Despite being one of the fastest growing demographic groups, a new study, “Asian Americans Turn Out for What? Spotlight on Youth Voters in 2014,” finds that Asian Americans are the least likely to be contacted by political parties. At the same time, voter enthusiasm among young Asian Americans is higher than all other Asian-American age groups.
Asian Americans, 18-35, are also much more likely to be American-born and thus US citizens and eligible voters. The study, based on the APIAVote and Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC 2014 Voter Survey, concludes that with significant voter outreach, Asian-American youth voter turnout has the potential to rise significantly above previous levels for midterm elections, growing from a mere 37 percent to as high as 63 percent.
“We don't see them only as potential voters," said Christine Chen, founding Executive Director of APIAVote, "but they can serve as a conduit to effectively engage their own family members and provide the language assistance needed in some cases.”
Key to getting young people to vote is tapping into their core issues: health care (43%), jobs and economy (38%), national security (34%), and the environment (29%).
IN-DEPTH
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