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Election Results: The Asian American Vote

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Voice of America reports: “Exit polls suggested Asian Americans overwhelmingly voted for President Barack Obama in Tuesday’s election that handed the incumbent Democrat a second term in the White House. Preliminary national exit poll data suggested that 73 percent of Asian Americans voted for President Obama, while only 26 percent supported his Republican rival, Mitt Romney.”

MIRIAM YEUNG [email]
Yeung is the executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum. Addressing the election turnout, she said: “According to exit polls, Asian American and Pacific Islander support for President Obama increased to 73 percent from 61 percent in 2008. This increase was foreshadowed in the recent National Asian American Survey that found that those who identified women’s rights, healthcare and education as important issues overwhelmingly identified Obama as being closer to their views over Republican candidate Mitt Romney. Still, American political parties often overlook AAPI voters.

“AAPI voters clearly stated [in the election] that access to quality, affordable healthcare, including reproductive care, must be protected. … We voted based on the values and principles our communities live by – that all Americans deserve equality, justice, and the opportunity to build strong families and succeed. Those goals can only be achieved when we have representation that is reflective of our diverse communities. The election in Hawaii of Mazie Hirono to the U.S. Senate is a prime example. As the first woman to represent Hawaii in the Senate and the only woman of color to join the Senate – Hirono is making history and forging a path for our collective future. She is joined by three strong Asian and Pacific Islander women in the U.S. House, Grace Meng (N.Y.), Tammy Duckworth (Ill.), and Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii), and by Mark Takano (Calif.), the first openly gay Asian Congressman.”