Asian Americans are often categorized as a demographic that prioritizes education over all other issues, but a new poll shows that's not entirely accurate.
Inflation is the biggest problem for Asian voters this year, according to data from an AAPI Data/AP-NORC poll, and experts say political campaigns may need to change their approach if they want to make progress.
“This data really confirms what people who have been paying attention to Asian American politics and public opinion have known for a long time,” said Janelle Wong, senior researcher at the data and civic engagement nonprofit AAPI Data. She said, “The Asian American political agenda is much broader than some people think.”
In the past, politicians have relied heavily on stereotypes without preparing for questions about Asian American voters, Wong said.
“They have this knee-jerk response when asked, ‘Oh, what are the issues that Asian Americans care about?’” she said. “They think it’s education.”
But in fact, polls show that education is not even among the top five issues prioritized by Asian voters this year. 31% of those surveyed ranked inflation as their top priority, followed by immigration at 29%, the environment at 25%, the economy at 24% and health care reform at 23%.
Asian voters care about education, but not as much as the average American voter, Wong said. Education and student debt ranked sixth among Asian voters at 19%, while 22% of American adults ranked it as their top priority.
“That assumption causes many candidates and campaigns to overlook other priorities that Asian Americans have,” she said.
According to the Pew Research Center, Asian American voters are expected to make up 6.1% of the electorate in 2024. In 2020, 72% of Asian voters said they voted for Joe Biden, while 28% voted for Donald Trump.
Some of the priorities that distinguish Asian voters from the rest of the electorate this cycle are their views on health care and the environment, and in these respects they are more progressive, Wong said. She believes candidates need to be prepared to make these points to generate community support.
“These findings show how important it is for people to care and not just rely on stereotypes to understand what we care about,” she said.
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