--table 7 about here--
Conclusion
The purpose of this study is twofold. First, it aims to better understand the
political behavior of Asian Pacific Americans, a group that demonstrates relatively low
rates of voting compared to other major racial groups. More specifically, it focuses on
the effects of efforts by a non-partisan community group to mobilize Asian Pacific
Americans. The second aim of this paper is more practical. Given limited resources,
what strategies might community-based groups use to mobilize Asian Pacific Americans,
especially in terms of voting?
Preliminary analysis of the effects of contact on voter turnout among Asian
Pacific Americans reveals the importance of paying attention to demographic distinctions
(especially ethnicity, geographic region, and age) within the Asian Pacific American
community. While the effect of phone and mail contact on turnout among the entire
group of Asian Pacific Americans included in the study is modest, the results suggest that
the effects are much higher among some ethnic groups than others. Furthermore, even
within a particular ethnic group like Chinese Americans, contact success depends upon
geographic and political context. The effect of contact is much greater among Chinese
Americans who live in the West San Gabriel Valley than among those who live in the
East San Gabriel Valley. As discussed above, these differential effects of contact may be
attributable to the distinct political context that characterizes each area.
In the majority of cases, including the overall effects of phone or mail contact on
Asian Americans as a whole, the results are statistically insignificant. The 95%
confidence interval used to establish statistical significance in this study may be a
19
Convention