Asian American Politics: An Agenda for Research

The following overview is based on data collected from multiple research strategies and a review of existing literature. It will attempt to analyze conceptual parameters and to suggest major lines of inquiry. Preliminary findings from two empirical case studies on the electorial potential of Asian Americans, a focus of much media attention and little academic inquiry, will be explored. The case studies deal with registered voters in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the two largest communities in the mainland United States. The studies are part of larger research endeavors which are intended to develop a database for future work, and for ongoing voter registration drives.