(Image source from: Moneycontrol)
A new study by AAPI Data and APIA Vote unveiled that Indian-American voters overpoweringly disapprove of President Donald Trump's record at the White House.
Two among three Indian-American voters disapproved of the manner Trump was handling his part as president; 28 percent said they approved of the president's performance, whereas 4 percent said they did not know, according to the survey.
The Asian American Voter Survey was released October 9, as voters in 34 states - including Florida, California, Texas, and New Jersey, home to large populations of Indian-Americans - started getting 'no-excuse' early voting ballots.
Asian Americans could be the margin of victory in several significant races, stated Indian-Americans Karthick Ramakrishnan, founder of AAPI Data, and Shekar Narasimhan, chairman and founder of the AAPI Victory Fund, in interviews with India-West.
"Trump has galvanized the mid-term election," said Ramakrishnan, professor of public policy and political science at the University of California, Riverside, and founding director of the Center for Social Innovation.
He noted that the president's rhetoric on a range of issues collides with the views of most Asian American voters. Galore view the mid-term election as a vote on the Trump administration and a possible chance for Democrats to take back their majority in the Senate.
Narasimhan said both Democratic and Republican parties have been slow to recognize the impact of the Asian American vote, and have not significantly reached out to the community.
Get Out the Vote efforts target people who are on voter rolls, which consist of people who have previously voted, known as "high propensity voters," explained Narasimhan. Campaigns spend a lot less money reaching out to "low propensity voters," he told India-West, noting that candidates must reach out to prospective voters in culturally-sensitive ways, including campaign materials in numerous different languages.
He noted that the mid-term election is a watershed moment for Asian Americans. "We're fighting right now for our own rights, rights we thought we already had. We’re fighting to maintain those rights."
According to survey outcomes, about two-thirds of Indian-Americans will ballot for Democratic candidates in Senate and House races.
Ramakrishnan noted that Indian-Americans come out as the most advanced Asian American community on a scope of social issues, including access to health care, quality education, and gun control.
Impressively, 72 percent of Indian-American voters support a pathway to legal status for undocumented residents. Two-thirds of Indian-Americans support health care for all immigrants, irrespective of legal status.
The study surveyed 1,316 Asian American voters from August 23 to October 4. A whole of 227 Indian-American registered voters responded to the opinion poll, which likewise included Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Korean American voters.
70 percent of Indian American respondents said they viewed the Democratic Party favorably; 36 percent said they viewed the Republican Party favorably, while 54 percent did not. A little but crucial percentage of Indian-American respondents said they had no opinion on either party.
Interestingly, respondents gave more credit to Republicans on taxes, national security, and the total health of the economy, while viewing the party unfavorably on social issues.
Republican John Kasich, who is widely reported to be considering a 2020 presidential bid, was viewed positively by a third of Indian-Americans.
-Sowmya Sangam
