Written by: Chris, DA Portugal
Is this a familiar experience? I am the daughter of Filipino immigrant parents. I am the only one in my immediate and extended family who is politically active. I volunteered for the Clinton-Gore campaign while living in center city Philadelphia. Much later, I volunteered for the first Barack Obama and then Andrew Yang campaigns while I lived in Hawaii. I have been a staunch Progressive Democrat all of my adult life. However, both of my parents are/were strong traditional Republicans and we have had more than one family argument on the topic of politics over the years. I have Asian American friends whose parents voted similarly. Given today’s political crisis, as our nation transforms into a fascist state in front of our eyes with each passing day, I was strongly compelled to get involved to save our Democracy even from here in Europe.
Recently, I became curious about generational differences in voting patterns among Asian Americans. Perhaps my curiosity piqued as political arguments with my own mother have become more frequent. I did some research and learned that in both the 2016 and 2024 presidential elections in the United States, there was a notable shift in the voting patterns of Asian Americans. While the majority of Asian American voters leaned Democratic, there was a significant portion that supported Donald Trump. Again, my own mother was one of those voters. This raised a question for me about the motivations for their choice. Was the choice based purely on economic interests? Were cultural values a factor? Did Asian American Trump voters consider his stance on immigration as they cast their votes? I am learning that my generation of Asian Americans who are born to immigrant parents tend to be more politically active and concerned with issues such as civil rights, social injustice, equity and inclusion - Yup, that’s me!
Economic Interests and Class Dynamics
After one of those heated discussions with my mother, I did more research. I came to understand that one of the primary reasons for the support of Donald Trump among certain segments of Asian Americans was economic interests. Many immigrant Asian Americans are entrepreneurs or professionals who prioritize economic policies such as tax cuts, deregulation, and pro-business initiatives. Of course, Trump made promises to reduce corporate taxes and eliminate restrictive regulations which may have resonated with these voters.
Cultural Values
A number of Asian Americans are affluent and highly educated and their cultural values also significantly influenced the Asian American vote for Trump. Many immigrant Asian Americans come from cultural backgrounds that emphasize traditional family values, hard work, and a strong sense of personal responsibility. Trump's messaging may have resonated with those who sought conservative principles. My own mother falls into this category. Perhaps too, a number of Asian Americans found common ground with Trump's stances on social issues, including opposition to female reproductive choices and preferring traditional family structures.
Current Immigration Practices
Intriguing to me is that while Trump's hard-line immigration policies are controversial, they do not alienate all Asian American voters. In particular, those who have achieved legal status and are concerned about the integrity of the immigration process, Trump's focus on legal immigration reform resonates positively with them. Perhaps these Asian Americans who have undergone rigorous immigration processes see tougher immigration mandates as validation of their own experiences.
We watch the violent practices of ICE agents and the creation of internment centers across the country, not the least of which, Alligator Alcatraz, appears emphatically inhumane. It is eerily reminiscent of the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII when over 120,000 Japanese Americans were incarcerated and forcibly removed in the early 1940s spurred by war-time xenophobia.. Today’s ICE raids are currently focused on Latino Americans. It is my strong prediction that as relations with China and Japan become more strained due to trade wars, Asian immigrants and Asian Americans could be the next targeted group. As Asian Americans and Democrats living abroad, close contact with family members living in the U.S. and constant monitoring of ICE policies and shifts in ICE activity will be important to protect and warn our family members.