Indian Americans Favor Obama over McCain: Poll

[varun]

http://www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=500&Sid=1

A new poll shows that Indian Americans in the U.S. favor Senator Barack Obama over Senator John McCain by a 53 percent to 13 percent margin, with a large percentage, 33 percent, still undecided.

Among all Asian American groups included in the survey, Indian Americans gave Obama the largest margin of victory except Japanese Americans, who polled Obama over McCain by a 60 percent to 17 percent, with 23 undecided.

Vietnamese Americans are the only Asian American group supporting McCain over Obama – 51 percent to 24 percent, with 24 percent undecided...

...When those surveyed were asked the question, “Do you think of yourself as a Republican, Democrat, independent, some other party, or do you not think in these terms?,” 39 percent of Indian American respondents identified themselves as Democrats, 21 percent as independents, 33 percent as “non-partisan” and just 7 percent as Republicans...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

1. Interesting...

I wonder why the Vietnamese Americans find McCain so appealing...

[ampad]

3. I would say racism

but then how silly would I sound, you know considering McCain call them gooks and all.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

5. Might not be far off base...

I recall reading several years ago about tensions between blacks and asians in poor inner-city neighborhoods. Still, it seems odd...

I wonder if it has to do with McCain's military service.

[Frank Booth]

13. No, I don't think it's racism. At least not for most.

Vietnamese have always been hardcore Republican (at least since most started coming over in the '70s). They see Democrats as too close to socialists and it brings back bad memories from home. Call it ignorant or whatever you want, but that's just the way it is. If you talk to a Vietnamese-American in Orange County, California, especially someone over 40, it's almost impossible to find a Dem.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

18. Makes sense...

...the same reason the South was solidly Democratic after the Civil War.

[nsd]

12. Perhaps because the Vietnamese who came to the US were strongly anti-communist.

That led them to the Republican party, in the same way as it did for Cubans. Present-day Republicanism might be a holdover.

[alcibiades_mystery]

19. Vietnamese Americans tend to be conservative

The first wave of Vietnamese immigrants (right after the war) was largely made up of the urban business class, military and other personnel associated with the RVN state apparatus, and religious Catholics who had already been displaced from the northern part of Vietnam after the 1954 agreement.

The second wave (the so-called 'Boat People') was largely made up of Vietnamese "ethnic Chinese" and other members of the urban bourgeoisie who experienced repression of their social and economic activities after reunification.

These people were "conservative" and anti-Communist before the war, during the war, and certainly after the war; the Reagan coalition did a lot of work to solidify their support in the 1980's as well. If you go to Vietnamese political events, you still see the RVN flag prominently displayed, and it has become a symbol for the Vietnamese-American community.

They are like the Cuban Americans in this sense.

[LiberadorHugo]

23. That's different...

A lot more Liberal and NDP support among Vietnamese Canadians. I would guess it's because Trudeau reformed the immigration laws and the former mayor of Ottawa, Marion Dewar, was a New Democrat and her administration worked extremely hard to help boat people settle into Ottawa; her son is the extremely popular NDP MP Paul Dewar, who was just re-elected in the riding where I go to school with about 40% of the vote. Incidentally, many Americans who escaped from Vietnam live in Quebec and vote for the fucking BQ.

[ampad]

2. I wonder how many ignorant people

harass Indian Americans and Asian Americans because they assume they are Muslim? This could be one of many reasons why these Americans do not like McCain or the repig party in general. Hell I know (as an African American) this is one of the reasons I cannot stand the assholes.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. After 9/11, there was a story about a Sikh man in Texas who was attacked.

The ignorance of many of our countrymen is sickening. :(

It's appalling to me that the acts of a handful of fundamentalist Muslims made enemies of all Muslims in the eyes of the thugs.

[blue-kite]

4. Indian AMericans are classed as Asian Americans? Thats bizarre!

Isn't 'first people' or 'first nation' the nomenclature of mode?

[nsd]

6. "Indian-American" means being from or having ancestors from India.

"Native American" is for American Indians.

[blue-kite]

21. Ooops yes of course... don't I feel both political incorrect and silly!

Cheers
BK

[treestar]

8. Fascinating

I wonder what's behind it. What are their reasons?

The Vietnamese for McPOW? Maybe they feel guilty or something? Makes no sense. He said he "hated the gooks," too.

[camera obscura]

9. Credit where credit is due...

He has played a part in normalizing American/Vietnamese relations.

[Richardo]

11. Most Vietnamese in America are from the former South Vietnam

They're akin to the anti-communist Cuban exiles in Florida

[treestar]

14. That makes sense

We were fighting on their side, so to speak, and if they're here and became citizens, they obviously are people without negative feelings towards the U.S.

[Richardo]

16. And the animosity toward the communists that took over is even more intense

[Richardo]

17. .

.

[OnionPatch]

15. I think their reasons are the same as ours.

I work with many Indians. Not to say my small sampling is representative of all Indian-Americans, but when we talk politics, they are no different than my other Democratic friends. They get it. The Vietnamese are another question. My feeling is that it's just name recognition....the most famous American POW from Vietnam.

[camera obscura]

10. Awwww.

If only he'd picked Bobby Jindal, that would fix everything! :sarcasm:

[Arugula Latte]

20. Another factor: Indian Americans tend to be highly educated, so that favors Obama & Dems.

[Marnieworld]

22. The Indian-Americans I know are Muslims

They just became citizens last month and are voting for Obama thank goodness. I think all of the slurs help though they point out how little they respect Palin, that that was the tipping point.