National Asian American Survey recently did a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual survey of more than 4,000 Asian Americans likely to vote in the election was conducted from Aug. 18 to Sept. 26. It is the most comprehensive survey to date of the political views of Asian Americans, with interviews conducted in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese. This groundbreaking study was conducted by researchers from four leading universities: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley); University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside); and University of Southern California (USC).

Here’s some of the results from the study:

* About 80% of likely voters who are Asian American list the economy as one of the most important problems the nation faces, followed by the war in Iraq. On both issues, there are strongly divided opinions between Obama and McCain supporters.

*A large proportion of Asian American likely voters remain undecided, 34%.

* Overall, 32% of all Asian Americans identify themselves as Democrats; 14% as Republicans; 19% as independents; and 35% as nonpartisan, not fitting into any of the major party categories.

* One third of Asian American citizens get informed about politics from Asian-language television and newspapers, and more than one in four (28%) say they would use Asian-language ballot materials.

* The researchers’ 2008 National Asian American Survey (NAAS) shows that 41% of Asian Americans are likely to favor Obama, while 24% support John McCain. In battleground states, where either candidate could win on Election Day, Obama leads with 43% of Asian Americans supporting him and 22 percent favoring McCain.

In the New York/New Jersey:

* Asian Americans in New York and New Jersey cite the economy and the war in
Iraq as the nation’s top problems

* More than one-third (37%) of Asian American likely voters in New York
remain undecided, while nearly half (45%) of New Jersey Asian American
likely voters were undecided.

* 37% of Asian American likely voters in New Jersey support Senator Barack
Obama while 18% support Senator John McCain.

* Among Asian American likely voters in New York, 42% support Obama
and 20% support McCain.

In California:

* A very strong majority (76%) of Asian American likely voters report that “the
economy” is one of the most important problems facing the nation, while 35% say “the war in Iraq” is among the top problems.

* Roughly one-third (33%) of likely Asian American voters in California remain
undecided. By comparison, recent surveys of the general population show that
undecided voters are roughly 8 percent of the electorate.
* 42% of Asian American likely voters in California support Senator Barack
Obama while 24% support Senator John McCain.

* Important regional differences in California include: higher support for McCain in
the regions of Orange County, San Diego, and the Inland Empire; greater
identification with the Republican Party in the same regions; and lower
participation rates in the Inland Empire region (51% likely voters among adult
citizens) when compared to the rest of California (67%).

* Asian Americans in California generally oppose Proposition 8, which would
“define marriage as between a man and a woman, thus barring marriage
between gay and lesbian couples.” 57% of likely voters did not favor the change, 32% favored the change, and 11% said they did not know if they favored or opposed the change.

Clearly, there is a large undecided Asian American group of voters. To win these votes, both Obama and McCain need to demonstrate how they will solve the economic problems first. The next hot topic to address after that is the war in Iraq. With less than a month to go, McCain and Obama have to convince the undecided that their respective plan for the economy and Iraq is the best. Remember, you can make a difference. Vote this November.

My Vote My Voice – Reel in the Vote 2008