New Kid For a Bloc

Last weekend, Ben Yoon, a student at Bates College in Maine, had the opportunity to attend a youth campaign training session held at the convention by Democratic GAIN (Grassroots Action Institute and Network). GAIN recruits and trains professional staff members for campaigns on the local, state and national level.

In Boston, Ben and thousands of other young people learned about developing an effective campaign message, targeting methods, canvassing, getting out the vote, fundraising, and Election Day operations. The interesting thing about Ben, though, is that he attended GAIN’s events by way of another grassroots group. This group, called Asian Pacific Americans for Progress (APAP), works to give the Asian American community the political voice that it still lacks. WireTap contributor Suemedha Sood had the chance to talk to Ben about his involvement with GAIN, APAP and the democratic convention.

Suemeedha: First off, how did you get interested in politics?

Ben: Politics was always a dinner table conversation topic in my house. My father is really republican while I'm more of a conservative democrat, so we find ourselves caught up in many political discussions. Just like a lot of other people out there, I’m getting tired of politicians thinking that they only need to cater to certain special interests and voting blocs. As an Asian American, I can’t help but feel disenfranchised by the lack of Asian presence in politics.

How did you get involved with APAP and GAIN?

This opportunity really just fell into my lap. One day at work, I was talking about politics at lunch and a co-worker told me that he’s one of the coordinators for APAP and I should check it out. Turned out, that was my ticket to the Democratic National Convention and a whole new world of political activism

As it stands now, do Asian American voters constitute a voting bloc?

Not really. In terms of voting, the group is pretty much split between the two major parties. More importantly, I don’t think that Asian Americans have the political presence that a lot of other minority groups do. There are only a handful of prominent Asians in the House and Senate, and only six federal judges, five of which are part of the 9th Circuit.

What can Asian Americans do to find a unified voice in American politics? Or, do they even want a unified voice?

Since Asian Americans are split in polling, this matter becomes somewhat problematic. If they could see past a superficial tax cut that some politician dangles, Asian Americans could really unite to find a powerful voice that would fight for the things that they really need, like more money invested in our youth through the schools, law enforcement better equipped to keep our streets safe, a health care system that actually will protect patients and allow the doctors and nurses to do their jobs. Affirmative action, immigration, racial profiling are all hot issues that need to be addressed, but as the Asian community, we just haven’t found the issue that will galvanize the electorate and get us out to the polls.

What is the biggest barrier between the Asian American community and the political process?

I think there is a lack of political education in the community. And let’s be honest, the way for a minority group to have a voice in politics is through donations. Most candidates, especially on the national level, have very limited contact with the people. Monetary contributions can get donors time with the candidates, and if there are Asian Americans contributing to your campaign when you’re running for a senate seat, you will remember who was supporting you. I can’t speak for other countries, but Korean politics has a history of corruption and a lot of Asians are hesitant to donate money to politics for that reason. We need to educate them about the process and how they can have their voices heard.