Asian Americans, Voting, and Should you not be doing it?
By Debby Tewes
The Founding Fathers of America (and I will grant you that it was a fairly homogenous group of
gentlemen) had some very specific ideas on how to run a country that they wanted to live in. They wanted
some very radical things according to the thinking of their time. Freedom of religion, the right to bear arms
(which we seem to have taken very literally lately, but that's another story), the right to protect one's property
from unlawful seizure, the right to a jury trial and — one that I think is particularly important — the right,
every four years, to elect a president.
The framers of the Constitution had very clear thoughts on how to make this a fair and representative
decision. Each state voted separately naming their own candidate and the votes were transported to and
counted in the Capitol. This process probably worked well given the size of the country and participating
citizens at the time (White, educated, wealthy men). Obviously, things have changed a lot in how votes are
tallied and the processes involved, but we haven't traveled too far from the original plan. There are still
term limits; a maximum of two 4-year terms. (This was instituted in the 1940’s after Roosevelt died in office.
It was a constitutional amendment passed in 1951.) That long lived monarchy in England had them a bit
miffed (and no ill will to the current Queen of England!) so they wanted to make sure that no one got too
comfortable in the job as it probably would lead to corruption and malfeasance in office. Long terms lend
themselves to favoritism and more than a few of King George's friends ended up in America with some
choice land holdings and cushy jobs.
The Founding Fathers of America (and I will grant you that it was a fairly homogenous group of
gentlemen) had some very specific ideas on how to run a country that they wanted to live in. They wanted
some very radical things according to the thinking of their time. Freedom of religion, the right to bear arms
(which we seem to have taken very literally lately, but that's another story), the right to protect one's property
from unlawful seizure, the right to a jury trial and — one that I think is particularly important — the right,
every four years, to elect a president.
The framers of the Constitution had very clear thoughts on how to make this a fair and representative
decision. Each state voted separately naming their own candidate and the votes were transported to and
counted in the Capitol. This process probably worked well given the size of the country and participating
citizens at the time (White, educated, wealthy men). Obviously, things have changed a lot in how votes are
tallied and the processes involved, but we haven't traveled too far from the original plan. There are still
term limits; a maximum of two 4-year terms. (This was instituted in the 1940’s after Roosevelt died in office.
It was a constitutional amendment passed in 1951.) That long lived monarchy in England had them a bit
miffed (and no ill will to the current Queen of England!) so they wanted to make sure that no one got too
comfortable in the job as it probably would lead to corruption and malfeasance in office. Long terms lend
themselves to favoritism and more than a few of King George's friends ended up in America with some
choice land holdings and cushy jobs.
Debby Tewes is Asian
Wisconzine's
correspondent in the
Milwaukee area.
Wisconzine's
correspondent in the
Milwaukee area.
| VOTE!! VOTE!! |
Curiously, freedom to vote regardless of race was added as an amendment (February 1870) before gender was removed as a barrier to voting
(August 1920). I find that strange that women weren't considered equal under the law until the 20th century! The reason that I mention these facts
and the thoughts that went into the Constitution is that according to U.S. Census Bureau records from 2004 (the last I could find in Wisconsin
demographics) is that Asians, either claiming entirely Asian ethnicity or some combination of Asian and "other" are dismally represented at the ballot
box. From the figures presented, roughly half of this group that is legally eligible to vote, hasn't even registered. Of those registered, in most cases,
broken down by age, 2/3 didn't vote at all. By far, the age group that participated the most was 65 to 74 years old, and this was only 44 percent. The
worst of the "registered but didn't vote" were 18-24-year olds at 75.5 percent.
Whether your ancestors came here 200 years ago or 20 years ago, keep in mind there are people around the world who are fighting and dying to
try to change their governments and are often brutally prevented from doing so. Those ancestors came here to America for a reason and it probably
had something to do with freedom and a better life. Maybe it was to escape persecution for political beliefs or whose side they chose in a war. But
hopefully they didn't come here to have their families sit by passively and let things happen around them. Being an American means voicing an
opinion (you're reading mine right now) and the easiest way to express that opinion is by voting.
I personally have friends in a country in the former Soviet Union where the "president" has given himself a more or less unlimited term by virtue of
a fraudulent referendum. Young people are being arrested for taking part in peaceful demonstrations. Many of you come from countries where
military coups have replaced legitimately elected governments and then stick around for a very long time. We won't name names as you know who
they are; the news is filled with these struggles even as I write. In America, you can stand on a soapbox almost anywhere and criticize the
government, and unless you are blocking traffic or doing something really egregious, you will probably be left in peace. Elsewhere, you face tear
gas, beatings, prison or your body is found (maybe) later. America isn't perfect, but we have the means to change our government and reinvent it and
yes, we can criticize.
Most Americans now agree that the current administration has not done a particularly good job of heading our nation on the path it should be
following. America was once a nation that could rally other nations to just causes and we seem to have lost sight of what it takes to nurture and
uphold that. We didn't seem to pick our fights because it was politically or economically expedient to do so.
There are good qualities in both candidates for the Democratic nomination: Hillary for her experience, outspokenness and political knowledge.
She also has already attempted to fix our broken health care system, a system that has continued to fail those who need it most and is one of the
major impediments to the vast majority of my generation to retirement. I also read an article on Barack Obama's upbringing and I think his mother
raised him with a wonderful sense of openness to other cultures. His mother died of cancer and her final worries, according to his press statements
were how she would pay her medical bills. Why aren't we spending more money on medical research and developing the minds of bright students
who might be the ones to discover these cures? Obama appears to have integrity and passion, as well as a sense of where we need to go as a
country. While I am unabashedly a liberal tending Democrat, if you are a Republican, then the choice in that race is already clear. Ultimately
though, I think the Republicans have some atonement to do and our next President will be someone who would never have crossed the minds of the
authors of our Constitution.
Ultimately, we need to find the candidate that will return our country to its place of honor in the world. America was the country that the world
looked to as a refuge and a place of righteousness. I don't mean in the religious sense but in the Constitutional sense. I will grant you that our
Founding Fathers probably had no idea of the colorful tapestry that this country would become, but the Statue of Liberty was a gift to us from France
as we were viewed as a refuge for the cast off refugees of the world and as a place where they might live the life they dreamed of. We must become
a nation where corporate profits don't come at the expense of everyday citizens; whether that be knowingly producing harmful products or closing
plants here because they can make millions more in other countries where labor is cheaper and no one worries about unsafe working conditions.
CEOs who still make obscene amounts of money, even when the company is failing, must have accountability to their stakeholders. I understand the
economics of bailing out companies like Bear Stearns or Chrysler, but why should we have to underwrite bad management decisions? At the very
least, the people who brought the company to the brink of extinction should forfeit their jobs and feel the pain of their employees and shareholders.
We must become a nation again where personal integrity, concern and respect for our fellow citizens are values we all aspire to. We must encourage
education and innovative thinking. Our dependency on foreign oil is more the result of corporate greed than anything else. It's cheaper and more
profitable to have foreign oil brought in than to pay to upgrade American refineries and pay American workers. It's also profitable to continue to sell
cars that don't require a lot of investment in R&D and retooling of obsolete plants. Better still, let's develop alternative forms of energy. Why aren't we
funding more research at universities for alternative fuels?
We have the capability to provide drugs to prevent or mitigate HIV/AIDS’ catastrophic spread in Africa and other nations, but the drug companies
have been reluctant to provide reasonably priced medicines because of "research and development" costs. Even here in America I am incredulous
that medications to treat disease can cost thousands of dollars a year. People are declaring bankruptcy over medical treatment. I believe that we can
understand Alzheimer's disease and other devastating diseases if we simply ensure that scientists have the resources to pursue the research, but I
can't quite believe that all the drug company profits are truly going to research and development
Everyone who reads this article needs to make sure you are registered to vote if you are able. If you aren't yet a citizen, take the steps to become
one. Then when you are registered, GO VOTE! Asian Americans are a growing demographic in this country and only when your voice is heard can
people pay attention to it! I think our Founding Fathers would be proud.
(August 1920). I find that strange that women weren't considered equal under the law until the 20th century! The reason that I mention these facts
and the thoughts that went into the Constitution is that according to U.S. Census Bureau records from 2004 (the last I could find in Wisconsin
demographics) is that Asians, either claiming entirely Asian ethnicity or some combination of Asian and "other" are dismally represented at the ballot
box. From the figures presented, roughly half of this group that is legally eligible to vote, hasn't even registered. Of those registered, in most cases,
broken down by age, 2/3 didn't vote at all. By far, the age group that participated the most was 65 to 74 years old, and this was only 44 percent. The
worst of the "registered but didn't vote" were 18-24-year olds at 75.5 percent.
Whether your ancestors came here 200 years ago or 20 years ago, keep in mind there are people around the world who are fighting and dying to
try to change their governments and are often brutally prevented from doing so. Those ancestors came here to America for a reason and it probably
had something to do with freedom and a better life. Maybe it was to escape persecution for political beliefs or whose side they chose in a war. But
hopefully they didn't come here to have their families sit by passively and let things happen around them. Being an American means voicing an
opinion (you're reading mine right now) and the easiest way to express that opinion is by voting.
I personally have friends in a country in the former Soviet Union where the "president" has given himself a more or less unlimited term by virtue of
a fraudulent referendum. Young people are being arrested for taking part in peaceful demonstrations. Many of you come from countries where
military coups have replaced legitimately elected governments and then stick around for a very long time. We won't name names as you know who
they are; the news is filled with these struggles even as I write. In America, you can stand on a soapbox almost anywhere and criticize the
government, and unless you are blocking traffic or doing something really egregious, you will probably be left in peace. Elsewhere, you face tear
gas, beatings, prison or your body is found (maybe) later. America isn't perfect, but we have the means to change our government and reinvent it and
yes, we can criticize.
Most Americans now agree that the current administration has not done a particularly good job of heading our nation on the path it should be
following. America was once a nation that could rally other nations to just causes and we seem to have lost sight of what it takes to nurture and
uphold that. We didn't seem to pick our fights because it was politically or economically expedient to do so.
There are good qualities in both candidates for the Democratic nomination: Hillary for her experience, outspokenness and political knowledge.
She also has already attempted to fix our broken health care system, a system that has continued to fail those who need it most and is one of the
major impediments to the vast majority of my generation to retirement. I also read an article on Barack Obama's upbringing and I think his mother
raised him with a wonderful sense of openness to other cultures. His mother died of cancer and her final worries, according to his press statements
were how she would pay her medical bills. Why aren't we spending more money on medical research and developing the minds of bright students
who might be the ones to discover these cures? Obama appears to have integrity and passion, as well as a sense of where we need to go as a
country. While I am unabashedly a liberal tending Democrat, if you are a Republican, then the choice in that race is already clear. Ultimately
though, I think the Republicans have some atonement to do and our next President will be someone who would never have crossed the minds of the
authors of our Constitution.
Ultimately, we need to find the candidate that will return our country to its place of honor in the world. America was the country that the world
looked to as a refuge and a place of righteousness. I don't mean in the religious sense but in the Constitutional sense. I will grant you that our
Founding Fathers probably had no idea of the colorful tapestry that this country would become, but the Statue of Liberty was a gift to us from France
as we were viewed as a refuge for the cast off refugees of the world and as a place where they might live the life they dreamed of. We must become
a nation where corporate profits don't come at the expense of everyday citizens; whether that be knowingly producing harmful products or closing
plants here because they can make millions more in other countries where labor is cheaper and no one worries about unsafe working conditions.
CEOs who still make obscene amounts of money, even when the company is failing, must have accountability to their stakeholders. I understand the
economics of bailing out companies like Bear Stearns or Chrysler, but why should we have to underwrite bad management decisions? At the very
least, the people who brought the company to the brink of extinction should forfeit their jobs and feel the pain of their employees and shareholders.
We must become a nation again where personal integrity, concern and respect for our fellow citizens are values we all aspire to. We must encourage
education and innovative thinking. Our dependency on foreign oil is more the result of corporate greed than anything else. It's cheaper and more
profitable to have foreign oil brought in than to pay to upgrade American refineries and pay American workers. It's also profitable to continue to sell
cars that don't require a lot of investment in R&D and retooling of obsolete plants. Better still, let's develop alternative forms of energy. Why aren't we
funding more research at universities for alternative fuels?
We have the capability to provide drugs to prevent or mitigate HIV/AIDS’ catastrophic spread in Africa and other nations, but the drug companies
have been reluctant to provide reasonably priced medicines because of "research and development" costs. Even here in America I am incredulous
that medications to treat disease can cost thousands of dollars a year. People are declaring bankruptcy over medical treatment. I believe that we can
understand Alzheimer's disease and other devastating diseases if we simply ensure that scientists have the resources to pursue the research, but I
can't quite believe that all the drug company profits are truly going to research and development
Everyone who reads this article needs to make sure you are registered to vote if you are able. If you aren't yet a citizen, take the steps to become
one. Then when you are registered, GO VOTE! Asian Americans are a growing demographic in this country and only when your voice is heard can
people pay attention to it! I think our Founding Fathers would be proud.