Survey: AAPI voters lean towards Democrats but GOP has made inroads

SCREEN CAPTURE

AAPI voters like Sen. Bernie Sanders over other possible presidential hopefuls.

Most Asian American and Pacific Islander voters are shifting away from the Republican Party and leaning more towards the Democrats, according to a new survey released today (Oct. 9). Immigration, affirmative action and health care appear to be key reasons for the preference by AAPI who traditionally has been up for grabs or evenly split between the two major political parties in the U.S.

A survey released today by Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and AAPIData reveals many insights into the fastest-growing racial group in the United States, including their voting plans for House and Senate races in 2018, and various issue

Interestingly enough, almost all AAPI ethnic groups have a strong preference to progressive positions to the point where Bernie Sanders comes out on top of all the possible presidential contenders for 2020. Sen. Kamala Harris, who is part South Asian, came in second.

In addition to election-related topics, the survey also contains key opinion data on affirmative action, labor protections, and immigration policy, including the administration’s recently announced plans to revoke the legal status of immigrants with green cards who have used government assistance.

As the Asian American electorate continues to grow, the group will continue to play a significant role in political races at the national, state, and local levels. Of importance is the increase in voter enthusiasm, with 48% polled indicating they are “more enthusiastic about voting this year” compared to only 28% in 2014.

Of note, the Democratic Party holds a sizable advantage on most issues, with the greatest gaps found on the environment, racial discrimination, health care, and gun control. 

At the same time, the Republican Party fares stronger on issues like taxes, jobs and the economy, and national security. The Republican Party’s issue advantage among Asian American voters is stronger than in 2014, where it held an advantage only on issues of national security.

Sponsored by Civic Leadership USA and conducted in partnership with Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA), and Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC, the survey presents the results of interviews conducted by telephone and online from August 23 – October 4, 2018 of 1,316 Asian American registered voters.  

Other highlights in the survey include:

• Party Prospects in 2018 Midterms: Democratic Party candidates enjoy strong advantages among Asian American voters when compared to Republican candidates, both in U.S. Senate races (52%-28%) and in House races (50%-28%). However, the AAPI community is not monolithic. Vietnamese American voters prefer Republican candidates in House races, and Filipino voters outside of California have a slight preference for Republican Senate candidates.
• Party Favorability: Asian American registered voters hold a net unfavorable view of the Republican Party, with 52% viewing the party unfavorably and 34% viewing it favorably. At the same time, Asian American registered voters give the Democratic Party a large net favorable rating (58%-28%).
• Government Services: Asian Americans continue to support bigger government providing more services, including health care access for undocumented immigrants, over smaller government providing fewer services (44% versus 24%, see Table 6). And this support is consistent across ethnic groups, including among groups like Vietnamese Americans who are Republican-leaning.
• Pathway to Citizenship: 64% of Asian Americans support, and 20% oppose, a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Support for this policy is consistent across the board, including among Asian American Republicans

• Affirmative Action: 58% of Asian Americans think affirmative action programs designed to increase the number of black and minority students on college campuses are a “good thing,” and an even larger 66% favor affirmative action programs designed to help African Americans, women, and other minorities get better access to higher education.
• Gun Control: Gun control has strong and consistent support among Asian Americans. By a nearly a 7-to-1 ratio, Asian American registered voters favor stricter gun laws in the United States, with net support strongest among Chinese Americans and the foreign born. And, while Democrats show the strongest support, even Asian American Republicans favor stricter gun laws.

The report notes that despite the poor voting record, AAPI communities are getting more politically active. AAPI civic engagement has increased as the group's numbers have grown. In 2008 their were eight AAPI running for Congress to 80 candidates in 2018. As the number of AAPI candidates getting involved in the political system grows, he or she gets a network of family, friends and supporters involved.

The tilt towards Democrats was mirrored in the approval rating of Trump. Three out of five respondents  gave Trump a thumbs down. However, Vietnamese approved Trump's performance while Filipinos were evenly split. In regards to Trump, the disapproval ratingit didn't matter if the respondent was born in the U.S. or a recent immigrant.

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