We featured Don Nakanisi, director of the Asian American Studies Center last quarter in our feature story: Activism Through Education.  Nakanishi has a great interview in an AP story on Salon.com titled: Asian-American Political Profile Rising in the U.S.

“Many people of Asian descent have stepped beyond their national identities to develop a pan-Asian perspective, giving both money and votes to Asian-American candidates who might not share their national origin, according to Don Nakanishi, director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center.”

More immigrants are granted citizenship, registering to vote, and participating in local, state and federal government.

“After Obama, it’s not unthinkable that a guy like Jindal could become president some day,” he said. “There is still a lot pioneering going on, but Asian-Americans are really becoming an even more viable and visible actor in American politics.” Read more.

Really? Jindal? But political affiliations aside…this is a great time for minorities in politics and it’s going to get even better.

Look out for Pacific Ties’s story on APIs in politics in our next issue with an exclusive look at Obama’s cabinet.