Asian Embeddedness and Political Participation: An Examination of Social Integration, Asian Heterogeneity, Ethnic Organization, and Asian Voting Behavior

A recurring puzzle in the voting research literature is the finding that Asians are less likely to vote compared to other racial group members in multivariate analyses, despite their high aggregate levels of income and educational attainmentÌ¢‰âÂ'the strongest predictors of voting behavior. Curiously, previous studies also find that Asians are actually more likely to vote than whites in some contexts. This nationally representative multilevel study examines variation in Asian voting behavior, focusing on the influence of county characteristics and characteristics of Asian communities on Asian voting behavior. Using hierarchical linear modeling, individual-level data from the 2000 Current Population Survey Voting and Registration Supplement, and county data from the 2000 U.S. Census, the Encyclopedia of Associations, and America Votes, the findings indicate that several contextual factors promote the social and political integration of Asians. Supporting assimilation theory, the interaction of Asian heterogeneity and intermarriage rates increases the likelihood of voting, while Asian occupational segregation, and the interaction of racial heterogeneity and percent Asians who are foreign born, decrease it. Supporting biculturalism as a form of social integration, national ethnic organizations also promote political integration and increase the likelihood of voting for Asians. When combined with national ethnic organizations, concentrations of Asian ethnic groups appear to have varying effects on Asian electoral participation: percent Chinese decreases it, percent Asian Indians increases it, and the interaction of larger Filipino communities with the presence of an ethnic organization increases it. Unexpectedly, this research also finds that in the context of counties with small Asian communities, Asians may be more likely to vote in counties with a high percentage of foreign-born Asians, high levels of Asian occupational segregation, and the dominance of an ethnic community. However, due to the small sample size of Asians in these counties, these findings must be considered speculative and need to be further investigated. In sum, assimilation into mainstream institutions and mobilization by national ethnic organizations promote the political integration of Asian Americans. Where Asians do not experience political integration by mainstream or ethnic organizations, they are less likely to vote.