The First Asian Pacific American President: With an African American on the path to the White House, when is it our turn?
June 5, 2008
The first of a three-part series on the prospects of an Asian American presidency
With Sen. Barack Obama clinching the Democratic nomination for president and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal named as a possible Republican vice presidential nominee, Asian American communities are beginning to wonder when the doors to the Oval Office might open to them.
But should Obama succeed in breaking the ultimate color barrier, politicos and scholars say his success would not necessarily pave a parallel road for Asian Pacific Americans. Instead, the different political dynamics could present a fresh set of challenges.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for APAs is their relatively small numbers, making up only 5 percent of the American population, and the fact that most are not native-born Americans. Still, professor Larry Shinagawa of the University of Maryland points out that 68 percent of Asian Americans were born or have been raised in America, as many immigrated at a young age.
This large segment that grew up as a part of American society may contribute to high crossover appeal for an Asian candidate. Also, a higher proportion of Asian American voters register as Independents, and many share a socially liberal but economically fiscal outlook. Further, some estimates indicate that one-third of Asian Americans are in interracial marriages.
But Rudy Pamintuan, former chairman of President George W. Bush’s Advisory Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islanders, said the diversity and segregation within the community would be the main challenge to an APA presidency. Pamintuan emphasized the importance of an issue like economic development that has to not only unite the community politically, but also has to get mainstream voters excited.
“You have to consider history and the American institution,” cautioned Pie-te Lien, a political scientist at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The institution, Lien notes, has traditionally seen Asians as “whitened” compared to African Americans, which could make an Asian American more acceptable. Yet Asian Americans are also seen as not as integrated into American society as blacks; eight out of 10 Asian Americans of voting age are foreign-born.
Asian Pacific America also has some of the most desirable demographics for political fund raising and organizing — $427 billion in buying power, for example. Extended family ties may also mean more group voting.
David Lee, executive director of the Chinese American Voters Education Committee in San Francisco, said the community has come a long way. “Even 10 years ago, an African American presidential candidate would have been unthinkable,” Lee said. “Anything is possible in America.”
Still, Asian Americans occupy only eight seats in Congress, most from the West Coast and the only senators both hail from Hawai‘i. None have publicly considered a run for president.
“We constantly need to build the pipeline,” said Christine Chen, the former executive director of Washington-based APIA Vote. “Until we start filling spots on the lower level, we’re not going to have potential candidates.”
Two names surface most often as possibilities.
Don Nakanishi, director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, suggests Washington’s Gary Locke, who became the first Asian American governor of a continental state in 1997.
A Democratic administration could draw Locke back into public life next year, possibly as a Cabinet secretary. “If he ends up with a high-level appointment this time, he may be back in the running,” Chen said.
Even more prominent is Louisiana Governor Jindal, the 36-year-old Indian American that Republicans hope is their answer to Obama; conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh called Jindal the next Ronald Reagan.
Citing the high probability of the first African American president and marriage equality becoming a reality in California, Curtis Chin, founding board member of Asian Pacific Americans for Progress, said, “Any time the country takes a step toward inclusion and diversity, it helps everyone, including Asian Americans. It’s really just a matter of time.”
Related articles in the series:
Part II. The First APA President: The New Gen and The Long Shots
PartIII. Who Wants to be President?
Comments
12 Responses to “The First Asian Pacific American President: With an African American on the path to the White House, when is it our turn?”
Got something to say?
Facts: the first AA governor was Ariyoshi of Hawaii (1974), Obama grew up in Hawaii during Ariyoshi administration, perhaps one reason he hates Asians so much.
the first AA Democratic governor in mainland U.S., was Gary Locke (1996); the first AA Republican governor in mainland is Bobby Jindal (2007). Jindal may be the VP this year, a heartbeat away from McCain, or Jindal may run on his own in 2012 after Obama totally ruins America, bringing about a right-wing revanche.
These days, observant Asian-Americans would notice fellow Asians seizing positions of power everywhere. Today I read that the US Naval Academy has its first Korean-American student body president. I also read that a Korean dude is a newly-elected city councilman in Houston. Small examples, but a sign that the time for Asian empowerment has arrived.
Political power in the U.S. is more than about headcounts. Jews make up only about 2% of the U.S. population, but wield enormous power in the U.S. because they occupy key command posts in the American society.
Thus, AA’s, who make up less than 5% of the American population actually holds about 10% of the political power in the U.S., similar to the political influence of the Latinos and blacks.
If AA’s work closely with Latinos, by building political and economic ties, and marshalling our resources on key political/economic contests, we can just about swing any election, and bring about any changes we want.
2008 is the year when America will see the rise of Yellow and Brown power. Either Obama will accept the terms dictated to him by Asians and Latinos, or McCain will agree to a favorable power-sharing arrangement with Asians-Latinos.
I attach an article on the growing Latino political clout:
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10308.html
Note many comments blatantly stating Latinos’ resufal to vote for a black politician. I have heard similar anti-black sentiments among Asian-Americans. Thus, a major challenge for Obama would be to attract Asian-Latino support for the general election, without which he would be dealt a devastating defeat, possibly losing even California.
Folks:
It’s a tossup which is funnier, as in sidesplittingly laughable.
AsianWeek and staffers’ lead op/ed foregoing, OR the follow-up piece “nominating” Elaine Chao.
First, although I actually agree that Obama IS the man, after today’s Viriginia speech, in which he foreswears just about every possible GOP argument or “issue” come summer, he has yet to be “nomated,” much less “elected.”
That said, AsianWeek amusingly neglects to concede here that Obama IS an APA, albeit one who wisely refused to kunckle under to early calls for balkanized obeisances to one minority or another.
In “seeing” Obama as a rep of the “African-American” minority/community, AsianWeek unwittingly? joins the likes of one In-Chul Sohn, whose politickings in these columns and environs is ambivalent, to say the least.
Early on, he “liked” Obama? But, now, he invokes a presumed and unlikely “alliance” between “Latino” and APAmericans to offset the common “enemy:?, competitor?, or is it in fact just one more manifestation of swiftboating tactics and premises?
I personally challenge Sohn to pony up, “post” his bona fides here, as Art Hu has done. WHO hired you? Who signs your paychecks?
Today’s Obama speech in Virginia, right off the turnpike to the Beltwayi itself, convinced me, as a single vote.
The guy continues to demonstrate an unflappable “cool” and a steady and balanced, AND nuanced, hand on the rudder. Of his own “campaign” now, but, one hopes, of the ship of state to come.
And, today, at least on the snippets CNN aired, he seems to have anointed at least Jim Webb, for which, I, for one, am in total accord. John Edwards would have been good for some “blue-collar” votes, not to mention “white” “women,” but Webb would make McCain hobble for his laurels as a serviceman, age irrelevant. Swiftboat him if they can.
And Obama’s candid and pragmatic responses to Candy Crowley’s? pertinent and impertinent questions also revealed someone ON TOP OF THE GAME.
At least it could be the beginning of the end of the wanton and obscene and murderous and destructive reign of the theoneocons in the Beltway, along with their honeyed and moneyed shills and pimps and thugs and goons.
Even Jack Cafferty is making populist noises that give the lsie to his colleague Lou Doddses doddering and flatulent racist cant and cavil.
And, methinks, come November, Latinos will recall Obama’s calling both Dobbs AND Limbaugh, the Rush himself, out for the bigots they are.
As for poor Elaine Chao, c’mon guys, you gotta be kidding. No Condi she, with or without Pradas.
Besides, WHO, if self-respecting and clear-eyed, would WANT to be “president,” since a Dubya has dishonored that offfice? Well, unless one Obama begins to restore same. In which case, I, for one, sure hope you can suggest, if not “nominate,” someone with more weight and balance than Mrs. McConnell?
Frank Eng
P.S.: The “Presidency” should represent the “mandate” of “the people,” lower-case and ALL people, and not any single “minority” or claque therefrom. So, shut up already about future “APA” “candidates” and get behind the one already running. hard and fast and TRUE.
“WHO hired you? Who signs your paychecks?”
No one is paying me a cent. I’m posting strictly on voluntary basis. You must be retired or something to spend all this time on this site.
Dear In-Chul”
Personal apologies insofar as this is, or should be, all about ideas and issues and beliefs, and NOT personal.
And to each his/her own, for sure.
That said, I still can’t “follow” the trail of your posts.
As for this post-er, “retired” is a euphemism for senile, for sure, but the cluttered mind still chatters and this bundle of “belief systems” still responds to the likes of, say, a Lou Dobbs making life miserable for thousands, millions?, and for stoking national hatreds.
Bottom line here, and totally personal at that, is revulsion at mindless genocide in Iraq, and the threat of more in Itan?, the while the bruited neocon “end-game” is war on the Mainland. And all this in the face of a shattered nation at home, an incompetent/corrupt and clueless administration, millions literally at risk of livelihoods, forget “hope.”
So how can ANYone over the age of 10? NOT respond in protest? At the very least.
And, like you, I am “volunteering,” in my case, disbelief that such idioccies are tolerated by an “enlightened” society, and outrage, what else?, at what this administration has been perpetrating, abroad and AT HOME.
McCain represents a THIRD term for the dubyous crowd, whatever his “maverick” claims.
And Clinton has finally “conceded.”
Sigh.
Frank Eng
P.S.: The “internet” is proving “defining” in this election cycle, and even an old poot can still hobble online. Not for any “ism,” but, one hopes, for simple decency AND fairness.
An Asian will never be President of the United States! Dream on people and waste your time. Take a look how race still plays a role with Obama. Stop thinking like whites who think if they can say they love black people, it somehow translates that they love everyone else. WRONG! Sorry but whites like their minorities poor and dependent. It assures they have the power. To which is why they don’t trust Asians and are stereotyped as being disloyal. Having money or economic stability means less dependence on them and even you don’t need them. That’s why Asians are steretyped as being disloyal. When you can take care of yourself, you don’t need them. They don’t like that which why they will never trust Asians… certainly never as President. The African heritage from African-Americans have been wiped from them through generations of oppression and slavery and replaced with the values of his/her oppressor. Has Asian culture been ripped-away? No, to which is why you’ll see blacks have a distrust and suspicion of Asians, who never enslaved and oppressed them in history nor ever occupied one grain of African soil, more than their own historic oppressor. An Asian will never become President of the United States because whites, blacks, and even Latinos see you as foreign and suspicious because that’s what their values tell them.
Jammer:
We won’t be elected with that attitude.
In-Chul, furnish me with one piece of empirical evidence that Obama “hates Asians.” You cannot, because this charge has absolutely no basis. And if you’re look to McCain to “save America” from Obama, forget it - as evidenced by usage of racist epithets for the Vietnamese, McBush is nothing short of racist warmonger who would continue to advance the horrific, anti-human policies, both at home and abroad, of the nimrod who currently occupies the White House. Like other reactionaries of color, you’re aligning yourself with the forces of white supremacy, who loathe you because you’re Asian. You’re nothing but their laptop, and a complete fascist to boot.
Huu,
It’s called being realistic.
Huu & Jammer:
Actually, guys, the “first” President who recognizes and honors ALL “Americans” will be the first: “black,” APA, red, brown, AND polka-dot.
And that President may well be Obama.
Stop thinking IN THE BOX of the precepts, concepts, and idiocepts, as in idiot, of the MSMedia AND the mainstream clueless. They are “history” even as Billary because she/he failed to perceive the tectonic-shake of the American body-politic today.
But thanks for worrying about it, like the rest of us.
Frank Eng
P.S.: Christian, way to go, bro! Nimrod. Hmmm.
Frank Eng,
Thinking in the box is keeping up the delusion that an Asian would ever be elected President of the United States. That’s like when I see Americans criticize countries about how they treat women like China because they haven’t had a woman lead the country. That’s pretty ignorant and delusional since no woman has become President of the United States either. And then they dare to say Hillary was a victim of sexism and misogyny. In the box thinking is helping with the proganda that there are no prejudices in the US where an Asian could be elected into office. And you don’t think if and when Obama is voted into office, “whites” won’t use that as their token gesture. How many times have we heard people say they’re not racist towards Asians because they love black people and vice versa?
Dear Jammer:
Not quite sure here where we agree or DISagree.
Agree, totally, about “thinking” “in” or “out” of the “box” of our limitations.
As for an “Asian” “President” in these here benighted states of Amjurrika, lo! and behold, it is more than likely that Obama will be the next.
And HE is certifiably, multiracial and multicultural.
Not necessarily “Asian,” but close enough.
On that last possibility, probability now?, I also hasten to register my own, subjective, personal, and totaaly irrelevant observation:
Who, in her/his “right,” as in “sane,” mind would WANT to be President?
After all, a George W. Bush has been “president” for two terms, and if HE can be president, why would ANYone else even THINK of such an eventuality.
Better be the neighborhood bartender, who, at the very least, “listens” to the woes of others.
Frank Eng
P.S.: Besides, just how much “power” do you accredit the office? True, Dubya pushed the Iraq button, but said button existed, and still exists, Iran?, despite our juvey jock private=line=to=God pretender. With rare exception, if any, “leaders” and rulers only “think” they lead OR rule. Gandhi was an exception. He “ruled,” mightily, from his loin-clothed nakedness of godliness and spiritual redemption. That his followers, both Hindi AND muslim, were not up to his requirements is THEIR karma, not his. Oh, and Sharon, who ARE your true “friends”?