An Emerging Political Force : Asian-Americans show big election gains

An encouraging--if relatively little noticed--development this political year is the emergence of Asian-Americans as significant new players in the political process. Record numbers ran as candidates, and an unprecedented number won election.

Both Democrats and Republicans courted the Asian-American communities as important swing votes in California, New York, Texas, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey and Washington. Afterward, President-elect Bill Clinton named Doris Matsui, a Japanese-American, as a member of his transition board.

The emergence of Asian-Americans in electoral politics outside of Hawaii, where they have been the majority, is noteworthy especially because their numbers do not translate into political clout in the conventional sense. This largely immigrant group, the fastest-growing minority in the United States, makes up a small percentage of registered voters--about 4% in California and far less than that nationwide.

The Asian-Americans who emerged victorious on Election Day ‘92--as many as 100 had run in the primaries--won by reaching out to a broad spectrum of voters, a strategy that has been the key to the continued success of established politicians such as Reps. Norman Y. Mineta (D-San Jose) and Robert T. Matsui (D-Sacramento).

The November election produced notable firsts: Assemblyman-elect Nao Takasugi (R-Thousand Oaks) will become the first Asian-American in the California Legislature since 1978. Tony Lam, elected to the Westminster City Council, is the first Vietnamese-American elected to public office. Jay C. Kim, who came to the United States 31 years ago, is the first Korean-American elected to Congress. Velma Veloria, who left the Philippines in 1961, won a Washington Legislature seat.

Others won seats on city councils and school boards. In the coming Los Angeles mayoral race, Michael Woo, a Chinese-American, is already a major candidate.

The need for Asian-Americans to have a greater voice, and representation, in public affairs was brought home by the Los Angeles riots. Amid the burning and looting of their stores, Korean-American merchants--in most cases in the absence of police protection--felt compelled to arm themselves. No doubt today’s accelerating political consciousness in the Asian-American communities is driven, in part, by the impotence that merchants and others felt during Los Angeles’ violence last spring.

Diverse in age, culture and education, Asian-Americans defy easy political categorization, but their coming of age in U.S. politics is just beginning.