Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) are one of the fastest growing populations in the
United States. Between 2000 and 2010, the Asian American population grew faster than any
other racial group, at a rate of 46%. They are also an important and growing political
constituency, as 600,000 new Asian American voters entered the electorate in 2008 and a
similar number is expected to do so in 2012.
Their growing political influence is already apparent in many states and metropolitan areas,
including key presidential battleground states such as Nevada and Virginia. As of 2010, AAPI
residents exceeded the 5% threshold in roughly one in four Congressional Districts and in
nearly 600 cities. In 2012, there are also a record number of Asian Americans running for
Congress in 2012, and AAPIs occupy key positions in Washington, D.C. and in various state
capitols.
The National Asian American Survey (NAAS) conducted the first nationally representative
survey of the political views of Asian Americans in 2008. In 2012, we are conducting a tracking
survey with the addition of even more Asian ethnic groups than in 2008 (Hmong and
Cambodian, in addition to Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese) and
with the addition of Pacific Islander groups such as Native Hawaiians and Samoans. This report
presents the results of 3,376 interviews conducted through September 19, 2012.
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