The 2008 and 2012 Presidential elections cycles in the United States have demonstrated the importance of the minority vote in key states like Nevada and Florida, which have decisive electoral significance. The voter turnout from ethnic groups in key battleground states can make or break a candidate’s road to the Oval Office.
The Power of Language and The Vote in Presidential Elections
According to Pew Research, the 2016 electorate will be the United State’s most racially and ethnically diverse ever. Language, being a large element in one’s cultural identity, therefore must factor in to the candidates’ campaign strategies if they hope to reach as many voters as possible.
The Influence of the Hispanic Voting Bloc
The Spanish language is the most widely spoken among immigrants in the Unites States, and the second most spoken language in the country overall. However, in 2012 only 11 million Hispanics voted in the presidential election, less than half of those who were eligible. In the upcoming 2016 elections, there will be a record of about 28 million eligible Hispanic voters, with Millennials accounting for nearly half of those voters.
Hispanic adults in the United States have strong connections to their cultural roots, and about 72% are either bilingual or use Spanish as their main language at home. The Spanish language is therefore, in one aspect, an important common denominator for candidates looking to connect with the Hispanic community in the 2016 Presidential elections. The strength of the Hispanic voting bloc depends on the voter turnout on Election Day. Hispanics could have a profound impact on the politics of the United States if activists and media outlets can motivate more people to go to the polls in November. Numerous Spanish ads on newspapers, radio stations and TV channels are reaching out to the Hispanic community to remind them that their vote counts.
The Importance of the Asian-American Vote in Presidential Elections
The Asian American population, the third most significant minority group in the United States, is compromised of about 20 million people. A group of wealthy Silicon Valley Asian American executives have proposed a plan to increase voter turnout through funding that will attempt to give the Asian American community in the United States one unified voice come election season. In order to increase “the power of the Asian vote”, they have created a SuperPAC called the Asian- American Pacific Islander Victory Fund.
The Asian American community differs from the Hispanic community in the United States since a single language is not a common denominator for many. While the most common language among Asian Americans, other than English, is Chinese with 2.8 million speakers (including primarily Mandarin and Cantonese, but also Hakka), other sizable Asian languages are Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Korean. All three of these languages have more than 1 million speakers in the United States. Political strategists on the campaign trail understand the need to market to a diverse range of languages within the Asian American community, an issue they don’t come across as much with the Hispanic community. Translating information for voters into the most prominent Asian languages is one way to help unite the Asian vote for the upcoming elections. Leaders in each of the Asian communities are striving to incentivize voter turnout and demonstrate the impact that an Asian-American SuperPAC can have on this year’s elections.
How Can Ethnic Groups make a Difference in the Election?
Since the United States does not use the popular vote in general elections, ethnic groups have a higher chance of making a difference in states that have ethnically diverse populations. For example, Hispanics in Florida have an opportunity to sway their state’s electoral votes to a specific candidate if they vote in unison. With all eyes on the upcoming election, now is the time for ethnic groups to show the power of their votes.
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