For the first time in American history, presidential candidates actually considered courting and including Asian Americans in their agendas for the future. But, in large measure, 18 million Asian Americans were overlooked. It is our expectation that this will never occur again if all Asian American communities put aside their small differences and unite on our large common goals.
Here are some realities. There were more than three and a half million Asian American voters in 2012 (more than a third more as turned out in 2004) and we are the fastest growing segment of the population. As belatedly noted by both President Obama and Governor Romney, many of us reside in swing states, such as Nevada, Virginia, Florida and North Carolina.
One Asian American trend, however, may backfire much as it has already backfired with the Black community. Because the Black community is a guaranteed vote, they are unable to put pressure on either party. The possibility of Asian Americans becoming permanent Democrats could occur, if we are not careful. For the first time in American history, the Asian American vote was overwhelmingly for just one presidential candidate despite the limited attention the President and the Democratic Party have given to Asian American issues. The latest finding shows that approximately 73 percent of Asian Americans supported President Obama and only 26 percent supported Governor Romney.
But, there is hope for us to be a community that will be courted in the future. However, it is up to us to make this happen. In our favor is that unlike other minorities, we are not strongly aligned with either party and around 50 percent of Asian Americans consider themselves to be independent.
Since the President and the leadership of the Republican Party are both aware of recent findings that the Asian American community is a rapidly rising economic power in this country, it is expected that if we make our presence effectively felt, we will be heavily courted, much as both parties have courted the Jewish community. (The American Jewish population of five million is far less than one-third of the Asian American population and our numbers are rapidly increasing.)
We have many similarities with the Jewish community. As the recent Pew Research Center study, Rise of Asian Americans, demonstrates, our educational attainments well exceed those of the population as a whole or even that of whites. Similarly, as the Wall Street Journal has recently discussed in their Tiger Nation article, our financial success and median income well exceeds the national average and that for whites. Despite these successes, there is only one Asian American U.S. senator, while the Jewish community has an average of a dozen Jewish U.S. senators. Hopefully, our new and only Asian American U.S. senator, Senator Mazie Hirono, will be a major resource for all of us as we seek to provide her with lots of company.
Over the next few months, Asian American groups across the nation, including the National Asian American Coalition and its many partners, such as the Chinese American Institute for Empowerment, the Asian American Women On Leadership and the National Hmong American Farmers, Inc., will be meeting with key cabinet members, U.S. senators and congressional representatives, as well as the White House, on key issues.
Homeownership for the Majority of Asian Americans
One issue of special importance is that 95 percent of Asian Americans fully share the American Dream of homeownership. But as a result of foreclosures and the arbitrary federal regulatory process, a majority of Asian American families are denied the opportunity to purchase a home despite record low interest rates.
One solution is the Dignity Mortgage, which we and many bank CEOs support. But to achieve this, we may need strong bipartisan support. Fortunately, an ownership society, originally promoted by former President George Bush, is part of the American Dream. We therefore intend to secure bipartisan support for the Dignity Mortgage. (See, for example, the American Banker of October 25, 2012, “How to End the Homeowner Crisis.”)
Full Employment by Resolving the Fiscal Crisis
The U.S. economy is facing a fiscal cliff beginning January 1st. Only a bipartisan solution that includes minority grassroots communities can resolve the impending fiscal disaster. Our organization is therefore considering working with eighty leading corporate CEOs to secure a bipartisan solution that may depend on the increasing influence on the Asian American community.
As a first step, we have sent a letter to the “Fix the Debt” corporate leadership indicating that the Asian American community is prepared to be a major supporter of a bipartisan resolution. Further, we are setting up a series of meetings in Washington, DC during the second week of December with key congressional leaders from both the Democratic and Republican parties, as well as with the White House, on this issue.
One U.S. Senator Is Not Enough
Lastly, our increasingly influential community no longer accepts a trivial two percent representation on Fortune 500 boards of directors. And, we do not accept just one U.S. senator and no Asian Americans on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Our goal over the next decade should be to emulate the great success of the Jewish community in every area of the U.S. economy, including job creation.
If we are united and truly Pan Asian American, including not just the traditional two or three main Asian American groups, but all Asian Americans, including American Samoans, Hmong, Burmese Americans and Cambodians Americans, we will truly be successful.
(Faith Bautista & Mia Martinez)
***
Faith Bautista is the President and CEO for the National Asian American Coalition. Mia Martinez is the Chief Deputy for the National Asian American Coalition’s regulatory and congressional liaison office in Washington, DC.
