Kamala Harris not polling well among Asian/American voters in California senate race

Atty. Gen Kamala Harris, left, and Rep. Loretta Sanchez seek the U.S. Senate seat for California.

By Louis Chan

REPRINTED FROM ASAM NEWS

A POLL CONDUCTED of 1,106 Asian Americans in California found that support for Kamala Harris in her race against fellow Democrat Loretta Sanchez for U.S. Senate is in no way guaranteed.

The National Asian American Survey found a whopping 49 percent of those surveyed are undecided with 25 percent saying they favor Harris to 15 percent for Sanchez.

If elected, Harris would be the first Indian American ever elected to the U.S. Senate and the first Asian American woman elected by California voters for the Senate.

Support for Harris is strongest among Indian/Americans. Harris leads 56 percent to 35 percent.

RELATED:

• Harris' career inspired by civil rights
• Kamala Harris wants to make history

But in all other Asian subgroups, it’s the undecideds who are in the lead.

Harris is currently the State Attorney General and Sanchez is a Congresswoman from Southern California.

In a recent Field Poll of the general electorate in California, Harris holds a 42 to 20 percent lead. Her lead is much narrower in a poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. In that poll, Harris’ lead shrinks to 32 to 25 percent.

Race enters California's Senate campaign

President Barack Obama throws his support to California Attorney General Kamala Harris.

CALIFORNIA ATTY. GEN. Kamala Harriids' bid for the U.S. Senate got a major boost with the endorsement of  both President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

Harris' opponent in the November election, Rep. Loretta Sanchez's first reaction seemed to imply that race was a factor in Obama's endorsement.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez

In an interview over with the Spanish-language Univision channel, Sanchez was asked her response to the signifiant endorsement. She said in Spanish that Obama and Harris are longtime friends, then added: “She is African/American. He is, too.”

Sanchez backtracked on her interview statement saying she never meant to say race was a factor in the endorsement. In a prepared statement released yesterday, the Orange County congressional representative said, “I would think the Leader of the Democratic Party would be focused on defeating Donald Trump and supporting Democratic Senate candidates against Republicans.”

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article90672302.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article91430872.html#storylink=cpy

Harris's mother is from India and her father is Jamaican/American. If elected, Harris would become the first Indian/American to win a Senate seat.

In his endorsement statement, Obama said:

Kamala’s experience has taught her that if you’re going to give everybody a fair shot, you’ve got to take on the special interests that too often stand in the way of progress. As Attorney General, she fought the big banks that took advantage of homeowners across the country – and she won. She cracked down on transnational gangs exploiting women and children – and she won. She took on big for-profit colleges that were swindling students and leaving them with a lifetime of debt and a worthless degree – and she won. She took on big oil companies to defend California’s beautiful coast and its landmark law to fight climate change – and she won. Her leadership helped ensure the right of all Americans to marry the person they love. And throughout her lifetime as a prosecutor, Kamala Harris has been a leading voice for criminal justice reform, challenging old dogma and insisting we be “smart on crime” by ending mass incarceration.

Harris led Obama's campaign effort in California in 2008 and was considered a candidate for the U.S. Supreme Court to fill Antonin Scalia's seat after his death.

It is not the first time that Sanchez's statements have put the candidate in hot water.

After the San Bernardino shootings earlier this year, she said “anywhere between 5 and 20 percent” of Muslims “ have a desire for a caliphate,” and that they are “willing to use and they do use terrorism.” When Muslim American groups criticized the comments, Sanchez said she was speaking in global terms, not about U.S. Muslims. But she has stood by her statement.

Last Spring, while speaking to Indian/American Democrats, she commented that she though she would be speaking to Native Americans and during her speech she tapped her hand to her mouth to imitate the whooping sounds associated with the stereotype of Native Americans.

Recent polls indicate that Harris has a double-digit lead over Sanchez. Both are Democrats but Sanchez is hoping to woo Republicans who think that Harris is too liberal.

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AAPI leaders respond to this week's shootings in Dallas, Louisiana and Minnesota

ASIAN/AMERICAN leaders joined the rest of the nation in expressing their heartfelt sadness following the horrendous police shootings that left five police officers dead and several more injured.

California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris

 “I pray for the officers who lost their lives tonight, for their grieving families and our law enforcement brothers and sisters in Dallas,” said California Attorney General Kamala Harris whose mother is Indian American and father is Black. “Last night’s unspeakable violence reminds me of these words from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. 

“Violence only increases distrust and anger. I know firsthand that the relationship of trust between law enforcement and the communities we are sworn to serve is reciprocal. We honor the courage and sacrifice of law enforcement as we continue the important national dialogue around reforming our criminal justice system.”

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee also shared his thoughts this morning.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee

“This morning our hearts are heavy following the recent violence that has impacted communities across the country. We can and must stand against violence–violence against young men of color, violence against law enforcement officers and violence against our communities as a whole. We need to come together, have meaningful conversations about change and work together towards peace.

“In these sad times, when it seems nearly everyday we are greeted by more killing and more reason to grieve, we must remember what is right and what gives us hope. It is the bold, but peaceful protestors in the Black Lives Matter movement across the country who seek a safer, more perfect union through speech, the many brave police officers — such as those in Orlando — who unselfishly rush to save lives, and our San Francisco police officers who showed this week that reforms can take hold and the sanctity of life can be upheld. ”

Prior to the sniper incident last night in Dallas, Asian American Advancing Justice called on law enforcement nationwide to deescalate the situation.

“With their deaths, more than 500 people have been killed by police in 2016, and as a nation, we must find immediate and effective solutions to address practices of racial profiling and excessive use of force by law enforcement officers. We are facing an epidemic of African American fathers, sons, mothers, and daughters who are dying at the hands of police in this country. It must stop.

"As the nation’s leading legal and civil rights voice rooted in Asian American communities, we stand together with communities of color in the fight to end systemic police brutality. As the facts of each case surface, we ask the U.S. Department of Justice to not only investigate the fatal shooting of Mr. Sterling but also to investigate the shooting and death of Mr. Castile.

“In addition, we call for state and federal government leaders to act swiftly and decisively to implement policies, procedures, and legislative actions that address racial bias and profiling, police misconduct, and end excessive police use of force.

“We need law enforcement to commit to tactics that de-escalate or disarm, not result in more loss of lives in our communities of color. We want to ensure the motto “to serve and protect” rings true for all of our communities.”

Bill Yoshino, Interim Executive Director of the Japanese American Citizens league issued this statement: 

"In 1982, a federal commission issued its report on the World War II incarceration of Japanese Americans. The report was titled Personal Justice Denied to remove the anonymity from an outrage perpetrated against a group. It happened to men, women, and children; people with names who lived ordinary, and for some, extraordinary lives.

"This title aptly describes the events of the past several days where the killing of two black men has again raised the specter of a society that continues to devalue black and brown lives. Alton Sterling, a black man, was killed by police in Baton Rouge, LA. Philando Castile, a black man, was killed by police in Falcon Heights, MN. The U.S. Department of Justice will investigate the killing of Sterling, and the Minnesota governor has called for a similar investigation in the killing of Castile.

"According to a database created by the Washington Post, 509 people have been shot and killed by police in the United States this year, over half of whom are people of color. Although we acknowledge and respect the difficult situations that law enforcement officials often find themselves in, we also question what appears to be an excessive use of deadly force, particularly against black men. JACL has stated before that it is impossible to understand these deaths outside the context of a society that rests upon deep foundations of anti-black racism; a society where structural racism works to economically, emotionally, and physically devastate people and communities of color.

"We must do better than to simply express outrage, as these expressions by themselves leave communities of color with the impression that racism and excessive force have no end. These communities will not tolerate it, nor should we. We cannot simply reiterate our emotions each time these incidents occur. JACL remains committed to the struggle for racial equity and will continue to work alongside our partners in the pursuit of institutional change because our own historic experience obligates us to do no less.

"The foregoing in no way diminishes the outrageous shootings in Dallas last evening where it is reported that 12 officers were shot, leaving 5 dead. Confronting racism in America does not conflict with an admiration for the courageous work of law enforcement officers who, in the face of danger, protect the public in a manner that respects the law. We mourn the passing of DART officer, Brent Thompson, and the other officers whose names are yet to be released."

Asian/American representatives in Congress also responded to the recent shootings in Dallas, Louisiana and Minnesota via their social media sites. 

Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Virginia, who is African/Filipino/American, issued this statement:

"Less than a month after the mass shooting of club goers in Orlando, the Nation has witnessed yet another mass shooting. This time the targeted victims were police officers, who put their lives on the line each and every day. Last night’s shooting is especially tragic in that this ruthless, coordinated attack occurred as Dallas police officers were seen interacting collegially with peaceful protesters – the type of interaction we strive to see between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect.

“These senseless and inexplicable acts of violence are a painful reminder that we all must work harder on efforts to build trust between law enforcement and our communities. We are all someone's parent, child, and neighbor, and we must strive to see and respect the humanity in each other. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen officers.”

Rep. Ted Lieu, D, Los Angeles, issued this statement:

“The killing and wounding of law enforcement officers in Dallas, and the wounding of civilians, were depraved, senseless, criminal acts. While we do not yet know much about all the possible shooters, this attack is a poignant reminder that our law enforcement officials put their lives on the line every time they put on a uniform. My grandfather was a police officer and I greatly respect the service and protection that law enforcement provides on a daily basis. My heart goes out to all those affected by this tragedy. As we continue to learn more, I urge my fellow Americans not to let these events divide our communities. Let us respond to hate with love, to violence with peace, and help heal our nation.”

(AsAm News and Views From the Edge contributed to this report.)

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Kamala Harris’ career choice inspired by civil rights giants

Atty. General Kamala Harris accepts the endorsement of California's Democratic Party.

KAMALA HARRIS, California's Attorney General, hopes to become the state's first Indian/American U.S. Senator. If she wins, she would also become the state's first African/American U.S. Senator. She's running for the seat being vacated by Sen. Barbara Boxer, who is retiring after 24 years in the Senate.

UPDATE: Earlier versions of this post incorrectly said Kamala Harris would become the first Asian/American Senator. Sen. S.I. Hayakawa served in the U.S. Senate, 1977-1983.

Of mixed parentage, the state's top law enforcement officer, also give her parents credit for her desire for justice and equity.

“My parents met when they were graduate students at the University of California, Berkeley, while they were active in the civil-rights movement,” said Harris in an article by  public radio station KPCC.

Harris’ father is from Jamaica and taught economics at Stanford University. Her mother was an endocrinologist and breast cancer researcher from India.

"I grew up in a family where I had a strong sense of my culture and who I am, and I never felt insecure about that at all," she said.

RELATED: Kamala Harris seeks to make history

“My sister Maya and I, we joke that we grew up surrounded by a bunch of adults who spent full time marching and shouting for this thing called justice,” said Harris, who grew up in Oakland, California.

She said the people she looked up to were civil-rights icons: Thurgood Marshall, Charles Hamilton Houston and Constance Baker Motley. They were all lawyers, with Marshall eventually becoming a U.S. Supreme Court justice. Harris said their heroism inspired her to study law.

She went on to graduate from Howard University and received her law degree from Hastings College of Law of the University of California.Overwhelmingly endorsed by California's Democratic Party last month, Harris is ahead of all her rivals in the polls. Her top challenger is another Democratic, Rep. Loretta Sanchez of Orange County, who - if not for Harris - likely would have been the Democrats' favorite.

Considered a rising star in California politics, her name was mentioned as a possible candidate for the vacant Supreme Court seat. Before President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, Harris withdrew her name for consideration so she could concentrate on her Senate bid.

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