what and who they are voting for. I do believe that older Asian Americans are voting for Hillary Clinton because of the Bill Clinton era but, I do not believe it to be anything racist.”
Another Cal student, an Obama supporter who asked to remain anonymous, believes otherwise. She says, “I have talked to my parents and tried to convince them to vote for Obama. For my parents, I can say that Obama’s skin color played over Hillary being a woman.” She also believes that older Asian American voters during the Bill Clinton era played an important role during the primary that showed extensive Asian American support for Hillary Clinton. “For myself at least, I can say that I voted because I am familiar with Obama’s campaign. I only hope that Asian American voters out there are doing the same and not relying on past president, skin color, or gender to make the decision for them.”
From what has been said, whether from online articles, blogs or even three-minute CNN reports, theories have been constructed, but there are not any real reasons as to why Hillary Clinton has so far been winning the votes of Asian Americans. It makes sense, that because Bill Clinton was very popular with Asian American community when he was President that his supporters followed Hillary. We can not also forget that Hillary Clinton has the support of politicians that are popular among Asian Americans, like San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has contributed to her win in California. As for Barack Obama, perhaps he needs a little more work done if he wants the Asian American vote. Morales says, “What I have seen does not discourage me. I still support Obama and hopefully, after the coverage that Asian Americans have gotten, Obama’s campaign will be considered by Asian Americans.”
on a sidenote: For Asian Americans who are planning to vote for the next president of the United States, here are some things that were considered and can still be considered for who you will vote for. The following information can be found on AsianWeek and asianamericansforobama.com websites.
Hillary Clinton has always been interacting with the Asian American community, even during the days of President Bill Clinton. For her presidential campaign, she promises to the Asian American community that she will reunite families that were separated by the immigration system, introduce the Access to Employment and English-Language Acquisition Act to provide more job training funds for individuals with limited English-language skills, and express support for legislation for Filipino World War II veterans to receive compensation from the U.S. government.
Barack Obama has his fair share of campaign commitment to Asian American as well. So far, he has created the Asian American and Pacific Islander National Leadership Council, consisting of key Asian American leaders and activists to advise the campaign to identify Asian American issues of concern and outreach. Working with these leaders and activists, Obama has outlined a comprehensive plan to reclaim the American Dream for Asian American and Pacific Islander families. Obama also promises to reform and fund No Child Left Behind, give more high school students access to college courses, increase federal college aid, free up money for student aid, and reform H-1B Visas.