UPDATED:  June 28, 2011 11:33 PM
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Panel: How Asian Americans Can Gain Political Clout in Elections

By: Jennie L. Ilustre

Washington–Asian Americans can “work together” on shared issues with Latino Americans to have a stronger impact during elections, whether as a voter or candidate, said Karen Narasaki, president and executive director of Asian American Justice Center based in this capital.

She said in Nevada, “We, together with the Latinos,” were the swing vote in 2008. In California, the Asian American vote decided the election winners. Even when a campaign has both Asian Americans and Latinos as candidates, she said it should not be viewed “as a competition,” adding, “We can try to work together on collective issues.”

But she noted the Asian American vote is not a solid bloc: “Issues are now driving us, rather than party labels.” She said, “People think we’re all Republicans because we are into small business. Others think we’re Democrats because we are a minority.”

She cited a survey that showed soft support for both parties: Only 13 per cent were staunchly Democrats, and only 12 percent were staunchly Republicans. “Neither party, even in California, has wrapped up the Asian American vote,” she pointed out.

Ms. Narasaki was one of the panelists in a discussion conducted by the Center for American Progress (CAP), held in the nation’s capital on May 16. Other panelists stressed gaining political clout as more Asian American candidates win elections.

CAP asked why Asian Pacific Americans “are often overlooked in the political and policy landscape” despite their increasing influence, and despite growing “by nearly 50 percent over the past 10 years,” based on the 2010 census.

CAP, according to its website, is “dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action.” The wikipedia notes it is headed by John Podesta, who served as chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.

Asian Americans can make its mark next year, when the country will hold presidential elections. Some senators and all 435 congressmen are also up for reelection.

Voter turnout

Panelist Bill Wong, strategic counsel at Bill Wong, LLC, said for candidates, “The question is, ‘What can you deliver?’” He said in the 2006 elections, Asian Americans were a swing vote in California, turning in a higher vote than the Latinos. He stressed the role of increasing voter registration and turn-out. He said labor groups are good at this. “It costs a lot of money. It takes $25 to register a single voter.”

Vida Benavides, principal at Dewey Square Group, noted, “A lot of stuff is now available online. There’s even a voter kit in Tagalog,” or Pilipino. She said in 2008, she led a group that registered Asian American voters and had a voter turnout of some 600,000.

AAJC’s Narasaki stressed the “power of language assistance–it makes a huge difference in turning out the Asian American vote.”

Deepa Iyer, executive director of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), said another factor on “why we remain politically invisible” is race. But a cause for optimism, she added, was a Pakistani who could be the next mayor of a small town in Washington State.

Anna Soellner, CAP vice president for communications, was moderator. Some 60 people attended the discussion, including congressional staff, nonprofit and business leaders and the community media.

Independent TV producer and former Rockville Mayor Lih Young was among them. She plans to run for the U.S. Senate next year, and was expecting to hear about the issues of concern to the community. “But they did not talk about the issues,” she said.

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