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ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
Is the D.C.-Baltimore Area the Center of Asian American Conservatism?
he greater D.C. metro area (including Baltimore and Northeastern Virginia) is not only the seat of the national government but the center of the U.S. defense establishment. The contractors and the large intelligence agencies -- most of which are headquartered there -- are easily the biggest employers of the region's affluent science and engineering professionals. An estimated 22% of these technologists are drawn from the 400,000 AA who make up 8% of the region's 5 million residents. This heavy concentration in the defense sector makes the area's Asian Americans not only the nation's most affluent, but also the most politically and socially conservative.
Home of AA Conservatism?
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The Asian influx into the D.C. area is largely a post-Vietnam
War phenomenon. The capitol's small but comely Chinatown on H Street between 6th and 8th boasts about 20 restaurants and a number of shops but they cater mostly to tourists and the lunch-hour crowd. Currently only about 1,000 Chinese live in Washington D.C. -- and that number has been shrinking steadily. Most live in the suburbs of northern Virginia (46,000) and southern Maryland (52,000). The D.C. area hosts only the 10th largest Chinese American population but a high percentage are degreed science and tech professionals with security clearances.
Similar credentials are found among the 110,000 Corean Americans who make up the area's largest Asian nationality. They enjoy access to 53 Corean restaurants, mostly in Annandale, Arlington, and in Aspen Hill in Maryland's Montgomery County. The vast majority of Coreans here are staunchly Republican -- not surprising since their fortunes turn on the dollars allocated to defense spending.
Vietnamese are another Republic-leaning Asian nationality with a heavy D.C.-area presence. Virginia is home to the nation's third largest Vietnamese population (40,000), mostly in the state's northeastern part. Less than half that number make their home in Maryland and D.C. combined. They do manage to support a nascent Little Saigon in Wheaton.
Indians, who received over half the H-1B visas issued to foreign tech workers beginning in 1992, have been drawn by the area's defense sector. In 2001 the 52,000 Indians living in Virginia surpassed Filipinos as that state's most numberous Asian nationality thanks to a 143% increase since 1990. An equally large number of Indians have immigrated to take advantage of Maryland's abundance of science and tech jobs.
Another good indicator of the D.C. area's political conservatism is the relative scarcity of Japanese Americans who have traditionally skewed strongly in favor of democrats. Neither Maryland nor Virginia ranks among states with the top 10 JA populations.
Is the D.C.-Baltimore area really the home of AA conservatism? Or have the more recent waves of young AA newcomers begun embracing the more liberal values of the Clinton era?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025, 04:38:55 AM)
Well I am not Asian, but as my husband jokes, I am Asian by Marriage. But I am more liberal than conservative, and definitely came from a different social and fiancial status than many people in this area. The thing that bothers me about DC NOVA the most is the focus on being fake. Everything is for show here, if you flip through the pages of the Washingtonian magazine, you will be lucky to find one page not filled with ads for plastic surgeons or day spas.
Your clothing labels says more about you here than anything else, oh and what kind of car you drive. I still am not used to this, being from Gainesville ,Florida, which is a HUGE multi-cultural area with liberals and conservatives both living.
Hannybunbun
Thursday, May 09, 2002 at 05:26:41 (PDT)
I am dippin out of here as well...
heading off to socal... the promised land of asianz
dc/nova is boring and the people seem to be sorta anal... unlike my friends from cali who are down and relaxed...
leaving dc metro area
Wednesday, May 08, 2002 at 08:53:04 (PDT)
Yep. I live in NOVA (Northern Virginia) and I can say that the D.C area is definitely the HOT place for Asian/Asian American conservatism. The Asians here are very rich, materialistic, and conservative. There's a few liberal young Asians here but it's a very SMALL number. And yes, most Asians here do work in high tech or business jobs.
I'm a liberal AA so that's why I ABSOLUTELY HATE it here. I can't WAIT to get OUT of this place. I'm looking to move to San Francisco after graduation since it's supposedly very liberal and it's the land of many Asians. Although Asians are not the only conservatives in the D.C area, they are often the most conservative, oftentimes even more so than white people.
Being a liberal, anti-coporate AA, I've always felt VERY out of place here. I don't fit in with the Asians and cultural differences prevent me from completely fitting in with the white people. Sorry for my little whine session but I had to blow off some steam. I'm not usually this whiny.
So is San Francisco a good place to move to? Does anyone have any advice for liberal Asians like me who are stuck in rich, conservative areas?
Sore thumb in NOVA
Monday, May 06, 2002 at 22:18:05 (PDT)
Asian in DC area,
Yeah, there are alot of Asian people here in DC/NOVA. Many different ethnic groups, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Filipino, etc. We have friends that are all of these.
Have you been to Kam Sun and tried the bubble tea at Maria's? Also, Annandale has a few Karaoke bars/cafes that alot of the younger Asian crowds go to.
As far as the twenty to thirty somethings, it is usually Starbucks or Xando that we end up at, relaxing. Alot of young professional Asians go there.
And your right, Hello Kitty is a HUGE thing here! Along with the cute little Korean stores that pop up here and sell Piyo and the gang. My Asian husband knows I am in love with that stuff!
You are right, we need more variety here for cafes.
Hannybunbun
Friday, May 03, 2002 at 12:51:54 (PDT)
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