Language assistance available for California’s 2006 Primary June 6

Asian American Voters Numbers are Up! Language assistance is available to voters during Californias 2006 Primary Election, Tuesday, June 6. Report by Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) Reports

ASIAN AMERICAN VOTERS NUMBERS ARE UP IN S. CALIFORNIA

LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE FOR JUNE 6 PRIMARY

LOS ANGELES, June 2, 2006 A new report released by the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) shows that Asian Americans are an increasingly large part of the electorate in both Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

According to Asian Americans at the Ballot Box, a report that details Asian American participation in the 2004 General Election and provides detailed information on Cambodian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and
Vietnamese voters.

Asian Americans grew from 8% to 9% of all voters in Los Angeles County and 8% to 13% of all voters in Orange County between the 2000 and 2004 General Elections.

Asian American communities are growing dramatically and were seeing that growth at the polls, said Stewart Kwoh, President and Executive Director of APALC. Increasingly, candidates will have to speak to our issues if they expect to get elected.

According to the report, Asian Americans make up a majority or near majority of voters in Cerritos, Monterey Park, and Rosemead in Los Angeles County and in Westminster in Orange County.

The report also highlights Asian American voters need for the language assistance required under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act. According to the report, 38% of Chinese, 48% of Korean, and 42% of Vietnamese voters in Los Angeles County used some form of language assistance to vote in the 2004 General Election. In Orange County, 62% of Vietnamese voters used some form of language assistance to vote.

Unless reauthorized by Congress,Section 203 will expire in 2007. Asian American voters clearly both need and use the language assistance provided under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, said Dan Ichinose, Project Director of APALCs Demographic Research Project and author of the report.

This language assistance will be available to voters during Californias 2006 Primary Election, which will be held next Tuesday, June 6. Los Angeles County will make assistance available to voters in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese, while Orange County will assist voters in Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

Its critical that Asian Americans vote on Tuesday, said Eugene Lee, Project Director of APALCs Voting Rights Project. Increasingly, elections are won or lost during primaries. Our communities have a real opportunity to determine who will make important decisions affecting their lives and the lives of their children.Asian Americans at the Ballot Box can be found online at www.demographics.apalc.org.

Selected highlights of Asian Americans at the Ballot Box include:

VOTER TURNOUT

o Nearly 272,000 Asian Americans in Los Angeles County and 138,000 Asian Americans in Orange County voted in the 2004 General Election.

o Between the 2000 and 2004 General Elections, Asian Americans grew from 8% to 9% of all voters in Los Angeles County and 8% to 13% of all voters in Orange County.

o 67% of Asian American voters in Los Angeles County and 80% of Asian American voters in Orange County are foreign-born.

SUPPORT FOR CANDIDATES, BALLOT MEASURES

o 59% of Asian American voters in Los Angeles County supported John Kerry for President, while Asian American voters in Orange County split their support between George Bush (50%) and Kerry (49%).

o Among those without party affiliation, 61% of Asian American voters in Los Angeles County and 53% of Asian American voters in Orange County supported John Kerry for President.

o 60% of Asian American voters in Los Angeles County and 52% of Asian American voters in Orange County supported a ballot measure (Proposition 72) that would have required larger businesses to provide health care insurance coverage to employees.

LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE

o 40% of Asian American voters in Los Angeles County and 37% of Asian American voters in Orange County are limited English proficient.

o Among ethnic groups, a majority of Korean (62%) and Vietnamese (54%) voters in Los Angeles County and Vietnamese (59%) voters in Orange County are limited English proficient.

o In Los Angeles County, 38% of Chinese, 48% of Korean, and 42% of Vietnamese voters used some form of language assistance to vote. In Orange County, 62% of Vietnamese used some form of language assistance to vote.

For more information regarding this Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC) report Contact: Dan Ichinose at (213) 977-7500 x 249

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