Asian Americans are *the fastest growing voter bloc* in US -- we need to know more about Asian American VOTERS

start here w/ roundup here of fantastic coverage from @NBCAsianAmerica 👇 https://twitter.com/kimmythepooh/status/1321489390133223424
. @huahsu spotlights key candidates + races + trends:

"Since 2000, the Asian Am pop has grown by more than 70% to ~20 M. The group now makes up 6% of the total pop... + # of eligible Asian Am voters has doubled"

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/02/are-asian-americans-the-last-undecided-voters?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=onsite-share&utm_brand=the-new-yorker&utm_social-type=earned via @NewYorker
Are Asian Americans the Last Undecided Voters?

The political interests of such a diverse population can be hard to target, but several groups think they’ve found a way.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/11/02/are-asian-americans-the-last-undecided-voters?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=onsite-share&utm_brand=the-new-yorker&utm_social-type=earned
Here in #Indiana, where Asian Americans make up just 2.6% of state's pop, @NAPAWFIndiana has organized unprecedented (as far we know) GOTV targeting #AAPI voters! Playing the long game!
. @NAPAWFIndiana put together this useful guide to #Indiana voting, including ways to access help in Mandarin (普通話) , Cantonese (廣東話), Korean (한국어), Vietnamese (tiếng Việt), Tagalog, Urdu (اردو), Hindi (हिंदी), Bengali/Bangla (বাংলা) 😍

https://www.napawf.org/vote/indiana/english?rq=indiana
Been thinking about history of #AsianAm voters. Early on, white supremacist fears of Oriental voting bloc (sometimes cast as foreign interference) justified Asian exclusion measures. Like this exchange from US Senate hearings on "Japanese in Hawaii", 1920)
Been thinking about history of #AsianAm voters. Early on, white supremacist fears of Oriental voting bloc (sometimes cast as foreign interference) justified Asian exclusion measures. Like this exchange from US Senate hearings on "Japanese in Hawaii", 1920)
Been thinking about history of #AsianAm voters. Early on, white supremacist fears of Oriental voting bloc (sometimes cast as foreign interference) justified Asian exclusion measures. Like this exchange from US Senate hearings on "Japanese in Hawaii", 1920)
Been thinking about history of #AsianAm voters. Early on, white supremacist fears of Oriental voting bloc (sometimes cast as foreign interference) justified Asian exclusion measures. Like this exchange from US Senate hearings on "Japanese in Hawaii", 1920)
#VoterSuppression took notable forms -- some might say tailor-made -- in #AsianAmerican history. For instance, California's political leaders challenged the rights of Japanese Americans to vote absentee *FROM THE CONCENTRATION CAMPS*

(from PACIFIC CITIZEN, Nov 12, 1942)
Idaho (Idaho!)had anti-Asian voting law on the books barring persons of Chinese, Japanese, or "Mongolian descent" from voting, serving as jurors, or holding any civil office -- took until 1962 to repeal, thanks to organizing efforts of AsianAms

https://ballotpedia.org/Idaho_Chinese,_Japanese_and_Mongolian_Rights,_SJR_1_(1962)
(yep, bespoke voter suppression) https://twitter.com/BradfordPearson/status/1321803259141623809?s=20
Contrary to commonplace assumptions that Asian Americans are apolitical, AsianAms have engaged in US electoral politics for generations! (Caveat: It wasn't until 1952 that all Asians were finally eligible to naturalize / key way to deny voter access)

http://encyclopedia.densho.org/Immigration_Act_of_1952/
Asian Exclusion regime functioned effectively as #votersuppression by shutting out Asian immigrants from the vote. BUT birthright citizenship—affirmed by Supreme Court in US v Wong Kim Ark (1898)—provided a fighting chance for US-born Asians https://encyclopedia.densho.org/United_States_v._Wong_Kim_Ark/
Chinese American Citizens Alliance founded in 1895 (fka Native Sons of the Golden State) “to fully enjoy and defend our American citizenship” thru voting, courts, economic boycotts, social/cultural activities https://library.stanford.edu/blogs/special-collections-unbound/2020/05/brief-look-work-chinese-american-citizens-alliance
A brief look at the work of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance

Prior to the institution of shelter-in-place, I had been working on processing the records for the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, a national organization founded in 1895 in California to promote...

https://library.stanford.edu/blogs/special-collections-unbound/2020/05/brief-look-work-chinese-american-citizens-alliance
The unfortunately-acronymed CACA🤣peer-pressured its members into voting! Pre-WWII, CACA leaned Republican as #twitterstorian @BrooksProf explains in her monumental book BETWEEN MAO + MCCARTHY (U Chicago Press, 2015) https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo19085338.html
The unfortunately-acronymed CACApeer-pressured its members into voting! Pre-WWII, CACA leaned Republican as #twitterstorian @BrooksProf explains in her monumental book BETWEEN MAO + MCCARTHY (U Chicago Press, 2015) https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo19085338.html
The unfortunately-acronymed CACApeer-pressured its members into voting! Pre-WWII, CACA leaned Republican as #twitterstorian @BrooksProf explains in her monumental book BETWEEN MAO + MCCARTHY (U Chicago Press, 2015) https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo19085338.html
The unfortunately-acronymed CACApeer-pressured its members into voting! Pre-WWII, CACA leaned Republican as #twitterstorian @BrooksProf explains in her monumental book BETWEEN MAO + MCCARTHY (U Chicago Press, 2015) https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/B/bo19085338.html
The New Deal spurred a political realignment in San Francisco’s Chinatown towards Democratic Party—akin to the shift among African American voters (see @BrooksProf BETWEEN MAO + MCCARTHY)
The New Deal spurred a political realignment in San Francisco’s Chinatown towards Democratic Party—akin to the shift among African American voters (see @BrooksProf BETWEEN MAO + MCCARTHY)
The New Deal spurred a political realignment in San Francisco’s Chinatown towards Democratic Party—akin to the shift among African American voters (see @BrooksProf BETWEEN MAO + MCCARTHY)
The New Deal spurred a political realignment in San Francisco’s Chinatown towards Democratic Party—akin to the shift among African American voters (see @BrooksProf BETWEEN MAO + MCCARTHY)
The New Deal spurred a political realignment in San Francisco’s Chinatown towards Democratic Party—akin to the shift among African American voters (see @BrooksProf BETWEEN MAO + MCCARTHY)
As Asian Exclusion Laws start to topple (WWII) + civil rights movement picks up steam, AsianAms play out white supremacists’ longstanding fears of Oriental voter + voting bloc. They organize! They support candidates! They vote! They run for office! https://www.saada.org/item/20100224-112
NYC-based Japanese American Committee for Democracy, established ~1940, forerunner of "Nisei for Wallace" (Henry, not George) and "Nisei Progressive" groups post-WWII (Nisei = 2nd gen Japanese Ams, children of immigrant generation) http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2018/1/11/jacd/
NYC-based Japanese American Committee for Democracy, established ~1940, forerunner of "Nisei for Wallace" (Henry, not George) and "Nisei Progressive" groups post-WWII (Nisei = 2nd gen Japanese Ams, children of immigrant generation) http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2018/1/11/jacd/
NYC-based Japanese American Committee for Democracy, established ~1940, forerunner of "Nisei for Wallace" (Henry, not George) and "Nisei Progressive" groups post-WWII (Nisei = 2nd gen Japanese Ams, children of immigrant generation) http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2018/1/11/jacd/
Some fun action shots of Chinese Americans stumping + hobnobbing w/political candidates 1960s (h/t #twitterstorian @BrooksProf!)
Some fun action shots of Chinese Americans stumping + hobnobbing w/political candidates 1960s (h/t #twitterstorian @BrooksProf!)
Some fun action shots of Chinese Americans stumping + hobnobbing w/political candidates 1960s (h/t #twitterstorian @BrooksProf!)
Some fun action shots of Chinese Americans stumping + hobnobbing w/political candidates 1960s (h/t #twitterstorian @BrooksProf!)
Always important to keep in mind: Asian Americans have long been + remain politically / ideologically diverse. We don't all look alike + we certainly don't all think alike.

Exhibit A: Japanese Americans for NIXON-AGNEW 😖
(PACIFIC CITIZEN, Nov 1, 1968)
https://pacificcitizen.org/wp-content/uploads/archives-menu/Vol.067_%2318_Nov_01_1968.pdf
You can follow @ellendwu.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

Latest Threads Unrolled:
Those who think consciousness raising & movement building are disconnected, or even a distraction from electoral politics have not paid attention to the history of social change.In this thread, we
Read more
The 2020s will be known as the Remote Work decadeA few predictions of what is likely to emerge[ a thread ] Third Space: Office and Working from Home will
Read more
1/29: Have you ever had a concept explained to you that helps frame complex issues you’ve been wrestling with and opens your eyes to new possibilities? A concept that I
Read more
By continuing to use the site, you are consenting to the use of cookies as explained in our Cookie Policy to improve your experience.