Asian Americans are an incredibly large and growing part of the electorate in the United States — with the number of eligible voters reaching 13.4 million in 2021.
However, there seems to be some level of apathy among some members of this community. Gabe Osmena, a second-year nursing major, observed that many of his peers don’t seem to show much concern about politics.
“More often than not, I think a lot of people just don’t really care or at least they don’t show that they care — like the day after the election, I had class and it just seemed like another day if anything,” Osmena said.
When asked about the polarization between the younger and older generations, multiple students said that the media was a significant aspect.
“I think college students are more polarized compared to older generations,” Osmena said. “To be honest, it’s kind of hard to explain why I think so, but it’s like if you’re caught being a Democrat or Republican, then you’ll definitely see a difference in your social standing online.”
Simran Shergill, a second-year nursing major, agreed with Osmena’s assessment of the role of social media in political polarization.
“TikTok, Instagram and X are some major platforms, and I feel like a lot of the information either stems from far-right conservatives or far-left liberals. This can make our generation feel like they have to ‘pick a side,’” Shergill said.
Misinformation and echo chambers due to social media were discussed by Hayley Labia, a second-year political science major.
“This creates echo chambers, where people are exposed primarily to like-minded perspectives, reinforcing their views while excluding opposing ones,” Labia said. “Additionally, false or misleading information spreads rapidly on social media.”
Labia, being culturally mixed, has found that her own culture is conservative. She said this is reflected in the views of the older generation, particularly her grandparents.
“I am half-Vietnamese, and growing up, I often found Vietnamese culture to be conservative. In high school and now college, I had to develop my own political views, which don’t always align with those of my grandparents, for example,” Labia said.
Discussing politics with peers is something that occurs frequently for students, especially when a large news coverage occurs.
“I would say most of my political conversations arise from big news events or current events that prompt students to share with their peers in between classes, in study groups, or even just casually during lunch,”Shergill said.
Osemna agreed and explained that these issues are more prevalent than ever as a young adult.
“Political conversations are honestly brought up every other week … Then it’s like ‘Wow, this actually affects us now that I’m supposed to be a young adult,’” Osmena said.
Despite frequent conversations, students share the idea that there isn’t adequate representation in the government of the United States.
“As an Asian American woman, I see little representation of my identity in federal and state governments. I think my political concerns are relatively reflected at the state level, but there have been concerns about court rulings and election results that do not represent my views and values,” Labia said.
Steps have been taken to increase Asian American representation in politics, yet more has to be done as explained by Shergill.
“I do feel there is more Asian American representation now than before, there is still work that needs to be done … But while there are discussions about these topics that directly impact Asian Americans, more action needs to be taken,” Shergill said.
Visual Credit: Clément Proust
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