Word: asian-americans
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Clinton doesn't have anything against Asian-Americans. The problem is that there just aren't enough Asian-American politicians out there. And according to Los Angeles City Councillor Michael Woo, who is also a front-running candidate for mayor, this lack of politicians is a self-fulfilling prophecy. "As there start to be more Asian-American politicians, more Asian-Americans will consider political careers," he says...
Mink says Asian-American politicians have to be cultivated at the grassroots level, gaining experience and establishing footholds in their communities. Only then will there be a natural filtering up to the state and federal levels. The problem is that most Asian-Americans just don't want...
...past, Woo points out, pursuing public office was difficult because of overt discrimination against Asian-Americans. Recent studies also suggest that some Asian-American immigrants are more concerned with the politics of their homelands than the politics of the cities in which they live. Some of these recent immigrants also face language barriers which make it difficult for them even to cast ballost...
Mink puts it a lot more bluntly: many Asian-Americans just don't want to make the effort to get involved in their communities, she says. They are too absorbed in their work and businesses to take the time to reach out to others. And those Asian-American candidates who do run for office and are defeated often refuse to run again...
This is also part of the reason behind the notoriously low voting turnout among Asian-Americans. "Low rate of voter turnout has been a continuing disappointment," says Woo, who adds that more Asian-American candidates like himself--along with more voter education outreach--could be a good way to get more Asian-Americans to the ballot box. But right now, low turnouts and lack of candidates among Asian-Americans form a vicious cycle of political inactivity...