The Orange County House race between Democrat Jay Chen and Republican Michelle Steel reveals the nuances of Asian American identities.
and that they saw a vote against Chen as a way to stop it.
“Here’s the thing,” he tells me the next day in his campaign office, “I’m Taiwanese, but even if I was Chinese, that is still not a reason to doubt my loyalty.” This strangely C-shaped, entirely inland turf that is causing so much intra-Asian fighting was carved out in a redistricting shuffle last yearto empower Asian Americans. At about 37 percent AAPI, it’s about double the percentage in California and more than six times the share of the nation. It’s also about 36 percent White, about 23 percent Latino and about 3 percent Black.
It’s hard to tell who will win, because there’s no reliable polling. Steel’s an incumbent and is well-known in local government. Orange County is a longtime GOP stronghold that went for President Biden plus nine. But Democrats also lost two seats to Steel and Young Kim in 2020, after flipping four seats to turn the entire county blue in 2018.
They also engage in casual speculation about AAPI demographics: Are old-school Chinese less likely to vote for Japanese candidates because of the 1937 invasion, as Ernie Nishii, 55, a Japanese American who’s running for reelection to the local school board, says? Did some Korean American immigrants become more conservative after the Rodney King riots?
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Race for Congressional District 47 in Orange County heats upWhile District 47 is equally split between Republicans and Democrats, incumbent Katie Porter and business owner Scott Baugh each believe they have momentum on their side heading into Election Day.
Read more »
Puppy rescued after getting head stuck in gate in Orange CountyToby the three-month-old puppy was uninjured after he got his head stuck in his home's gate.
Read more »
Orange County bus strike on temporary pause so voters can get to pollsA strike by Orange County bus workers is expected to take a temporary pause this week to ensure voters can get to the polls.
Read more »
OCTA buses to resume service on Monday through Tuesday even without a contractDue to the upcoming election, the buses in Orange County will be in service again.
Read more »
5 things to watch on Election Day, with Gov. Abbott and Beto O'Rourke at the top of the ballot5 things to watch on Election Day in the Texas governor's race between Gov. Abbott, Beto O'Rourke
Read more »
Why a Southern California congressional race hinges on Asian American votersA congressional race in Orange County has become one of the most closely watched contests this election cycle — and will likely trigger a rethink for politicos on how Asian Americans vote.
Read more »