I spent the weekend in Texas trying to convince Asian-Americans to vote for Obama. While Obama may win this thing anyway, it may be despite the opposition of most of California’s Asian-American democrats, and the interesting question is why, and whether Texas will be the same.
There’s probably not a single good explanation — maybe many Asians just think Hilary Clinton is a better candidate. But there’s no shortage of theories out there. One is that Asian-Americans don’t tend to vote in large numbers; those that are active in primary politics are close to the political establishment. A popular theory in the media is that Asian-Americans are racist. A milder version suggests that the Clintons are an established brand, and the stereotype is that Asian-Americans stick to brand names whether its Harvard for school, Goldman Sachs for work, and Coach for handbags, and so on.
My own feeling is that some of it may just come down to exposure, or lack thereof, and the related issue of risk. Political junkies know more about Obama by now than they do about their own cousins. But that’s unusual, and for various reasons, older, first generation immigrants in Asian communities may just get information a little later.
If you don’t know much about the Obama candidacy – it seems risky. And pardon me the stereotype, but much though surely not all of the Asian-American population is risk adverse. Good schools, safe jobs, and so on.
That may now change. With Obama ahead in delegates, Texas may turn out differently. Obama is moving as fast as is possible from risky to routine.
