After the flurry of the election, we asked API students at the Claremont Colleges what they thought about the results. Here are some of their thoughts.
Nikki Chang: “I’m always shocked at how different California is from Texas, because after the results came out, many of my high school classmates said things like “I’m sorry for our generation” or “I hope the world ends this year.” I am glad that Obama won but I hope that he will keep all of his promises.”
Anonymous: “I’m glad Mitt Romney did not win. Hopefully President Obama will be able to push through productive legislation and reach a compromise with Republicans on budgetary issues… I see it as a victory for all minority groups. Hopefully, there will be adequate education funding in underserved areas going forward.”
Katie Wang: “I’m excited about the numbers of voters of color who voted for Obama and…[because] he won, it feels like people of color are in power! This might be an illusion, but it’s still empowering! Because Republicans lost, and lost a lot of young voters and voters of color, I’m scared that Republicans will begin to target communities of color and claim to support them, but without really supporting communities of color in their [Republicans’] values and policies.”
Anonymous: “I am hopeful that Obama will push for more progress for the APIA community, and I am glad that we have elected someone who cares about the nonwhite communities in this country. I am also looking forward to immigration reform and seeing how our voices will be heard and reacted to in the next four years.”
Faye Wang: “I’m glad that the presidential election went the way it did, and I’m excited by all of the API/A elected to Congress. However, the election is only one part of the political process, and I hope that everyone can channel their enthusiasm about the election to continue working for the kinds of policies and change we want to see and to keep our elected officials accountable.”
Anonymous: “There will be many issues that need addressing that will not be addressed, but at least now I am reassured that my, and my people’s voice, will be heard by a decision making body that can work to choose some of those things.”
Kathy Lu: “Honestly? The lesser of two evils. Obama’s shown scarcely any concern for API-American issues, and his anti-China foreign policy stance is almost sure to incite even more xenophobic fervor here in the states. I can’t wait for people to start talking about yellow peril again. (But at least it’s not Mittens).”
Anonymous: “I thought election night was a referendum on a lot of things: women’s rights (to choose, equal pay), people of colour power in the electorate, and grass roots organization vs. corporate campaign financing.”
Deirdre Lee: “As a woman of color I am very grateful that our country has chosen to re-elect President Obama. This re-election brings hope for all minority communities and I look forward to seeing what President Obama does with his second term. Clearly, our country still has a long way to go before reaching social equality for all but I strongly believe the results of this past election was a huge step in the right direction.”
Anonymous: “One thing that stood out to me was the election of Tulsi Gabbard to the house and how she swore oath over the Bhagavad Gita. This, like the presidential election, was a huge step forward for women and minorities. Even so, I wonder, is it mandatory to swear into office over a religious book? If so, did Tulsi choose the Bhagavad Gita on her own? There is no one official book for Hindus.”
Alexis Takahashi: “I think this election reaffirmed the power of minorities and women and sent a message to the Republican Party that they cannot continue to cater to white voters and ignore everyone else. Asian voters overwhelmingly voted Democrat by larger margins than Latino voters, and given that API’s are the fastest growing ethnic population, in the future there will be more attention paid to our issues.”
Alex Bell: “The re-election of Barack Obama is probably better for the API community than if Mitt Romney had been elected. However, I am more pleased with the state of Washington, which legalized same sex marriage. This is a great step forward for the acceptance of same sex marriage on a national level, which will no doubt benefit many Asian Americans who also identify as queer.”
Anonymous: “The 2012 election reflects the growing visibility of API communities nationwide. For me, this was one of the most important aspects of the elections, almost more so than the results themselves. IT was good to see API voters come out in record numbers and – finally! – begin to have more influence in our national political landscape.”
Anonymous: “As a woman of color participating in the presidential elections for the first time, it was both exhilarating and rewarding to see the results I had hoped for, for the president and most of the propositions. It did make me realize the importance of educated voting and reminded me why I do what I do for the AARC and the API community.”
The Asian American Resource Center 