To engage more Asian Americans in the political process, organizations working with this group must understand the group’s complexity, said Ong. There is no one Asian American population, but populations, so reaching out in the various languages can be challenging, said Ong. However, he said “we need to deal with the language issue and make people understand the world is changing … we cannot be driven by old stereotypes that it’s hard to reach that population. It’s not an excuse anymore.”
One group that should do more to engage Asian Americans is institutions of higher education. Ong said universities have an obligation to use research to inform the public, especially when it comes to dealing with issues of underserved groups. He said academics must engage directly in society by doing more public service, and universities should promote public service with the same fervor they promote research.
Students are projected to be one of the most involved groups this election season. The energy of young Asian Americans in mobilizing around the election is a complete turn-around, said Ong. Previously, this group had one of the lowest rates of voter registration, but, he said, it is critical right now to find ways to continue to engage young people in the political process.
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