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| 2010/02/03 07:46:00瀏覽137｜回應0｜推薦0 | ||
September 4th, 2007 | From BU State House Program
The Asian American community is the fastest growing minority group in Massachusetts. But it remains one of the most silent. Census data shows that between 2000 and 2005, the number of Asian Americans living in the state increased 23 percent to 292,537, while African Americans increased 6 percent to 363,095, and Hispanic or Latino Americans increased 14 percent to 490,839. But only 36 percent of Asian Americans of voting age were registered voters. That compares to a voter registration rate of 53 percent of African Americans and 41 percent of Hispanic Americans. The voter registration rate of white Americans is 73 percent. Those familiar with the issue say the Asian community tends to be apolitical because of tradition, the cultural gap, and U.S. immigration policy. “Culturally, Asian Americans tend to focus certainly on academics and what they traditionally defined as being successful: owning your own business and house,” said Grace Lee, interim executive director of the newly formed Asian American Commission. “Politics has not been valued culturally by the Asian community until recently.” According to the Institute of Asian American Studies, 72,000 Asian Americans in Massachusetts are low income, and more than one-third of Cambodian Americans have only elementary school education. The numbers describe a segment of the population as a group struggling to settle down; suggest they have no extra energy to be involved in public affairs. Paul Watanabe, a political science professor and the director of the Institute of Asian-American Studies at University of Massachusetts-Boston, said over 70 percent of Asian Americans in Massachusetts are foreign-born. To earn the right to vote, they must apply for citizenship. “That is not a small hurdle,” he said. Another hurdle is language. “If you put a form that says register to vote or this is how you register to vote, and you put it out in English in front the population where 70 percent of them are foreign-born, that is a big problem,” Watanabe said. Although a 2005 court settlement requires the City of Boston to provide Chinese, Vietnamese, and Spanish language assistance to voters under the Voting Rights Act, and the city offers Chinese ballots in the precincts where there are more then 35 Chinese surnamed voters, the names of candidates were not translated into Chinese. Asian American voting problems happened across the state in the 2006 midterm elections. At VietAid in Dorchester, a police officer stepped in as a Vietnamese translator when a city-appointed interpreter didn't arrive on time. At the National Armory in Boston, translated provisional ballot materials were missing. At the Copley Library in Back Bay, Chinese ballots and voting materials were unopened in the back of the room behind the voting booths. Watanabe also feels the history of Chinese immigration to this country created low expectations for Asian-Americans to become citizens. The U.S. government barred any Chinese from coming to America in early 1882. Later in the same year, U.S. extended this policy to all Asians. For 61 years, Asians were forbidden to come to America. The so called “Chinese Exclusion Act” was repealed in 1943. Now the community is growing rapidly in Massachusetts. “Asian Americans were uniquely a population of immigrants for the longest period of time in this country who couldn’t even become citizens if they wanted to,” Watanabe said. “This is our legacy.” But as the Asian American population grows, the community’s desire to be heard also grows. Although a recent survey by the Institute of Asian American Studies found Asians had a lower voting rate then other ethnic groups, they have the highest rate of “political participation” defined by the institute as, “working with the community group over political issues.” According to the Pluralism Project at Harvard University, there are at least nine Asian American groups in Massachusetts involved in political activities. One of the examples is the Asian American Civic Association, which provides programs for non-English speaking and economically-disadvantaged immigrants that help develop literacy and employment skills needed to gain durable economic independence. The Asian American Resource Workshop promotes the empowerment of the Asian American community through advocacy, education, and celebration of Asian American experience, culture and art. The workshop is currently doing an immigrant rights survey. The Chinese Progressive Association recently supported by youth activists, won funding from Boston to revive a Chinatown branch library. Watanabe says this community activism offers an alternative to political involvement. “This makes lots of sense,” said Watanabe, “you don’t need to be 18 years old, you don’t need to be a citizen, you don’t need to be registered to work with your community…you don’t even need to speak English.” Lee and other Asian American government officials pushed for the creation of the Asian American Commission last year and the commissioners were sworn in on Feb. 21. In spite of all the difficulties and frustrations, Asian Americans are trying to be heard. Watanabe wishes all the legal immigrants, not only citizens, will be allowed to vote one day. Lee hopes that each Asian American would have a sense of responsibility to their community. “There is a role for every one,” she said. |
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