The Asian American Unelectability Paradox: How Racialization Shapes Asian American Political Candidates’ and Organizers’ Experiences in a Minority Context

This paper aims to identify the challenges Asian Americans face when struggling for political representation in the new immigration destinations. I interviewed 95 Asian American elected officials, political candidates, and organizers in Houston, Texas. I found that, while respondents aim to mobilize Asian voters based on the shared panethnic status, they often fail due to the racial lumping of Asian Americans, which creates a group of heterogeneous voters who do not prioritize the Asian American identity. Meanwhile, they confront the forever foreigner discourse from non-Asian voters who question their Americanness. They are thus trapped in what I term the Asian American unelectability paradox, where their identity is seen as a liability that could neither attract Asian nor non-Asian votes. As a result, candidates either deracialize their campaigns or spend extra effort proving their Americanness. This article expands our understanding of how Asian Americans’ racialization in electoral politics reinforces their marginalization, particularly in a minority context.