Awakening the New "Sleeping Giant"?: Asian American Political Engagement

Abstract

The 2008 election was a milestone in the emergence of Asian Americans as a factor in American politics, with national television news networks openly discussing and analyzing California's Asian American voters. Most mainstream analysis, however, had very little in-depth understanding of this population. This essay provides some insights into the absolute and relative size of the Asian American population, along with key demographic characteristics, their participation in electoral politics, some of the barriers they encounter, and future prospects.