Several analysts have noted that the political participation of Asian Americans in Nevada, North Carolina and other key battleground states that have seen dramatic increases in their Asian populations may well be pivotal this election cycle. Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) President and Executive Director Stewart Kwoh points out, in a report on Asian American voting in the 2008 general election in California’s Los Angeles County, that Asian Americans are \u201coften overlooked in deliberations over swing states and swing votes. Yet the face of America is changing in part because of us\u2026Challenging that invisibility requires us to change. It requires us to become more politically engaged.\u201d Kwoh, whose stint as board chair for The California Endowment made him one of the first Asian Americans to be board chair of a large U.S. foundation, hopes to see more \u201cvoter engagement efforts to strategically target those least engaged in our communities, moving them toward becoming more active participants in the political process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among those rallying Asian Americans to flex their political muscle next month is KAYA: Filipino Americans for Progress, which recently released a get-out-the-vote PSA. The spot, featuring Filipino American celebrities, encourages voter registration and awareness in the Filipino-American community, the second largest Asian group in the U.S. You can see it here:<\/p>\n