Chinese Americans Flexing Political Muscle, But Fears of China Persist

By Peter Schurmann, New America Media

Barack Obama’s victory, the numbers show, is in large measure thanks to the support he received from, among others, Hispanics, blacks and female voters.

Less credited, however, are Asian Americans, who voted 72 percent in favor of the president. While their numbers remain small, at just 5.8 percent of the population, they are one of the fastest-growing segments of American society, according to a recent Pew study, having surpassed Hispanics as the largest group of new immigrants. They are also highly educated, with nearly 50 percent of those 25 and older holding at least a bachelor's degree.

Such statistics help explain the steady rise in political leaders of Asian descent in states like California, home to sizable Asian American populations. And perhaps nowhere is that more clear than in the Chinese community, where rapidly growing civic engagement also coincides with the growing strength of the world’s No. 2 superpower.

See the complete story at New America Media.