社评0806 参政是我们基本的义务和权利

参政是我们基本的义务和权利

正当美国中期选举即将来临， 全国政界人士正在进行各项活动， 以确保民主和共和两党之政党资源。

昨天我们在休斯敦传媒总部接待了来自首都华盛顿的亚太及太平洋裔选举胜利联盟执行董事瓦伦尼科尔一行，并对今年美国中期选举进行了深入之讨论。

在上次总统大选中， 亚太裔选民大多数支持了民主党 ，也是拜登当选之一股不可忽视之力量，时至今日 ，全国通货膨胀严重， 物价上涨， 乌克兰危机未定 ，中美关係再度陷入低潮，对中期选举而言， 是对民主党十分不利。

我告诉尼科尔先生， 就以许多亚太裔人士而言， 多半从事中小企业， 他们主张低税收和小政府 ，理念上是要支持共和党，但是感情上他们受到许多不公平及歧视， 因而转向支持民主党 ，尤其在加州和德州 ，华亚裔能当选 都要佔在民主党这边。

不论我们如何选边，但是最重要的还是要做选民登记，去参加投票，才能真正显示我们成為公民之责任和义务。

今天的美国 已经不是当年的光景， 社会到处充满肃杀之气 ，人口结构不断改变， 民主制度面临挑战， 但是我们绝不可置身事外， 反之要积极参与 ，為我们及下一代争取公民权利， 伸张正义， 争取参政之机会。

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.