Bringing Asian American Voices to Policy Debates: Findings from the 2008 National Asian American Survey

Abstract

Where do Asian Americans stand when it comes to public policy? In what ways are they most likely to participate in politics in order to exert their influence in public policy making? More often than not, the answer to these questions is mired in assumptions, anecdotes, and selective evidence because until only very recently, little systematic, nationally representative data on this emerging group has been available to the public. In this brief, we introduce the 2008 National Asian American Survey (NAAS), the first multilingual, multiethnic national survey of Asian American political attitudes and behavior, and suggest that these data shed light on: (1) critical questions about Asian Americans' public policy attitudes and (2) the types of political action Asian Americans are most likely to take to pursue their policy interests.

New Directions in the Study of Asian American Politics, Part I: Affirmative Action

“…Although “affirmative action” refers to a wide range of policies affecting education, housing, and employment, this article focuses on policies related to higher education and professional settings. Whereas 65% of Asian Americans support such affirmative-action policies, support among Chinese Americans has decreased noticeably (Ramakrishnan and Wong 2018). Recent lawsuits have shone the spotlight on grassroots, anti-affirmative-action activities among Asian Americans, most of whom are Chinese American (Poon and Wong 2019).…”

“…Despite opinion polls indicating that most Asian Americans generally support affirmative action (Orfield and Whitla 2001; Park 2009; Ramakrishnan 2014; Ramakrishnan and Wong 2018), the SCA5 debate revealed ideological cleavages within the Asian American community. This debate signaled the emergence of conservative identity among affluent first-generation Chinese Americans who mobilized against affirmative action on a national scale.…”

“…This debate signaled the emergence of conservative identity among affluent first-generation Chinese Americans who mobilized against affirmative action on a national scale. Chinese Americans comprise the only major racial group within the Asian American community to strongly oppose affirmative action in recent polls (Ramakrishnan and Wong 2018).…”