Jack Doppelt
June 20, 2012
[A version of this article was published as Immigrants don't fall in line for 2012 elections on Immigrant Connect]
With President Obama's executive order protecting certain children of illegal immigrants from deportation, and Republicans countering that the announcement is a political ploy, immigration has wedged its way into the 2012 election cycle. And with it has come some misleading shorthand; that immigrants vote Democratic and that immigrants means Latinos. The immigrant landscape is far more nuanced than that, and so is its politics.
Among what we discovered are stories of:
- traditionally Democratic strongholds veering away from supporting President Obama - in the Indian community that has become wealthier and a natural reservoir for political fundraising;
- among Poles who face a quandary between an opportunity for those here illegally and core religious values;
- for Russian Jewish immigrants who have a visceral fear of big government and any specter of socialism; and in a surprisingly robust Bulgarian community that hasn't yet developed an investment in American politics;
- a Pakistani community that is mobilizing for upcoming elections but behind a charismatic political figure back home;
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| [Archived documents from first-wave Lithuanian immigrants that are currently on display at the Lithuanian Research and Studies Center in Chicago (Photo by Jen Lazuta)] |
- some less publicized factors for low voter participation among Chicago's Latinos;
- some voting complications arising from dual citizenship within the Lithuanian community;
- benefits of US citizenship for Arab immigrants and refugees that go well beyond voting;
- movement in the Filipino community toward concrete political involvement;
- how a state legislative issue has galvanized the Korean community;
- and how African immigrants, from multiple nations are turning to community organizations to give voice to their issues here and back home.
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| [Community organizer James Thindwa addresses the Chicago African Summit crowd. Photo credit: Sarah Travis] |
Twelve ethnic media outlets collaborated on the project. They are Africa Today, Al Moustaqbal Future newspaper (Arab), Bulgaria Weekly, Draugas (Lithuanian), Extra (Hispanic), India Tribune, InformacjeUSA.com (Polish), Korea Daily News, Pinoy Newsmagazine (Filipino), Reflejos (Hispanic), Reklama (Russian), and Urdu Times (Pakistani).
Read the stories here:
As Indian Americans are becoming one of the nation's wealthiest immigrant groups, many within the community are shifting party alliance from the Democratic to Republican party. And although Indian Americans are relatively few in number, they find they can affect political change through fundraising.
As the 2012 presidential election approaches, the overwhelmingly Catholic Polish immigrant community in Chicago faces a dilemma: should they vote for Barack Obama, who supports a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants? Or should they allow their religion to inform their decision, and vote Republican based on that party's conservative stances on social issues?
A recent national trend among Russian immigrant voters shows more and more Jewish Russian immigrants are voting Republican because of a dislike of big government and an affinity for capitalism.
Like many other Eastern European immigrants, the Bulgarian community is leaning Republican as the 2012 election campaign takes shape.
With the burgeoning involvement in politics not just in America, but also in Pakistan, second and third generation Pakistani-Americans are laying claim to their rights both as American citizens and Pakistani descents.
"The Latino Vote" is one of the most coveted of the 2012 election. But, for many Latinos living in Chicago, the question is not where their vote will go, but if they cast one at all. Underneath the hectic work-schedules and struggles of all minority communities is a distrust among Latinos in the American electoral system; a combination of the corruption back home and disenchantment with the perceived "political machine" in Chicago.
The Lithuanian constitution, which distinguishes immigrant citizenship rights based on year of arrival, has caused a generational voting debate among those who came to the U.S. before 1990 and those who came after.
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American citizenship provides Arab immigrants and political organizations with more political clout and opportunity at home and abroad.
Historically Filipinos have been less politically active than other immigrant groups in Chicago due to corrupt politics in their home country and a colonial mentality that remains a part of many Filipinos' psychological mindset. Jessica O'Brien may be proof that this trend is reversing with second-generation Filipino immigrants.
The Illinois state legislature was in the process of banning PERC, a very harmful chemical that is important to the dry cleaning process, before the Korean American Dry Cleaners Association of Illinois and others stepped in. The resulting amendment to House Bill 4526 was due to negotiation, and may be the catalyst in creating a stronger Korean presence in the political system.
As the national 2012 elections draw nearer, African immigrants continue to focus on politics at home, rather than in the states. Immigrants are turning instead to local elections and community organizations to give voice to their issues.
The stories were released in June 2012.
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