In one of those weird and awkward times where APIs are actually reported in the slightly (actually, pretty heavily) right-wing media, Politico.com reported recently (4 days ago, I'm kinda late on the game) that Asian Pacific Islander youth trend Democratic. Well, uh...I don't know. No shit? But really, a couple things:
1) This article actually was written by a white male. And, if you check his bio profile, you can actually see he is a very white male. There's nothing really to it, but I'm always interested when an article is written about us, when it's not actually from one of us. I'm thinking about the implications. Especially the ones he makes. But he actually cites real Asian Americans in there. That's definite brownie points.
2) However. It seems like no matter how many times Asian Pacific Islanders use the term Asian Pacific Islander, the headline always comes out reading just "Asian American". It's even quoted in the article, the executive director of the Young Democrats of America says "With the Asian and Pacific Islander vote". And yet! And yet! The title still firmly reads simply "Asian-American". Really now? That's seriously cutting off a huge chunk of our population. Like. Almost every "Asian American" with ancestry from the islands of the Pacific Ocean. It's kinda big.
3) You notice it too. Mr. Ben Adler really only cites people from the "traditional" Asian-American populations, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. However, the statistics he uses from The Institute of Politics at Harvard University surveyed the current populations of APIs, including Thai, Cambodian, Pilipino, Laotian, native Hawaiian, etc. even though even the study categorizes them under "Other Asian". So when there's a disparity between what the quotes imply and what the statistics say, well, remember who writing it and maybe why. API's can get in the media, but we can never get a break.
3) One big thing really stuck out though. The article mentions that this is a pretty recent trend for this generation of APIs to start trending Democratic. And it is. I trend Democratic, but my mother almost definitely trends a strong Republican stance. Years of Communist propaganda and "Cultural Revolution" has convinced her of how incredibly evil the left can be. And honestly, I don't blame her. Any kid wearing one of those hip Red Stars or Communist jackets or Che t-shirts maybe doesn't know or doesn't remember the families that were broken and killed in the name of that Red Star. And other kids do. A whole branch of my family tree was crossed off during that time. On my mother's side. So I don't blame her for being Republican. I almost encourage it. But then Bush went into Iraq claiming "weapons of mass destruction" and then he didn't find any and then my mother hates liars and now my mother hates the Republican Party. Cuz in her mind, they lied. A lot like Communists do. She's going to vote for Hillary in the primaries. I'm going to vote Obama. But I can live with her vote too.
4) The last comment included just a little backhand slap at us. It mentioned although API's are starting to trend Democratic...we don't actually vote enough for it to really matter. Well then fuck it. GO VOTE.
5) IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE REALLY ANGRY AT THE INTERNET. DON'T READ MOST OF THE COMMENTS. JUST DON'T. THEY'RE KIND OF...RACIST.
(ex. Right-Minded Frank says: Well there goes the best work ethic in America. Once you go Democrat no one wants to work and thinks everyone owes them something. the best work ethnic in America?? I'm sorry we won't be there doing your laundry anymore, Mr. Right-Minded Frank.)
1) This article actually was written by a white male. And, if you check his bio profile, you can actually see he is a very white male. There's nothing really to it, but I'm always interested when an article is written about us, when it's not actually from one of us. I'm thinking about the implications. Especially the ones he makes. But he actually cites real Asian Americans in there. That's definite brownie points.
2) However. It seems like no matter how many times Asian Pacific Islanders use the term Asian Pacific Islander, the headline always comes out reading just "Asian American". It's even quoted in the article, the executive director of the Young Democrats of America says "With the Asian and Pacific Islander vote". And yet! And yet! The title still firmly reads simply "Asian-American". Really now? That's seriously cutting off a huge chunk of our population. Like. Almost every "Asian American" with ancestry from the islands of the Pacific Ocean. It's kinda big.
3) You notice it too. Mr. Ben Adler really only cites people from the "traditional" Asian-American populations, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. However, the statistics he uses from The Institute of Politics at Harvard University surveyed the current populations of APIs, including Thai, Cambodian, Pilipino, Laotian, native Hawaiian, etc. even though even the study categorizes them under "Other Asian". So when there's a disparity between what the quotes imply and what the statistics say, well, remember who writing it and maybe why. API's can get in the media, but we can never get a break.
3) One big thing really stuck out though. The article mentions that this is a pretty recent trend for this generation of APIs to start trending Democratic. And it is. I trend Democratic, but my mother almost definitely trends a strong Republican stance. Years of Communist propaganda and "Cultural Revolution" has convinced her of how incredibly evil the left can be. And honestly, I don't blame her. Any kid wearing one of those hip Red Stars or Communist jackets or Che t-shirts maybe doesn't know or doesn't remember the families that were broken and killed in the name of that Red Star. And other kids do. A whole branch of my family tree was crossed off during that time. On my mother's side. So I don't blame her for being Republican. I almost encourage it. But then Bush went into Iraq claiming "weapons of mass destruction" and then he didn't find any and then my mother hates liars and now my mother hates the Republican Party. Cuz in her mind, they lied. A lot like Communists do. She's going to vote for Hillary in the primaries. I'm going to vote Obama. But I can live with her vote too.
4) The last comment included just a little backhand slap at us. It mentioned although API's are starting to trend Democratic...we don't actually vote enough for it to really matter. Well then fuck it. GO VOTE.
5) IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE REALLY ANGRY AT THE INTERNET. DON'T READ MOST OF THE COMMENTS. JUST DON'T. THEY'RE KIND OF...RACIST.
(ex. Right-Minded Frank says: Well there goes the best work ethic in America. Once you go Democrat no one wants to work and thinks everyone owes them something. the best work ethnic in America?? I'm sorry we won't be there doing your laundry anymore, Mr. Right-Minded Frank.)
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