By comparison, there has been little research or push for media outlets to write on Asian American political behavior as a racial group; and, I, being Asian American, had also failed to introspectively analyze how my ethnicity is translated at the ballot box. COVID-19 had brought Asian faces to the forefront, but in a social manner rather than a political one.
When asked about political preferences and topics of importance, my fellow Asian Americans eagerly spoke of an aligning political
party or their strong opinions on environmental
justice or the economy. I asked everyone to list their top priorities when thinking about politics. The majority of the women cited feminism, while the men talked about economics and class mobility. When I asked them where their identity as Asian Americans fit into their political paradigms, there was hesitancy. “I sort of forget I’m Asian,” one interviewee said. “I don’t know, I guess I just don’t think about it when I vote. I’m much more likely to associate with my fellow women than I am with my fellow Asians.” Similar sentiments were to be had with other interviewees. “I care much more about class mobility than being Asian and really don’t even think about how those things are connected. I’m not saying they’re not, I’m just saying I don’t tend to think about it a lot when I go to vote,” another said. “I guess I don’t really think about being Asian at all when I vote or choose which candidate I like or don’t like.”
It was clear that, for the Asian Americans with whom I spoke, thoughts of racial identity proved secondary when engaging in politics. However, it wasn’t like they were ignoring race in every facet of their life. In fact, many cited many social situations where race was not only recognized but central: realizing that they're the only Asian person in the room, for example, or being asked for help on math assignments solely based on external features. So if race mattered so much in everyday life, why wasn’t it being translated into political decision making?
Perhaps this sense of racial disregard it’s not because race isn’t important, or because levels of racial consciousness has evaporated, but because there often seems to be no political space for the explicitly Asian American body. I can’t remember ever hearing a nationally popular politician pander to the Asian American vote, or even really talk about Asian Americans for that matter. While Asian countries, especially China, have been discussed quite frequently in past presidential debates, most memorably in the 2020 election, it was discussed as a foreign
id entity with little to no emphasis placed on Asian Americans currently living in the United States.
Even Vice President Kamala Harris was not celebrated for her Asian heritage as much as she was for her African American heritage. Maybe this invisibility is due to Asian Americans being a small percentage of the population, only about 5.6 percent;1 and with stark distinctions between countries and cultures, this population seems even smaller and more fragmented–hardly enough to warrant targeted political attention. Or perhaps, it is partially the result of the model minority status that justifies disregard because little energy is needed to control such a law-abiding and quiet population. Regardless, this racial invisibility for Asian Americans means having race be a primary navigator in the political realm is not always an option.
Social disregard and invisibility doesn’t go without its consequences. As a result of racial exclusion, race often doesn’t have political saliency for Asian Americans. Therefore, Asian Americans must use other more public identities through which to represent themselves – identities such as feminist, environmentalist, activist, capitalist, socialist. I’ve started referring to this idea as "Racial Identity Realignment." Racial Identity Realignment is the act of excluding race as a dominant political identity and instead
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"Racial Identity Realignment" is the act of excluding race as a dominant political identity and instead assimilating into different more public identities to ensure political visibility.