Sana Siddiqi is one of the only people in her family who is registered to vote with a party affiliation. 

Her brothers, parents and grandparents are almost all registered as independents.

Siddiqi, a senior studying biomedical sciences and an officer for the Unified Society of South Asians, said that though her family is very politically active, they have never fully aligned with either a Democratic or Republican ideology.

AAPI Data reported that 31% of Asian American voters identified as independent, according to the organization’s study released in July. 

Additionally, according to an NBC exit poll, 5% of Asian American voters in key states voted independently in the 2024 election — this was more than other ethnic demographics tracked in the poll.

Asian American voters may choose to be independent rather than Republican or Democratic because of their experiences as immigrants, a divided stance on current issues or a lack of political representation. Though they are one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the U.S., Asian Americans – and especially young Asian American voters at ASU – do not feel adequately understood or targeted by either of the two major parties.

“There are different policies and things that they (Asian American voters) align with that don’t really correspond with both parties,” Siddiqi said. “By staying and voting independently, rather than (identifying) themselves with one party or the other, they have the opportunity to vote based on their interest in what they would like to see in the country, rather than focusing on ‘red’ or ‘blue.'”

Siddiqi’s family is South Asian and Muslim. She said that this has made them lean conservatively on certain social issues or economic policies, but liberally on issues such as immigration and social justice. 

She also said that there are certain current issues that could discourage Asian American voters from picking one political affiliation. She specifically mentioned anti-Asian hate crimes related to the COVID-19 pandemic and how the Biden Administration dealt with the Israel-Hamas war.

Wei Li, a professor at the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, said that many Asian American voters may also be independent because of “the diversity (of government) in their home country, as well as their immigration experiences.”

She gave examples such as differences in income or education, or the fact that many Asian American immigrants are small-business owners who may care particularly about crime rates and safety.

Pew Research Center reported that in the 2020 election, 67% of Asian American voters were foreign-born – the highest percentage out of the ethnic demographics that were surveyed.

Li said this could prompt them to vote more independently. Due to Asia’s diversity in languages and governmental structures, she believes Asian American immigrant voters may have a more diverse stance on policy issues .

Madeline Yang, a sophomore studying political science, shared this sentiment. 

“The values of freedom and fleeing from communist or one-party states are heavily in Asian American backgrounds,” she wrote in an email. “That search to fulfill the ‘American Dream’ persists in influencing how Asian Americans vote.”

In addition, Li said that a lack of representation and outreach from both major political parties could have led them to vote more independently than other demographics. 

“I think both parties have tried to reach out to Asian Americans, more so than previously,” Li said. “But again, given this is much smaller constituencies for either party, nationally they don’t pay that much attention to Asian Americans.”

Yang also said that she did not see much political outreach to Asian American voters on campus this fall.

“As for the younger generation of Asian Americans, I believe they are informed and engaged, but many don’t feel they belong in American politics. Or that there is space for them,” Yang wrote in an email.

Yang believes Asian Americans may be overlooked by Republicans and Democrats due to the “model minority myth.” 

According to the University of California San Francisco, the model minority myth says that Asian American immigrants are generally more successful than other immigrants. This can be harmful because it ignores the struggles that Asian Americans may face in the U.S. and creates stereotypes of immigrant groups that may not always be true.

This exclusion has existed throughout American history.

“Events like the fear of the ‘yellow peril’ due to the influx of Chinese immigrants to Japanese internment camps in the ’40s really solidify that sense of not ‘belonging’ in American politics,” Yang wrote. 

On the other hand, Siddiqi said she has seen more political mobilization within the Asian American community in the last few elections – for example, she mentioned a South Asians for Harris group chat at ASU – as well as more representation in politics with people like Kamala Harris and Usha Vance.

She said it is important to have “those different figures being present, at least showing that no matter the color of your skin tone or your background, you can still at least have a stake in politics and make a difference.”

However, Siddiqi believes that while it was productive for celebrities and politicians to visit campus this semester, it might not have been as effective as people had hoped for, especially when trying to reach out to minority voters like Asian Americans. 

Instead, she said that voter education and more inclusive conversations would help Asian American voters feel more connected to politics.

“What a lot of people, and a lot of Asian Americans want to see, is a movement back towards the center, because a lot of people think that both sides are too extreme at this point in time,” Siddiqi said. “If that happens, that realignment, then they will be able to choose to register for one side or the other.”

Edited by George Headley, Abigail Beck, Tiya Talwar and Alexis Heichman.

Reach the reporter at pkfung@asu.edu and follow @FungPippa on X.

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