Last week, Janelle Wong helped launch Chinese American Progressive Action, . Wong's a professor of Asian American studies at the University of Maryland and she's been growing worried about the right-ward trend of her community. Despite polls showing left-leaning attitudes on certain issues, like the environment, and strong support for Hillary Clinton in 2016, a critical mass of Chinese Americans are mobilizing to the right.
"We see Chinese immigrants have been at the forefront of a grassroots movement," said Wong, "through protests, [and] through litigation to challenge race-conscious admissions."
Which is to say, affirmative action. Just 38 percent of Chinese American voters think it's a good thing, according to AAPI Data, compared to 78 percent of Indian Americans.
That's playing out in different ways, such as a lawsuit against Harvard, brought by plaintiffs who think the university penalizes Asian American applicants, as well as recent protests against the administration of Mayor Bill De Blasio.
Stanley Ng, an opponent of the administration's plan to end New York's test for Specialized High Schools, argued that the test fosters a meritocracy — which is why he likes that Chinese Americans are getting renewed attention from the GOP.
"They're saying the right things... and they're saying we should vote Republican," said Ng, who added that Chinese Americans are in turn "beginning to listen."
Asian Americans across the country have flexed conservative on matters of homelessness and immigration. Chinese Americans in particular helped defeat a measure to make Maryland a sanctuary state last year. Wong says all of this undermines the idea that communities of color stand in solidarity.
"Because when you have a non-white group that is taking more conservative positions and having real success then you're really threatening the traditional, longstanding civil rights coalition of people of color," said Wong.
According to AAPI Data 86 percent of Chinese American voters intend to cast a midterm ballot on Tuesday.