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California is a "minority-majority" state, with Latinos making up the largest ethnic group.
A December 2007 study by the Pew Hispanic Center states that the number of Latino voters in 2008 will exceed the Democratic margin of victory in the state in the 2004 election. While Latinos are not expected to vote in one bloc, the Pew study claims that they increasingly support Democrats, driven by the current immigration debate. Citizenship and voter registration efforts from groups such as the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, in partnership with Spanish-language TV networks such as Univision, will probably increase Latino visibility in this election cycle. The Asian community has also focused on immigration, specifically policies that hinder family reunification.
But the concern foremost in the minds of Latinos, according to several surveys, is public education. Hispanics have the highest dropout rate across the country, a pattern that holds in California. Support for public services, such as schools, is particularly high among Asian Americans, according to the state's Asian Law Caucus, which tracks issues of interest to Asian voters. African-American leaders in the state say school closings and funding shortfalls complicate efforts to improve schools.
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Health care, including access to it and the cost, is high on the list of concerns for all groups surveyed. Access for the uninsured and affordability for low-income workers are particular issues. Pressures on senior citizens, including the cost of prescription medications and housing, trouble Asian Americans and African Americans. Health care costs for small businesses also make access difficult.
While there is general concern about the war in Iraq, domestic issues appear to dominate in California, especially youth violence. Advocates often attribute crime to a lack of employment, so improving the economy ranks very high. Businesses are troubled by tighter lending prompted by the subprime mortgage crisis, which has been felt especially hard in African-American and Latino neighborhoods.
American Community Survey, Demographics for California, 2006
Key interests:
African Americans
- Mortgages, access to the finance industry
- K-12 education, funding
- Health care: available services, access, affordability
- Violent crime
- Voter access and lack of advocacy
Asian Americans
- Immigration law, family reunification
- Health care and affordable housing for seniors
- K-12 education
Latinos
- Immigration law and backlash
- K-12 education, high drop-out rate, funding
- Crime and police diversity
Sources: Asian Law Caucus, California Black Chamber of Commerce, ColorofChange.org, League of United Latin American Citizens, National Association of Colored People , Pew Hispanic Center, U.S. Census and local and state elected officials and religious leaders.
Pew Hispanic Center: 'Hispanics and the 2008 Election: A Swing Vote'
Manav Tanneeru, CNN: 'Inside the Hispanic Vote,'
Jonathan Kaufman and Gerald F. Sieb, WSJ.com: 'Two Plays for Latino Vote'
The Web site BugMeNot.com provides passwords and user names to some registration-only news sites.
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