Trump could struggle for Asian vote

Donald Trump and the Republican Party face an uphill battle to win the votes of a majority of the American-Asian community in this year's US presidential election, observers said.

"I just don't see him winning the Asian-American vote," James Lai, a professor of ethnic studies and political science at Santa Clara University in California, said in an interview. "Trump will get some support from the Asian-American community, but in my view most will vote for Hillary Clinton."

Trump, expected to be confirmed as the Republican Party nominee for president in Cleveland next week, has taken positions on trade and immigration that not only limit his appeal with Asians, but with other minorities like blacks and Hispanics, who represent growing segments of the American electorate.

The Republican Party used to be able to count on support from a sizable portion of the Asian community, but beginning in the 1990s, that backing has diminished.

"The Republicans have lost support from Asian Americans because of the party's tendency to scapegoat Asian Americans during election times," Harvey Dong, a professor at the University of California Berkeley, said in an e-mail.

Dong said that the big challenge for Republicans this year is that Trump is anti-immigrant "although his focus is anti-Latino immigration, this is easily transferred to anti-Asian immigration.

A survey this spring of the Asian community by a consortium of Asian-American organizations - AAPI Data, Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice - showed Asian Americans shifting toward the Democratic Party.

Since 2012, the number of Asian Americans who identify as Democrat s increased from 35 percent to 47 percent. Younger Asians, 18-34, view the Democratic Party far more favorably than the Republican Party, 77 percent to 12 percent.

Lai said this trend began in California in the 1990s when the state - home to about 40 percent of the US Asian community - approved measures via ballot initiatives that eliminated certain rights from undocumented immigrants, took away affirmative action policies and stopped some bilingual education programs.

"Remember California was a red (Republican) state in the 1970s and 1980s," said Lai.

"These initiatives were all passed by voters and served to sow the seeds for attempts to do the same in other states."

Adding to the GOP frustration is that the Asian and Chinese communities have characteristics that signify a voting group which usually identifies with the GOP.

"They value education, many are small business owners and are faith based," said Lai.

Lai said that if you combine this with "the way the Republicans look in terms of candidates and the lack of Asian Americans in the party's infrastructure, Asian Americans just don't feel comfortable with the party."

The party recognized it needed a special effort to connect with the Asian community.

"Back in 2013 Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus established an aggressive outreach program to court Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders," Ninio Fetalvo, spokesman for Asian Pacific American Engagement at the RNC, said in an interview.

"He hired (veteran Republican operative) Jason Chung to direct the program and we have been actively engaging with Asian Americans where they live and work in battleground states," Fetalvo added.

Fetalvo said the party has also been recruiting minorities including members of the Asian community to seek local and state offices under the Republican banner. In California, the party had several Asian women candidates that won state and local offices in 2014.

"In 2014, we saw our efforts pay off when we won 50 percent of the Asian-American vote according to most major exit polls," said Fetalvo.

Trump has found support among some members of the Chinese community. David Tian Wang of Los Angeles is president of Chinese Americans for Trump. He said the group has more than 6,000 registered members.

paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com