Electoral participation in the hmong American community: An initial analysis

Author(s):

Doherty, S.

Format:

Book section

Citation:

Diversity In Diaspora: Hmong Americans In The Twenty-first Century, (2013). pp. 131-147.

Publisher:

University of Hawaii Press, 2013.

Language:

English

Abstract:

The impact of increasing immigration is reshaping the American political landscape. The arrival of new immigrants and more diverse immigrant populations has created new electoral forces within the American political process. One of the more notable of these new communities is the Hmong American community. An immigrant and refugee group from Laos, the Hmong community has had distinctive social and political experiences in America. Allies of the United States during the Indochina conflict, the Hmong faced severe retribution from the communist regimes of Vietnam and Laos after the American withdrawal. Given a special refugee status by the federal government, the Hmong were settled in the United States, with large concentrations of Hmong refugees settling in the upper Midwest and California. In recent decades, the Hmong American community has seen an unexpected and dramatic level of elite mobilization. Hmong American candidates for higher office emerged quickly, with several successful campaigns for elected state and municipal office in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the Twin Cities of Minnesota, and Fresno, California. The mass electoral behavior of the Hmong community in America has yet to be examined systematically. Many methodological obstacles exist, such as the lack of survey data for examination and the lack of large population concentrations of Hmong American voters for the purposes of analyzing voting results. There appears to be no systematic study of the mass electoral behavior of Hmong Americans at this time. The purpose of this research is to begin the process of exploring the electoral behavior of Hmong American voters by (1) finding a theoretical framework for exploring this matter and (2) utilizing the limited sources of empirical observation to begin to study this topic. It is anticipated that the research base on the political behavior of the Hmong American community will increase as new studies like this one are conducted. The dominant assumptions regarding electoral behavior in general will be reviewed, along with specific research dealing with similar demographic groups, such as Asian Americans and other immigrant and refugee groups. Some modest quantitative examination will be provided by exploring the few surveys of political behavior among Hmong Americans, including the inclusion of Hmong voters in the 2004 New California Media (NCM) survey of political activities among Asian American ethnic groups, the first major survey of political attitudes across Asian American ethnic groups. Some limited discussion of the voting results in several precincts in St. Paul, Minnesota, that have substantial Hmong American population concentrations will be included to add a bit more empirical information. Some anecdotal discussion by observers of the Hmong American community will also be included. © 2013 University of Hawai'i Press. All rights reserved.

ISBN:

9780824837778 (ISBN); 9780824835972 (ISBN)

Identifier:

HmongStudies0732