Asian Fortune Your source for all things Asian American
By Catalina Calachan
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tufts’ Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and
Engagement recently released a fact sheet regarding the involvement of young Asian Americans
in the electoral process. By highlighting key statistics about youth engagement and voter
turnout, focusing on the young, Asian American demographic, CIRCLE researcher Surbhi
Godsay provides insight into how the AAPI community interacts with American politics.
Published last September, the report came out in the midst of this year’s midterm elections.
The data suggests that young Asian Americans represent a sort of untapped potential, in terms
of voting, in the U.S. political environment. The CIRCLE report shows that although “Asian
American youth were less likely than young people in other racial and ethnic groups to engage
in formal electoral politics,” they expressed interest in important issues by way of political
discussions and monetary donations.
“Asian American youth” is used to refer to AAPIs between the ages of 18 and 29, and Godsay
reminds people to recognize the breadth of diversity captured under the Asian American
category when considering the statistics. One of the most telling facts from the report is that the
highest percentage of Asian Americans since 1992 turned out to vote in the 2008 presidential
election, at 43%. While increased voting in the 2008 presidential election was a sign of
heightened civic engagement, only 17.6% of young Asian Americans voted in the 2010 midterm
elections. Drawing on that, Godsay elaborates on the major reasons why AAPI youth choose
not to vote. The major reasons are: having a hectic schedule, being out of town, and thinking
the vote will not make a difference. In speaking to Asian American college students and young
professionals in the Washington, D.C. area, similar narratives emerged.
Sophia Miyoshi, a senior at American University, commented on her estrangement from politics,
saying that she has become “very disillusioned by the two parties” and, given the corruption in
“representative” politics and the corporate influence at play in the electoral system, she does not
consider voting “an effective avenue for change.” An active participant in divestment efforts
on AU’s campus and passionate about the socio-economic issues exacerbating inequalities in
urban education in the District, Miyoshi, in many ways, exemplifies the young, Asian American
demographic that Godsay researched. While mindful of and deeply invested in societal issues
that often surface on candidates’ political platforms, she chooses not to vote because of her
distrust in the system as a whole.
Eric Carlson, a graduate student at American University studying economics, also expressed
skepticism in the electoral process, but more specifically, the power of a single vote. “On a
national scale, your vote probably won’t make a difference – especially if you live in a place in
which the majority vote like you do,” he said. Although he acknowledged the importance of
voting, his point draws attention to one of the major reasons why registered young people as a
whole generally turn out in low numbers, as cited by CIRCLE, as “17.4% reported feeling like
their vote would not make a difference.”
With midterm elections around the corner, there has been increasing news coverage on AAPI
voters, and what can be done to win their support and mobilize them to vote. The CIRCLE report concludes with a couple of suggestions for engaging young, Asian Americans. First, to
strengthen civic education initiatives so that Asian Americans are continuously made aware of
their ability to participate in several levels of policy making and political change. Secondly,
because Cohen and Kahne’s study found Asian Americans to be the “most likely, compared to
other racial/ethnic youth groups, to engage in friendship and interest-driven activity online,”
it is crucial for politicians to reach out to young voters by way of new media platforms and
technology. Given that young Asian Americans are active in discussing issues and donating
to causes that matter to them, they hold a valuable interest in political matters that is not being
translated into votes. Asian Americans cited unemployment and the federal budget deficit as key
issues in 2012, but were also “more likely to report being too busy or having conflicting work
schedules” that made it difficult to get to the polls.
Despite the low-turnout trends within the AAPI community, there are young, Asian Americans
in Washington who still have faith in the electoral process and value participation in civic
engagement. Vel Nguyen, a recent graduate from Georgetown and public relations professional
living in the area, has been civically involved since high school. In speaking to her, she was
well-aware of the way people tend to prioritize civic engagement below more immediate
concerns, but also recognized the need for people to read up on the people running for office in
their community and vote responsibly. “If you don’t speak up for yourself, someone else will
speak up for you, and more than likely, their views won’t align with yours,” she said. Alicia
Sojeong Lee , an undergraduate student majoring in international studies, echoed a similar
sentiment, saying that young people “have the power to elect officials who make decisions…and
if [they] can’t make the effort to cast in [their] vote,” then there is less of a chance for their needs
and desires to be met.
The CIRCLE report gives a great deal of insight into the ways that young Asian Americans tend
to participate in American politics, and its findings were apparent in talking to AAPI youth in the
DC/MD/VA area. Despite the range of opinions regarding the importance of voting, and civic
engagement more broadly, it is interesting to note that there is such low turn out amongst young
Asian Americans. Alissa Ko, Deputy Director at Ready for Hillary, succinctly emphasizes the
role that AAPIs have in putting people in power, saying, “As the fastest growing racial minority,
it is important for us to be civilly engaged and vote during elections.”
