Asian-Americans have not always been the most politically active constituency, but that may change this November. Another group to watch: Asian Americans

WASHINGTON — Asian-Americans have not always been the most politically active constituency, but that may change this November.

“Historically, they are less focused on politics, but they are an emerging bloc, suddenly in the last few years in both state and national elections,” said Gautam Dutta, the executive director of the Asian-American Action Fund.


Of U.S.-born adults eligible to vote, Asians were 18 percentage points behind non-Asians in voter turnout in the 2006 midterm election. The naturalized Asian community was four percentage points behind non-Asians in voting rates that same year, according to a UCLA report released earlier this month.

But the voter turnout during California’s primary on Feb. 5 suggested a boom in voter participation could be in the making. More than half a million Asian Americans went to the polls in the nation’s largest state, according to Presidentpolls2008.com.

There, Asian-Americans made a difference voting for Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama by a 3-1 margin. CNN, using exit poll data, credited Clinton’s victory in California to “an Asian American and Latino voting bloc.”

Clinton got more support from Asian-Americans in California because she had endorsements from community leaders with strong influence among rank-and-file voters, Dutta said.

Since 2002, there has only been a slight increase in Asian-American youths turning out to vote. In the 2002 midterm elections, 16 percent of Asian-Americans in the 18-29-year-old age group voted. Four years later, 17 percent of them voted, according to civicyouth.org, a website that researches political involvement of American young people.

But experts are optimistic about the Asian-American turnout for this year’s presidential election.

“In 2008, we’ll probably see more Asian-Americans at the ballot box because of large numbers,” said Paul Ong, a professor in the Public Relations and Asian-American Studies departments at UCLA. “I’ve noticed my students are much more interested this year.”

That vote could also be crucial in local, state and congressional elections. The entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate must stand for reelection this year.

“In local and state elections, (Asian-Americans) are very critical of who wins and loses,” Ong said. “(If they are) concentrated in large numbers that makes a difference, and around D.C. and Virginia they are starting to emerge as a potentially important vote.”

In 2006, Virginia’s Senate race was an indication that the Asian-American vote may be gaining in influence.

That year Democrat Jim Webb narrowly beat Republican incumbent George Allen; 78 percent of voting Asian-Americans chose Webb.

“He wouldn’t have won,” Dutta said, adding he expects that Asian-Americans will flock to the ballot box in 2008.

Ong predicted the Asian-American vote will be stronger in 2008 due to increases in population and also in the number of individuals who become citizens.

“In a number of areas, they’ve reached a critical level where they begin believing they can have an influence,” he said. “It gives them more reason to register and to turn out to vote.”

The Asian American political awakening could trace back to 2006, when fierce debates over immigration raged and talks about anti-immigrant legislation got many of them thinking about politics, Ong said.

“We’ve been ignored for the longest time, and this time noticed a little more,” said Kathleen To, president of 80-20 Political Action Committee. “We only make up about 5 percent of the U.S. population, nobody thought we'd be that important.”

The candidates have reached out a little, but there has been more buzz surrounding the Latino voters because they are concentrated in swing states.

“Asian-Americans are essentially about a decade behind where Latinos are now,” Ong said. “Hopefully both parties and others will pay attention to that development.”

Hallie D. Martin reports for Northwestern University's Medill News Service. Medill News Service is partnering with Campus Politico for the 2008 elections.