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U.S. NEWSTuesday 16 February 2016
A new prize in Nevada caucuses: the Asian-American vote
Cynthia Ameli, center, a Chinese-American, picks up materials from Sarah Gibson before head-
ing out to canvass for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Las Vegas. Asian-American voters
are the fastest-growing racial group in the U.S. and both parties increasingly are wooing them.
NICHOLAS RICCARDI
Associated Press
LAS VEGAS (AP) — As Dem-
ocrats Hillary Clinton and
Bernie Sanders compete
for every vote before Sat-
urday’s Nevada caucus-
es, they look for support
among members of the
nation’s fastest-growing
ethnic group. Asian-Amer-
icans comprise 6 percent
of the U.S. population,
and their numbers have in-
Jeb Bush shadowed by brother’s controversies
BILL BARROW
SERGIO BUSTOS
Associated Press
GREENVILLE, South Caro-
lina (AP) — George W. Bush
won a bruising South Caro-
lina presidential primary on
his way to the Oval Office,
as his father did before him. state’s Feb. 20 primary as
Now it’s his brother’s turn,
and for Jeb Bush, the most
consequential foreign poli-
cy decisions of his brother’s in-chief.
time in office are suddenly
front and center in his bid
to keep alive his campaign
for the 2016 Republican
presidential nomination.
The former president had
already announced plans

publican criticism of illegal land.”
Las Vegas financial plan-
immigration. ner Derek Uehara under-
scores that diversity. A reg-
But in the 2014 midterm istered Republican, he’s
sympathetic to front-runner
elections, Asian voters ap- Donald Trump and thinks
others may warm to the
peared to split evenly be- billionaire’s businesslike ap-
proach. “That can appeal
tween Democrats and Re- to the Asian-American
community, if the focus is
publicans. Their numbers on hard work and getting
things done,” Uehara said.
are small enough so that “There’s a huge opportuni-
ty here, but no one knows
it’s difficult to rely on poll- how to tap into it.”
As Nevada’s caucuses
ing to determine their lean- draw closer, there’s been
a surge in activity aimed
ings. Analysts agree that at attracting Asian voters.
The Sanders campaign
most do not register with held a “multiethnic” meet-
ing Sunday that included
a political party, and they Asian-American communi-
ty leaders. But all agree the
have among the lowest Clinton campaign, with a
robust staff in the state for
turnout rates of any group. months, has had the most
sustained outreach with
“There’s a huge, unaffili- a series of Asian-Ameri-
can themed events: din-
ated voting bloc of Asian ners celebrating a Filipino
holiday, Asian-American-
Americans,” said Jason themed phone banks and
canvasses, and more.
Chung, the Republican At a recent caucus training
for Asian-American Demo-
National Committee’s crats in Las Vegas, the Clin-
ton campaign’s national
(AP Photo/John Locher) director of Asian Pacif- director of Asian-American
and Pacific Islander out-
ic American Initiatives. reach, Lisa Changaveja,
mentioned that Clinton’s
creased 56 percent since lation, it’s young, people “We’re working hard to longtime aide Huma Abe-
2000. In Nevada, Asian- are getting engaged,” said din and campaign finance
Americans are 9 percent of Shu-Yen Wei, who spear- grow our party and include chairman Dennis Cheng
the population. heads Asian-American out- are both Asian-American.
Asian-Americans encom- reach for the Democratic Asian-Americans in our po- At the caucus training in
pass a diverse range of National Committee. Las Vegas, the Sanders
people, among them re- Since the 1990s, exit polls litical process.” campaign countered with
cent Chinese immigrants, have found Asian-Amer- an organizer who played
Muslims from Pakistan, Fil- icans voting increasingly Nevada’s Asian-American a song about the Vermont
ipino-American Catholics Democratic during presi- senator on his ukulele, and
and U.S. citizens from Ha- dential elections, with 73 population shows why it’s a casino worker who is
waii. Campaigns are pay- percent backing President saddled with student debt
ing attention. Barack Obama in 2012. An- so hard to sum up the com- and enthusiastic about
“It’s a fast-growing popu- alysts attributed that to Re- the senator’s free college
munity’s politics. It ranges plan. They contend Asian-
Americans will embrace
from dedicated union ac- Sanders.q
tivists to anti-abortion rights
Filipino-American church-
goers, sprinkled with so
many who have relocated
from Hawaii that Las Vegas
is often called “the ninth is-

to campaign for his young- destruction. man’s penchant for mock-
er brother on Monday in “I want to tell you: they ing his rival as a weak, privi-
South Carolina, marking his lied,” Trump said. “They leged tool of the Repub-
most direct entry into the said there were weapons lican Party establishment,
2016 race to date. Then of mass destruction, there special interests and rich
Republican front-runner were none. And they knew donors.
Donald Trump used the there were none.” But the exchange also
final debate before the Trump didn’t let up as Bush highlighted the former Flor-
tried to defend his brother, ida governor’s embrace
an opportunity to excori- dismissing his suggestion of his family name and
ate George W. Bush’s per- that George W. Bush built history as he jockeys with
formance as commander- a “security apparatus to Florida Sen. Marco Rubio
keep us safe” after the and Ohio Gov. John Ka-
The former president, Trump Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. sich to emerge from South
said, ignored “the advice “The World Trade Center Carolina as the clear chal-
of his CIA” and “destabi- came down during your lenger to Trump, who won
lized the Middle East” by brother’s reign, remember the New Hampshire pri-
invading Iraq on dubious that,” Trump said. mary, and Texas Sen. Ted
claims that Saddam Hus- It was the latest example Cruz, the victor in Iowa’s
sein had weapons of mass of the billionaire business- caucuses.q