The 2012 Race: Asian Americans and the US Presidential Election

Asian Americans now make up almost 6% of the U.S. population and are the fastest growing demographic group in the country. While aggregate numbers conceal great diversity, Asian Americans are generally more successful economically and have attained higher levels of education than any other minority group in the country. And as the Asian American population continues to grow, so has its influence in U.S. politics --  not only as votes, but as organizers, funders, and candidates. Are this year’s Presidential candidates keeping up with this rapidly changing community? How well do their positions on healthcare, immigration, jobs, and the economy address the needs of Asian Americans? How do Asian Americans identify themselves politically and could they play a key role in swing states this year? Please join our expert panel for a discussion of these and other questions.

Speakers include Bill Ong Hing, Professor, University of San Francisco, School of Law, Daphne Kwok, Board Member, Asian & Pacific Islander American Vote; Chair, President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders; Sydnie Kohara (moderator), former CNBC and CBS5 Anchor; ASNC Board Member, Karthick Ramakrishnan, Associate Professor of Political Science, UC Riverside, Samson Wong, columnist, AsianWeek.com; Program Coordinator, San Francisco-Shanghai Sister City Committee.

Promotional co-sponsors: Asian week, Center for Comparative Studies in Race and ethnicity (CCSRE), ChinaSF, Hyphen Magazine, SFSU Asian American Studies Department, Stanford University, TAP, UC Berkeley Asian American Law Journal, USF Asian American Studies Department.