The Asian American Grassroots

It is hard to say what the most important issue is for Asian Americans this election season. Nonetheless, the unifying theme in Asian American politics despite ethnicity and political affiliation is the absence of relevant issues from the national discourse. The term “Asian American” has hardly been verbalized in any public discussion since the primaries began. This problem of political marginalization is not exclusively ours. After Colin Powell’s remarks about discrimination against Muslim-Americans on Meet The Press, one can only wonder why it has taken so long for an American political figure to speak out against the particular implications of “small-town values.”

It’s therefore no surprise that the political movements within Asian America typically rise out of the margins and grassroots rather than the seat of power. For this election, it is vital that we recognize grassroots politics as the most important focus for achieving the political goals relevant to Asian Americans and all marginalized communities in America. The specific political concerns of Asian Americans are far-reaching—it would be impossible to adequately speak for any of them. Yet, grassroots ideals have been a central ground of Asian American political action. This is the reason why community organizing and service in ethnic enclaves and neighborhoods are still the most effective ways to meet the needs of Asian Americans.

This is the philosophy behind much of what the Asian American Alliance does, especially during this election year. For instance, AAA has registered voters in Asian American communities and is monitoring poll sites and conducting exit polling on Election Day to protect the Asian American vote across the tri-state area. Empowering the Asian American vote is one of the issues politicians cannot always voice. (In some instances, legislation and court rulings have impaired such rights.) Thus, the idea is that while Asian American concerns may be disparate, ordinary citizens can engage politics and create their own change on a community level.

And just how disparate are the concerns of Asian Americans? Their diaspora calls for an assortment of transnational viewpoints, relating to issues such as Pakistani stability and Taiwanese sovereignty. More pervasive concerns include immigration reform and educational opportunities. Many identify strongly with the preservation of civil liberties, having experienced the events of the Civil Rights era. Some political topics, like equity for Filipino veterans of World War II, are inherently Asian American. None of these issues have been spoken of in mainstream terms with respect to Asian Americans.
In the end, these causes won’t see success at the hand of a powerful politician, but rather by ordinary people reaching for justice. Though this is true of many issues for many people, Asian American scholars and advocates have long noted that power within this country is racially segregated and hierarchical. As such, it’s likely that no presidential candidate can accomplish what Asian Americans feel are important to them. Thus, the grassroots approach should inform not only our choice of leaders, but our visions of what power in America should look like. If policy doesn’t work to create change, we bring it to our streets and communities. At a time when constitutional rights are more tenuous than ever, the grassroots ideal captures why political power must come from the bottom up in order to realize what we all envision as the American dream.

The author is a junior in Columbia College, majoring in neuroscience and behavior. He is a Senior Advisor of AAA, and co-editor of the Blaaag, AAA’s blog.