APIAVote.org

What's at Stake for
Asian Pacific Islander Americans?

Many Asian Pacific Americans often do not feel that elections affect them, especially when they find that the issues that public officials are talking about are not the issues they care about. It doesn't have to be this way. Each Asian Pacific American voter has an important role in making elected officials address Asian Pacific American issues. Your vote counts. Take a look at the list of issues that many Asian Pacific Americans care about - and see what's at stake - for yourself, your family, and your community.

Jobs and the Economy
Many APIA communities continue to suffer from unemployment and underemployment as employment opportunities have decreased nationally in the last four years. Moreover, low wages prevent many APIAs from earning enough income to support their families. This is particularly true for undocumented workers whose legal status is easily exploited by employers. Also, the lack of affordable housing is reaching crisis proportions, particularly in major urban areas and states where the majority of APIAs reside. Your vote can help raise the minimum wage so that it will support our working families, protect against the abuse of undocumented workers, and assure affordable housing opportunities for low-income APIAs.

Health Care
Immigrant communities are in special need of health care services and benefits, as we face multiple barriers in receiving services. Barriers include lack of insurance, lack of trained bilingual service providers, limited availability of trained interpreters, and laws that place extra burdens on immigrants who are here legally but continue to be denied resources. Additionally, we need to protect data collection that tells us which segments of our population need services and programs. Your vote is needed to improve government health programs that serve the needs of our communities.

Immigration
An estimated 1.5 million-plus APIA U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents wait years, sometimes even decades, in order to reunite with their families in the United States. Also, there are roughly one million Asian undocumented immigrants living, working, or studying in the U.S. They work hard and pay taxes, yet live in fear and hiding with no hope of gaining a path to legal permanent resident status. Undoubtedly the lengthy backlogs in family immigration and the lack of access to legal immigration status encourage undocumented immigration. Your vote can help mend the broken immigration system by demanding comprehensive immigration reform that includes family reunification and legalization.

Education
The "model minority" stereotype suggests that APIA students do not require help to succeed in school. Contrary to this belief, K-12 and higher education institutions are often not accessible to the APIA community. There is a substantial need for programs and funding to assist APIA students from low-income and immigrant communities, particularly those with limited English proficiency. Your vote can call attention to lack of resources for K-12 institutions, cuts in college grants and loans, rising college tuition, and inadequacies in the public education system.

Hate Crimes
APIAs are often targets of racially motivated hate crimes. Particularly, anti-Asian violence against South Asians rose after the Sept. 11 attacks. Perpetrators of hate crimes victimize individuals because of their bias or hate towards a person's race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. These incidents are particularly damaging because they often engender fear in entire communities. Current federal hate crime laws are too narrow and limit federal prosecutors' ability to take legal action against criminals unless the victim engages in a "federally-protected activity" such as serving on a jury, attending a public school, or voting. Federal laws also do not cover the prosecution of violent crimes committed by persons who are motivated by their hate towards their victim's sexual orientation, gender, or disability. Your vote can bring attention to the need for more comprehensive hate crimes laws and grants for state and local hate crime prevention programs.

Future of the Supreme Court
Nine justices, eight associate Justices and one Chief Justice, make up the Supreme Court. They are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate, and can only be removed from office by means of resignation, impeachment, or death. The Court presides over cases on appeal that comes from any of the district courts and courts of appeal. The Supreme Court has authority over all other U.S. Courts, and is the final authority on our basic rights and freedoms. The Court interprets the law, decides what the Constitution permits, and determines what is protected by the Bill of Rights. Issues that have had impact from the Supreme Court decisions include: civil rights, affirmative action, reapportionment and census, Violence Against Womens Act, anti-discrimination protection and employment discrimination like the Atonio v. Wards Cove Packing Company case.

Currently, the nine justices are split into two ideological camps: five are conservative, four are liberal. A few of the current Justices are likely to retire within the next four years, giving the next president the responsibility of appointing AT LEAST ONE Supreme Court judge. The next president, therefore, will be able to control the composition of the Supreme Court and the direction of the rulings, possibly tipping the balance in the Court to go either too far Left or the Right.