What are the Top Issues for Asian Americans?

By Jennie L. Ilustre

 

When Asian Americans cast their vote In November, what top issues will motivate them in their candidate choice? Hate crime and education? The latest Asian American Voter Survey showed the political parties’ focus on these two issues is off-base.

“Our survey shows that Asian Americans are far from single-issue voters,” Christine Chen, Executive Director of Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote), said in an email interview. “And many of the issues they are concerned about and will take into consideration when they vote in November are the issues that are top of mind for the American electorate in general.”

Elaborating, she added: “Asian Americans ranked healthcare (88%), jobs and the economy (85%), inflation (83%), crime (85%), education (82%), the environment (75%) and gun control (73%) as ‘extremely important’ or ‘very important’ issues when deciding their votes in November.”

“Political parties need to cease their views that Asian Americans only care about crime, or only care about education-related issues, as this is clearly not the case,” she stressed.

The survey is a joint effort of the APIAVote, AAPI Data, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice. According to an NBC story, researchers for Asian Americans Advancing Justice polled over 1,610 registered Asian American voters across six of the largest Asian American ethnicities. The survey was conducted in four languages.

As in the past years, respondents leaned left. Half of them (54%) reported they would vote for Democrats in both Senate and House races.

 

Voter Outreach

Asian American and Pacific Islanders or AAPIs are the fastest growing demographic in the country. Vellie Dietrich Hall, founder and the first president of the Filipino American Republicans of Virginia (FARV) noted in a past interview: “The census showed that from 9 million in 2010, the population has grown to 33.8 million in 2020 – that’s a whopping 276% increase!”

Varun Nikore, executive director of AAPI Victory Alliance, said in an email interview: ”The growing political power of Filipino Americans – and AAPIs in general  –  rarely gets the attention it deserves. AAPIs are the fastest growing demographic in the country, and Filipino Americans are at 4 million strong in the United States, making up 18% of the Asian American population. ”

And yet, as APIAVote Executive Director Chen pointed out in an interview, “Asian Americans, despite our growing impact in elections, continue to be ignored by both the Democratic and Republican Parties when it comes to voter outreach.”

“According to our 2022 Asian American Voter Survey, half or 52% of Asian American registered voters polled say they have not been contacted at all by the Democratic Party, and 60% say they have not been contacted at all by the Republican Party,” she stressed.

“When you look at registered voters by age, you can also see those percentages are greater for those aged 50-plus,” she said. “Nearly six in ten, or 58%, have not been contacted at all by the Democratic Party, and 62% have not been contacted at all by the Republican Party.”

Nainoa Johsens, Republican National Committee spokesperson and director of APA Media, told NBC News that under Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel’s leadership, the RNC has been on the ground months before the Democrats. They have reached out to AAPI voters through events like dance classes, karate lessons, game nights, and potlucks.

Eric Salcedo, director of AAPI outreach at the Democratic National Committee told NBC News the DNC has made significant investments in multi-platform outreach to Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.

 

Other Highlights

Most Asian American politics covers only two topics, hate crimes and affirmative action, the NBC report by Kimmy Yam quoted Janelle Wong, a co-director of AAPI Data, as saying.

Still, hate crimes continues as a concern for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Wong told NBC. Those who worry “very often” about hate crimes plan to support Democrats over Republican House candidates by a 3-to-1 ratio.

Half of the respondents favored shifting spending from law enforcement to “programs that address economic and social issues for minorities,” according to the NBC report. About half of that percentage, 24%, disagreed with such a shift.

Wong said Asian American voters showed concern for racism against communities of color more broadly. Also: Notably, seven in ten respondents (73%) supported including Asian American and nonwhite history in public school curriculums.

 

SEARAC on Healthcare

Nearly nine in ten Asian American voters in the survey said healthcare is the No. 1 issue for them. That is why when President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law on August 16, Asian American organizations like the Southeast Asian Research Action Center, or SEARAC, applauded its enactment.

The IRA addresses the urgency of the global climate crisis, extends premium healthcare tax credits for three years, and caps out-of-pocket expenses on prescription drugs for seniors.

Remarked SEARAC Executive Director Quyên Đinh: “We celebrate the enactment of this historic bill that will improve access to health coverage for many Southeast Asian American families, children, and elders.”

Đinh added: “By making healthcare coverage more affordable, the Inflation Reduction Act ensures that Southeast Asian American community members who depend on marketplace coverage can continue to access life-saving healthcare, particularly those with pre-existing conditions and chronic ailments.”

SEARAC also hailed the IRA’s historic provision to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices for the first time. “This will undoubtedly benefit Southeast Asian Americans elders who rely on Medicare by ensuring they have access to more affordable medications,” Executive Director Đinh stressed. “The IRA is a step towards universal healthcare for all and eliminating health disparities.”

SEARAC is a “national civil rights organization that empowers Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese American communities to create a socially just and equitable society.” It represents the largest refugee community ever resettled in the US.