Analysis: Why Asian-American voters are abandoning progressive Dems

The surprise election of Bien Doan in SJ’s District 7 highlights a significant national trend: Asian American voters are increasingly rejecting the extremist Woke policies embodied in the progressive wing of the local Democratic Party for more common sense politics. Kenny Xu examines what’s behind this development in the National Review.

Over the past two election cycles, Asians have signaled that they will vote based on material concerns rather than perceptions alone.

One issue that has precipitated this trend is affirmative action. The Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard case, which alleges discrimination against Asian students by Harvard in the name of diversity, has drawn Asian voters toward conservative causes more than ever. Across the United States, Asians have shown they’ll fight any progressive who threatens merit-based opposition. 

In 2020, Asian Americans in California banded together to defeat a Democratic proposition (Proposition 16} that would have reinstitute racial preferences in admissions to the state schools. They led a campaign that mobilized not only Asians but people of all races to reject the measure 57% to 43% [Editors’ note: The SJ City Council unanimously supported Proposition 16.]

Another factor behind Asian’s rightward turn is crime, specifically anti-Asian violence. Asian voters increasingly realize that the true causes are progressive anti-punishment policies. 

This article originally appeared in the National Review. Read the whole thing here (subscriber paywall).

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