In 1996, a public service announcement (PSA) video was created and aired on national television to encourage Asian Americans to register and get out to vote. This was the first PSA ever created that was geared towards Asian Americans.
Energizing the Asian American Population
Statista’s report on the 1996 U.S. voting behavior showed Asian American had the second lowest turnout compared to other ethnic groups. In Statista’s report, Asian Americans below the age of 25 had the lowest turnout compared to Asian Americans over the page of 65.
“Voice Your Vote” PSA Impact
This PSA video brought together over 20 Asian Hollywood celebrities (Dean Cain, Rosalind Chao, Keiu Chinh, Margaret Cho, Stan Egi, Amy Hill, Shishir Kurup, Jason Scott Lee, Mako, Dustin Nguyen, Steve Park, Nia Peeples, Jenny Shimizu, Elizabeth Sung, Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa, Lauren Tom, Tamlyn Tomita, Denise Uyehara, Garrett Wang, Ming-Na Wen, B.D. Wong and Russell Wong) to help energize Asian Americans from the age of 18 to 35 to get out to vote.
Being the first PSA addressing specifically the Asian American population helped bring forth several community organizations in various states to focus on voter education into the Asian American communities. Since 1996, Statista’s report has shown an increase in voter turnout from Asian American communities.
Become an Advocate
Are you interested in becoming an OCA Las Vegas member? Become an OCA member by purchasing your membership. Annual membership pricing starts as low as $10/year.
Share on:
