社評0806 參政是我們基本的義務和權利

參政是我們基本的義務和權利

正當美國中期選舉即將來臨， 全國政界人士正在進行各項活動， 以確保民主和共和兩黨之政黨資源。

昨天我們在休斯敦傳媒總部接待了來自首都華盛頓的亞太及太平洋裔選舉勝利聯盟執行董事瓦倫尼科爾一行，並對今年美國中期選舉進行了深入之討論。

在上次總統大選中， 亞太裔選民大多數支持了民主黨 ，也是拜登當選之一股不可忽視之力量，時至今日 ，全國通貨膨脹嚴重， 物價上漲， 烏克蘭危機未定 ，中美關係再度陷入低潮，對中期選舉而言， 是對民主黨十分不利。

我告訴尼科爾先生， 就以許多亞太裔人士而言， 多半從事中小企業， 他們主張低稅收和小政府 ，理念上是要支持共和黨，但是感情上他們受到許多不公平及歧視， 因而轉向支持民主黨 ，尤其在加州和德州 ，華亞裔能當選 都要佔在民主黨這邊。

不論我們如何選邊，但是最重要的還是要做選民登記，去參加投票，才能真正顯示我們成為公民之責任和義務。

今天的美國 已經不是當年的光景， 社會到處充滿肅殺之氣 ，人口結構不斷改變， 民主制度面臨挑戰， 但是我們絕不可置身事外， 反之要積極參與 ，為我們及下一代爭取公民權利， 伸張正義， 爭取參政之機會。

Participation In Politics Is Our Right And Responsibility

As the midterm elections in the United States are approaching, national politicians are carrying out various activities to ensure the resources of political parties both in the  Democrat and Republican parties.

Yesterday we greeted Varun Nikore, Executive Director of AAPI Victory Alliance, and Ms. Nabila Manzoor of Rise AAPI, from Washington D.C. at our Houston office and had an in-depth discussion of the upcoming midterm elections.

In the last presidential election, the majority of Asian American voters supported the Democratic Party. That was one of the reasons Joe Biden became president. But today, with the national inflation rate rising, the surging Ukraine war ongoing and the souring U.S. - China relationship having fallen to its lowest point – all of these challenges will be faced by the Biden Administration and the entire party as well.

I told Mr. Nikore that for many people of Asian descent, most of them are engaged in small business and they advocate low taxes and small government. They ideologically are leaning to support the Republican Party, but emotionally they are also subjected to a lot of injustice and discrimination, so they tend to support the Democratic Party, especially in California and Texas.

No matter how we choose the sides, the most important thing is to register to vote. This is our right and responsibility.