^{Author: Lena Han}

For many years, Asian-Americans were considered a swing vote—that is, when they voted. Asian-American voter turnout has consistently lagged behind other ethnic groups. Growing up, I and the majority of my Asian peers found ourselves surrounded by politically-unengaged parents who cared little about issues of environmental bills, healthcare, or civil rights.

More recently though, growing numbers of young Asian-Americans have been spurred into political activism, especially angered by the exclusionary rhetoric espoused by candidates on the right. As a result, a distinctive generational gap between younger and older Asian-American voters has formed.

For instance, below is an age comparison of the percentage of registered Asian-American voters who view each political party favorably (polled in 2016):

_{^{Data Compiled from APIA vote}}

Clearly, the Democratic party garners significantly more support than the Republican party, especially among the youth. However, perhaps even more telling is the percentage of registered Asian-American voters who actively disapprove of the political parties.

_{^{Data Compiled from APIA vote}}

Older Asian-American voters tend to be more apathetic to both parties, whereas nearly three in four young Asian-American voters disapprove of the Republican party. This is incredibly significant not only because Asians represent the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, but also because of increasing voter turnout by the Asian-American youth.

In general, older people tend to have a higher voter turnout. For instance, the following graph shows voter turnout in the 2016 general election.

_{^{Data Compiled from US Census Bureau}}

With Asian-Americans though, the relationship is not nearly as drastic.

_{^{Data Compiled from US Census Bureau}}

Although older voters still had higher turnout in the Asian-American community, it is clear that a transition in the Asian-American community is occurring. Younger Asian-Americans are becoming more politically-engaged and more liberal than their parents, and the Democratic party should take note.

Too often, political organizations overlook the Asian-American population because of its historically-low turnout rate. According to the 2012 AAPI Post-Election Survey, nearly 70% of Asian-Americans voters received no contact from either political party, compared to 61% of African-Americans and 57% of white voters. The young Asian-American population could become a strong Democratic coalition—if party leaders can realize it.