On an institutional level, political parties do not reach out to Asian Americans at the same rate as they target other groups, according to Lee. But when political parities have reached out to Asian Americans, they get results. Undecided voters were the group least likely to have been targeted by a party or candidate, according to Lee.
“The Asian American vote is very much up for grabs: Nonpartisans who see either the Democratic or Republican party as closer to them on issues that matter to them are much likelier to vote for that party’s candidate,” says Lee. As for the issues they care most about, 80 percent of Asian American voters list the economy at the top, followed by the war in Iraq.
The study is ongoing, and researchers say they expect to release further results after the election. Ramakrishnan says he hopes this study spurs more media coverage of Asian Americans.
“Asian Americans remain invisible because there’s so little coverage of them ... I think this sets an important benchmark for future surveys … whether its every year or every election year,” he says.
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