CHANGING FACES September 27, 2000 Spencer Michels reports on the changing interests and influence of Asian and Latino voters in California politics. SPENCER MICHELS: President Clinton put the spotlight recently on a California congressional district he visited where ethnic voting power is playing an increasing role. Democratic candidate Mike Honda is running for a formerly Republican open seat in Silicon Valley. Both parties consider it a crucial election in the battle for control of the House of Representatives. The power of the ethnic vote in this part of California has been very visible lately, as at this fund-raiser for a Latino school board candidate in San Jose. Here Asians and Latinos paid their money and joined in the scramble for political clout. Japanese American assemblyman Honda spoke in support of the school board candidate, Jason Rodriguez. MIKE HONDA: I grew up just a few blocks down, here. My mom is here. SPENCER MICHELS: This party is a small example of the changing face of the electorate, and of those running for office. JASON RODRIGUEZ: I want to get more parents involved in the lives of their child's education. Increasing influence SPENCER MICHELS: As Asians and Hispanics increase their numbers, they are becoming more active in local, state and national politics. The population of Asian Americans in the U.S. has gone up 43 percent over the last decade, while Hispanics saw a 39 percent jump. That's compared to much smaller increases for blacks and whites. California, the most populous state, has the most Hispanics -- nearly a third of the population -- and the most Asians -- about 11 percent. Hispanics have already achieved a measure of political success in the state. The lieutenant governor is Latino, as are 19 members out of 120 in the legislature. Asians, who have yet to flex much political muscle, have just two members. Perhaps most significantly, in the 1990's, Latinos doubled their percentage of registered voters to 13 percent of California's total, according to Stanford Political Science Professor Luis Fraga. LUIS FRAGA: There is still tremendous opportunities for increased growth in registration for Latinos. They could be, by some estimates, as much as 25 percent of the overall electorate in California, if every qualified Latino citizen of California registered to vote. SPENCER MICHELS: Democrat Honda is trying to take advantage of those numbers. In his race for Congress, he has appealed to Chinese American voters with denunciations of the government's jailing of Los Alamos Scientist Wen Ho Lee. MIKE HONDA: Remember your culture. SPENCER MICHELS: And he asked Japan for an apology for brutality to Chinese prior to World War II. But Asians are not the only ethnic group he's courting. MIKE HONDA: My friends, a great many of them, are Mexicans -- Mexican Americans from Texas, Mexico, and California. I learned the language when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador. I hope I'm a model for people to be able to work together, live together, and create coalitions and alliances. JIM CUNNEEN: Every time, in the state legislature, Mike has always supported the litigation lobbies... SPENCER MICHELS: Honda's Republican opponent for congress in this Silicon Valley district is assemblyman Jim Cunneen. The two of them have debated often, tackling ethnic as well as general interest topics. MIKE HONDA: I took a delegation to Taiwan... SPENCER MICHELS: While Cunneen intends to run some radio commercials in Spanish, he says he wants to target individuals, not ethnic groups. JIM CUNNEEN: I think whether you're a Latino, Asian, Black, Indian, whatever it may be, in this valley, we're talking about people who, in many cases, work for high-technology companies or work in industries that are supportive of high-technology companies, and they know it's from a sound economy that all else flows. Asian American involvement SPENCER MICHELS: Several prominent Republicans, including Senator John McCain, have campaigned for Cunneen. At present, the race is seen as very close. Regardless of how Honda does, there is no question that there has been a surge in ethnic interest in politics in California. But the impact of that interest is not always clear-cut or simple, and often differs by which ethnic group is involved. In cities throughout California, like Cupertino, near San Jose, Asians, especially Chinese Americans, have just begun to be highly visible and to take an active part in the community. But they don't yet have the political clout to match their growing numbers. They are trying to turn that around at events like the recent Moon Festival, attended by 50,000 people. Along with traditional dancing and food, a voter registration booth has become part of the festivities, as have appearances by politicians. Kenneth Fong, president and founder of the genetic materials firm Clontech, thinks it's time for Asian Americans to get moving. KENNETH FONG: The Asians American are not the kind of people who are very vocal about what they want, and they just wait and see what happens to them. I believe now is the time for them to get involved with realizing the American dream. I think there's one way to go about doing that: To get the representation so that they can, you know, do their best to serve this country. SPENCER MICHELS: Fong joined a two-year-old Asian American Political Action Committee called 80-20, which aims to get 80 percent of Asians to vote as a block and to raise money for candidates it thinks can help the Asians. Even before Wen Ho Lee's release, the controversy over his arrest was a factor in energizing the 80-20 PAC, and it has helped activate Chinese Americans to fight what they consider racism. Despite Lee's freedom, activists like Kenneth Fong remain outraged at his treatment. SPENCER MICHELS: Are you saying that if Asian Americans had more political power and clout, that something like this wouldn't have happened? KENNETH FONG: We believe that this case would not have happened to African Americans; probably would not have happened to Irish American, or Jewish American -- and if the Asian American would have more political clout, absolutely, yes. SPENCER MICHELS: To build that power, Fong, a longtime Republican, has decided to vote for Democrat Al Gore for President, and to go along with most of his 80-20 colleagues, who endorsed the Vice President. KENNETH FONG: I came out with the data showing that the Democrat, as it has in the past, nominated many more Asian American to decision-making positions than the Republicans. We should just go to vote for those who are more for the Asian Americans. SPENCER MICHELS: But there is division among Chinese leaders about how monolithic the community should be politically. Lester Lee owns Recortec, the oldest Asian American high-tech firm in Silicon Valley, where he manufacturers specialized computers. Lee is also a member of 80-20, and a Republican, but he's bucking the PAC's endorsement of Gore. LESTER H. LEE: I probably will go for, you know, Bush. The only reason is because the fact that the Orientals, or the Asians, put, you know, moral value above everything else. SPENCER MICHELS: In California, likely Asian American voters split 40 percent Democratic and 29 percent Republican, with a large number of independents. But Lee doesn't believe Asian Americans need to vote together to gain political power. LESTER H. LEE: You know, if we are split 50- 50, okay, but you have a large number of people going out to vote, the parties is going to have to listen to you anyway. Latino organizing SPENCER MICHELS: While Asians are still trying to figure out an effective political strategy, Latinos are further along, more organized, more monolithic. In California, 58 percent are registered Democratic, 25 percent Republican. The impetus for that imbalance, some analysts say, came in 1994, when former Republican California Governor Pete Wilson supported proposition 187, a measure that cut off social services for undocumented immigrants. LOIS FRAGA: There are those who say that Pete Wilson did more to naturalize and register Latinos to vote than any civil rights group has ever done. Because he was perceived, and his policy positions were perceived, as a threat to this particular group, that group has mobilized, naturalized, and registered at levels that far exceed anything that had occurred in the past. SPENCER MICHELS: As a rule, Latinos voters, like these at a Mexican Independence Day celebration in San Jose, have lower incomes and less education than their Asian counterparts, many of whom make a good living in the high-tech world. Latinos get into politics to push bread-and-butter issues like wages and health care. GROUP (Chanting): San Jose, San Jose, we just need a living wage! SPENCER MICHELS: Many have worked with unions on economic issues like this successful campaign to get a living wage in San Jose. ORGANIZER: We want to wrap everything up next Friday. SPENCER MICHELS: The South Bay Labor Council is working to get out the vote on behalf of Democratic candidates, and to insure a permanent political alliance with Latinos, who make up a large part of its membership. Latino politicians have concentrated on winning local battles, like using political pressure to build this recreation center and library in a poor section of San Jose. CINDY CHAVEZ:...That the community is organized enough to have power and to be able to implement... SPENCER MICHELS: City Councilwoman Cindy Chavez, a Latino, meets with neighborhood groups often just to organize them so they can fight for what they want, and have a seat at the table with more established groups. CINDY CHAVEZ: Imagine this: One of our most gang-plagued areas having no place for children to play after school is closed. I mean, it's unthinkable -- but, through the neighbors organizing and demanding of city hall -- that city hall take some leadership, we spent millions and millions of dollars to build two facilities for them. And the lesson is, the more we work together, the more we get listened to. SPENCER MICHELS: This year, Latinos are being listened to and courted on the national level as never before. GEORGE W. BUSH: Voy a hablar en Ingles… SPENCER MICHELS: Both major party candidates made trips to California to woo the Hispanic vote, and to be seen with Hispanic state politicians. They still come, but not as frequently, since polls are now showing Gore substantially ahead in the state. But even if the state is not in play, the Latino vote remains essential, according to Stanford's Luis Fraga. LUIS FRAGA: One could argue no Democratic candidate can win nationwide without California, and no Democratic candidate can win California without overwhelming support among the Latino community. SPENCER MICHELS: To be essential to election victory-- locally, statewide, and nationally-- is a position both Asian and Latino political leaders say is critical to their aspirations, so they are doing everything they can to get their communities more organized.