Title: Asian Americans Shift Towards the Republican Party Due to Concerns Over Education and Public Safety
Asian Americans clinched a landmark Supreme Court victory that returned equality to the college admission process. The Left thought they had widespread support in their latest tantrum against the Supreme Court, which they now hate since they’ve lost their majority and Trump appointed three justices. It’s also part of the more significant debate regarding the shifting political allegiances within this demographic. As one of the fastest-growing voter blocs in the country, Democrats probably sat pretty, confident that their sizable advantage in voter preference could save them. Wrong.
The Trump coalition, whom they loathe, has demonstrated consistently that right-leaning populists are not hard-core Republicans. They will vote for Democrats, as we saw in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Asian Americans are no different because they were a reliable voter bloc for the Bush 41 years. However, they shifted when Bill Clinton pushed a pro-business, middle-of-the-road agenda following the Republican Revolution. Seth Moskowitz’s post in The Liberal Patriot highlights two issues driving Asian American voters into the GOP: education and public safety.
The recall of San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, known for his soft-on-crime approach, serves as a red flag indicating that Asian American voters have reached a boiling point with the Democrats’ stance on public safety. Proposals to remove honors classes and institute a lottery system for the best schools have also fueled resentment, contributing to the voter bloc’s move towards the Right in 2022.
Over the last decade, Democrats lost significant ground among minority populations. Between the 2012 and 2020 presidential elections, black voters shifted six points towards Republicans, and Latinos shifted eight points. However, Asian American voters inched only one point towards Democrats over the same period.
In 2022, the situation changed. New data from the analytic firm Catalist reveals that Democrats struggled with Asian American voters in the midterms. The demographic shifted seven percent towards Republicans in just two years, more than any other major ethnic category. Though Asian Americans still favor Democrats by about a 20-point margin, the shift in 2022 suggests that Democrats need to address this concern.
A national poll conducted ahead of the midterms indicated that 85 percent of Asian Americans considered crime as extremely or very important in determining their vote. When asked which party handles crime better, Asian Americans were evenly split between Democrats and Republicans. Compared to other issues such as healthcare, immigration, and gun control, where Asian Americans overwhelmingly prefer Democrats, crime stands as a stark outlier.
Education is the other major issue driving Asian Americans towards the Republican Party. Education holds great importance for many Asian Americans, particularly immigrants and those from low-income backgrounds, as it represents a stepping stone to a better life for themselves and their children. However, Democrats have recently begun dismantling this ladder of opportunity in the name of racial equity.
Across the country, school systems have proposed restructuring admissions processes for gifted and talented schools by replacing academic assessments with subjective evaluations or lottery systems. These proposals could drastically reduce the number of Asian American students admitted, leading to anger, resentment, and an electoral backlash.
Asian Americans in San Francisco successfully drove the recall of three school board members who implemented one such admissions change. In New York City, frustration with a new admissions process that relied on lottery systems instead of academic assessments also led to its rollback by Mayor Eric Adams.
Aside from admissions changes, other education policies favored by Democrats, such as California’s attempt to eliminate honors-level classes and discourage sorting students according to academic achievement, are driving away Asian American voters. Furthermore, the ongoing effort to factor race and ethnicity into college admissions, a move supported by only 21 percent of Asian American adults, contributes to this sentiment.
Identity politics is another concern among Asian American voters, who believe that the Republican Party is better at managing the economy. According to Seth Moskowitz, the Democratic Party’s affinity for identity politics further alienates Asian Americans.
The shift of Asian American voters towards the Republican Party is a significant development. While they have been a reliable voter bloc for Democrats in recent years, 2022 highlights a potential fracture between Asian American voters and the Democratic Party. However, it remains to be seen whether the Republican Party can effectively build on this shift in future elections.
Asian Americans are notoriously difficult to poll, often having little patience for surveys. Despite their previous support for Democrats, they were also a bloc that could be persuaded to vote Republican. The shift towards the GOP may be attributed not only to Republican outreach but also to the perceived radicalism within the Democratic Party. The question that remains is whether Democrats can address the concerns of Asian American voters and regain their trust.
In conclusion, education and public safety concerns have driven Asian Americans to shift their support towards the Republican Party in recent years. Proposals that undermine the merits of academic achievement and the Democrats’ soft-on-crime approach have fueled resentment among Asian American voters. Additionally, the Democratic Party’s affinity for identity politics raises concerns among this demographic, who believe that the Republicans are better suited to manage the economy. The 2022 midterms revealed a significant shift towards the GOP, highlighting the need for Democrats to address these concerns and regain the trust of Asian American voters.
