What Asian Americans really think of affirmative action
What Asian Americans really think of affirmative action
More Asian Americans are voting Republican, says new study
“Asian Americans recorded the fastest population growth rate among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States, study finds.”
While this statistic may seem optimistic, there’s more to the story. The growth of the Asian American population in the U.S. has occurred in tandem with increased reports of discrimination and violence since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
As our community grows, we are getting louder, we are telling our authentic stories…and we are making news headlines.
🏆 The Headlines
Affirmative misinformation: What Asian Americans really think of affirmative action — According to polling group AAPI Data, 69 percent of Asian Americans supposedly favor race-based college admissions.
According to polling group AAPI Data, 69 percent of Asian Americans supposedly favor race-based college admissions. The claim has gone viral, with some in the media claiming that most Asian Americans support a policy that penalizes them — and that those who don’t are nothing more than “a vocal Asian American minority railing against affirmative action.”
However, a closer look reveals that the AAPI Data’s survey questions intentionally incline respondents to express support for the controversial admissions policy, revealing more about the question Asian Americans were asked than the values they hold. The reality is that many Asian Americans are not as enthusiastic about racial preferences as AAPI Data and much of the media would like us to believe.
The question behind the statistic reads: “Do you favor or oppose affirmative action programs designed to help Black people, women and other minorities get better access to education?” It comes from AAPI Data’s most recent Asian American Voter Survey (AAVS), a national survey of Indian American, Vietnamese American, Filipino American, Korean American, Japanese American and Chinese American registered voters conducted every other year since 2016.
In every such survey, the “better access” question produced an overwhelmingly positive response — not only did over 60 percent of all respondents say they favored affirmative action, but so did a majority of each individual Asian-origin group.
More Asian Americans are voting Republican, says new study — While Asian voters still mostly favored Democratic candidates in last year's midterms, the margins lessened significantly
The influential demographic, which has historically leaned heavily toward the left, began leaning towards conservative candidates in the 2020 and 2022 elections.
While Asian voters still supported Democratic candidates in last year’s midterms, the margins lessened significantly based on past election returns and exit polls.
The report from The Times highlighted the shift in Sunset Park’s Chinatown area in Brooklyn, New York, which used to vote more than 70% Democrat.
As illustrated in a map created by Jason Kao, the community gave its support to Republican gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin, who won many of the majority-Asian districts in Brooklyn’s Chinese neighborhoods in the previous gubernatorial election.
More Asians also chose Republican candidates in statewide races in Florida and Georgia, giving them at least a third of their votes. A similar increase in Republican votes was seen in Texas and other states, reflecting a national trend.
‘Students protest 76ers’ arena plan in Philadelphia’s Chinatown — The Students for the Preservation of Chinatown protested against the proposed Philadelphia 76ers’ arena plan on March 3.
A group of students gathered last week to protest against the proposed Philadelphia 76ers’ arena plan.
On March 3, the Students for the Preservation of Chinatown (SPOC) took to 36th and Walnut Streets to demand the removal of real estate developer David Adelman and Sixers co-owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer from the board of trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, the Wharton School and Penn Medicine.
Dozens of students also called on the university to stray from corporations that are financing the arena and to issue a statement in support of the Chinatown community’s opposition.
Kaia Chau, the cofounder of SPOC, said that students saw Penn to be “complicit in the gentrification and displacement” of communities of color, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
“This is the most tangible way that students can get involved: challenging their university, especially when your university, like Penn, is one of the most influential institutions in Philadelphia,” she said.
The 76ers arena plan, which was announced in July last year, was proposed to occupy 10th and Market Streets, with developers hoping to revitalize the area’s economy.
However, the proposal was immediately met with criticism from the Chinatown community, who cited concerns surrounding displacement, gentrification and the loss of Chinese culture in the area.
😤 Who’s angry?
3000 Texas Asians — 3,000 Asian Americans in Texas had their driver’s licenses sent to a criminal group. They want answers.
Through a state website, the group obtained the licenses with Asian names to sell to undocumented immigrants, predominantly from China, aiming to impersonate the victims.
Our entire community due to more anti-Asian attacks — Police are searching for three people who are alleged to have yelled anti-Asian slurs at a woman before they physically assaulted her and a man in New York City on Thursday.
The assault occurred just after 2:30 p.m. near Junction Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue in Queens, where one of the attackers — a woman — "yelled anti-Asian remarks" from a white Acura SUV at a 44-year-old woman, who was walking nearby with a 24-year-old man, New York City police said.
Foodies at (another) whitewashing food blogger — Two years after drawing a massive backlash for putting her own spin on Vietnam’s national dish, phở, food blogger Tieghan Gerard is under fire once again for tinkering with another Vietnamese favorite.
This time, the influencer behind Half Baked Harvest is accused of culturally appropriating bánh mì (pronounced as “bon-mi”), a sandwich dish made with a short bread roll that is split lengthwise and filled with savory ingredients such as meats, vegetables and sauces.
🍿 Asian representation in Hollywood
with relatives of Bruce Lee and Anna May Wong — “Back in those days, no one had an Asian man and an Asian woman in the lead roles,” Wong said. “It’s crazy how far we’ve come. But then again, how far are we?”
with Lucy Liu — “To me, the world was always so open and I never saw a ceiling. And I felt like that was something that a lot of people unfortunately hit quite a bit, but it didn’t deter me. To me it was just a bump in the road and I just did not have a limit. I felt like the world was limitless and I was going to continue on and there was nothing that was going to stop me.”
with ‘Everything Eveywhere All at Once’ — “Everything Everywhere All at Once” was an explosion of talent and passion, too, but different. It felt personal, intimate and almost invasive, like a handwritten message made out to me, tied to a rock and thrown through my childhood bedroom window. It pushed me into places that until very recently I’d chosen not to explore — my complicated relationship with my mom, the growing disability of my dad; what it feels like to jolt awake in the middle of life and look back at missed opportunities, paths untraveled, while looking ahead into chaos, uncertainty and looming potential for loss and heartbreak. And yet, it ended on a note of hope and possibility, and the gently wonderful recognition that simply hanging on and surviving together is also a love language.”
📽️ What We’re Watching
✍️, Lea @ Crushing the Myth