The Asian Americans have undergone through changes in regard to social and political aspects even before passing of the immigration Act of 1965.This was therefore the result of the name Asian American since those who had migrated to America before then are referred to as immigrants. Asian Americans therefore refer to the Americans of Asian origin born in the United States of America or migrated to the US after 1965. Despite the rapid rise in number of Asian Americans after the Immigration Act of 1965, they had faced repeated discrimination in political agendas including voting rights and the ability to vie for a political seat. The situation had however ceased as compared to the racial discrimination they had experienced before this Act of parliament.
Asian Americans includes all the people belonging to either Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Filipino, Arabic or any ethnic group from Asia and Pacific Island who may have been born in America or migrated to the US after 1965. These groups of people have most of the time been regarded as the minority groups and their power to political decisions have been at jeopardy historically as a result of the existence of some of the laws that restricts the Asian American from conducting such issues such as voting and vying for political seats. Discriminations against the right to vote for the Asian American have been prevalent for a long time as seen in the American history. Before the year 1965, immigrants of the Asian origin faced various social problems including the threat for deportation. This included even the case of an American woman who married an Asian man had to face the fear of being sent to Asia (Ancheta, 25). Among other legal restrictions that restricted their social development and interactions, the laws that posed discrimination against the Asian Americans to make decision on matters of political interest included the laws against Asian Americans to gain American citizenship. This was however abolished after passing of the Immigration Act and Voting Rights Acts of 1965 after the Asian American Movement, a situation which granted the Asian Americans with an opportunity to vote for their candidate of choice.
Despite passing of these important Acts of parliament, most Asian Americans were reluctance to participate in political agendas especially due to the social discriminations that existed especially in New York by being regarded as inferior or minority group of people (Ancheta, 35). The situation has however changed in the recent past whereby the Asian Americans have participated fully in voting processes and also in active politics, thanks to the Asian American movements of the 1960s that empowered this minority group to unite and voice their concerns to the government. The laws have also enabled the group which had for a long time been regarded as minority group to establish strong economic potentials hence redeeming themselves from discriminations against employment and education. This has worked to their advantage as their economic empowerment has enabled the group gain recognition both in economic, social and political agendas. Political empowerment is portrayed by the recent voting process whereby the Asian Americans actively voted for the Democratic Party in the United States general elections. According to the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), over 53 percent of the Asian Americans were already registered voters in the year 2007 and this number is expected to increase in the near future.
As a way of increasing political power and rights to vote and access to political seats, it is essential for the Asian Americans to create awareness on the importance of participating in politics in the US. This is because despite the legibility to become citizens of the US and have the right to vote, most Asian Americans still feel the pressure of racial discriminations as they are regarded as foreigners even if they were born in the US hence becoming inactive in political issues.
Works Cited
Ancheta, Angelo. Race, Rights, and the Asian American Experience. 2nd Ed. Rutgers University Press, 2006.
