Chinese Americans vs. Chinese Canadians

[DC Al Fine]

The Conservatives are saner (for lack of more politically correct term) than the GOP, and Canada’s immigration policies have arguably led to better political integration of visible minority groups in general. It probably also helps that Canada doesn’t have a history of racialized slavery and resultant political polarization.

To my knowledge the Chinese Canadian community is more disproportionately composed of wealthy Chinese/Taiwanese/Hong Kong emigres, international students in university, etc compared to Chinese Americans. This may skew perceptions of political leanings.

I don't think your explanation is wrong per se, but its a bit incomplete. It sort of gives the impression that Conservative appeal to Chinese Canadians is solely based on "keep taxes low, business friendly". You'd be surprised how much of Tory campaigning in Chinese communities is based on 'values'. The last couple federal elections, left leaning publications have obtained Conservative Mandarin or Cantonese campaign materials. Common themes include drugs, religious right stuff for Chinese Evangelicals, and implying the Liberals don't support immigrant values.

I don’t have any hard evidence but I suspect this is also true for Indian Canadians.

South Asians in Canada tend to vote left weirdly enough, albeit with a bit more willingness to swing right than their American counterparts. It's a bit odd given that Chinese Canadians vote ~ 20% more Conservative than the general population.

[DC Al Fine]

The Conservatives are saner (for lack of more politically correct term) than the GOP, and Canada’s immigration policies have arguably led to better political integration of visible minority groups in general. It probably also helps that Canada doesn’t have a history of racialized slavery and resultant political polarization.

To my knowledge the Chinese Canadian community is more disproportionately composed of wealthy Chinese/Taiwanese/Hong Kong emigres, international students in university, etc compared to Chinese Americans. This may skew perceptions of political leanings.

I don't think your explanation is wrong per se, but its a bit incomplete. It sort of gives the impression that Conservative appeal to Chinese Canadians is solely based on "keep taxes low, business friendly". You'd be surprised how much of Tory campaigning in Chinese communities is based on 'values'. The last couple federal elections, left leaning publications have obtained Conservative Mandarin or Cantonese campaign materials. Common themes include drugs, religious right stuff for Chinese Evangelicals, and implying the Liberals don't support immigrant values.

That wasn't really what I was going for. What I meant was- the political spectrum in Canada seems broadly shifted to the left (and the parties less ideologically polarized) relative to the US. This means that the Tories will seem more moderate on social issues and less Darwinian on economic issues than the federal GOP.

https://www.quora.com/Which-demographic-groups-tend-to-vote-for-the-Conservative-Party-of-Canada/answer/Emanuel-Leung

I still have to push back on your characterization here. Talking about the GOP being insane and the Tories sane doesn't jive well with Chinese-Canadian voting patters. VPH broached the topic, so let me elaborate a bit.

Below is a map of the first round of the last Conservative leadership race.


For context, Brad Trost (yellow) ran the most overtly "insane Republican" type campaign on issuss like abortion, gay marriage, sex ed, and drugs (but notably, not on immigration). If you look at the map, most of the ridings he won are in heavily Chinese suburbs of Toronto and Vancouver. Despite only winning 8% of the vote, he won over 50% in majority Chinese Markham-Unionville and over 30% in the two Richmond BC seats.

If it were really about "insane Republicans", presumably the Chinese would have preferred one of the less Republican style candidates like Andrew Scheer or Michael Chong, but that's not what happened here. Interestingly, Trumpish candidate Kelly Leitch bombed in Chinese ridings, so perhaps Chinese voters are just averse to white identity politics not the rest of the GOP agenda.

[DC Al Fine]

The Conservatives are saner (for lack of more politically correct term) than the GOP, and Canada’s immigration policies have arguably led to better political integration of visible minority groups in general. It probably also helps that Canada doesn’t have a history of racialized slavery and resultant political polarization.

To my knowledge the Chinese Canadian community is more disproportionately composed of wealthy Chinese/Taiwanese/Hong Kong emigres, international students in university, etc compared to Chinese Americans. This may skew perceptions of political leanings.

I don't think your explanation is wrong per se, but its a bit incomplete. It sort of gives the impression that Conservative appeal to Chinese Canadians is solely based on "keep taxes low, business friendly". You'd be surprised how much of Tory campaigning in Chinese communities is based on 'values'. The last couple federal elections, left leaning publications have obtained Conservative Mandarin or Cantonese campaign materials. Common themes include drugs, religious right stuff for Chinese Evangelicals, and implying the Liberals don't support immigrant values.

I don’t have any hard evidence but I suspect this is also true for Indian Canadians.

South Asians in Canada tend to vote left weirdly enough, albeit with a bit more willingness to swing right than their American counterparts. It's a bit odd given that Chinese Canadians vote ~ 20% more Conservative than the general population.

Wow, 20%, if most of Canada voted like their Chinese Countrymen would that mean a Tory country? Are the Conservatives really good in outreach operations (GOP could learn a thing or too about them if they wish to really win elections well)?

I'm not sure if I'd call it good, but they definitely make more of an effort than the GOP. NC Yankee has a theory that half of strong political results is just making an effort with a group. Under FPTP parties will make investments where they need to win and neglect where they don't. For example, the GOP does better with Hispanics in Florida than the Cuban factor would account for. In Yankee's theory, that is because the GOP needs to win Florida to win the Presidency, and they need to do better with Hispanics to do that, so they make more of an effort with them. Thus, you get Rick Scott doing Spanish commercials and stuff like that. I think you get a similar effect in Canada.

Canada has a similar share of whites as the USA but a large chunk of those are Francophones, or progressive city dwellers, who are mostly inaccessible to right wing parties. Thus, in order to win, the Tories had to seek out other groups. There was a concious choice by Stephen Harper, Jason Kenney and the Tory campaign staff to send out reps to minority events, drum up minority candidates and try to use wedge issues and ads to peel minorities away from the Liberals. Overall it was a mixed bag and flopped in some communities, but it paid off amazingly well with Chinese and Jewish Canadians.

[DC Al Fine]

The Conservatives are saner (for lack of more politically correct term) than the GOP, and Canada’s immigration policies have arguably led to better political integration of visible minority groups in general. It probably also helps that Canada doesn’t have a history of racialized slavery and resultant political polarization.

To my knowledge the Chinese Canadian community is more disproportionately composed of wealthy Chinese/Taiwanese/Hong Kong emigres, international students in university, etc compared to Chinese Americans. This may skew perceptions of political leanings.

I don't think your explanation is wrong per se, but its a bit incomplete. It sort of gives the impression that Conservative appeal to Chinese Canadians is solely based on "keep taxes low, business friendly". You'd be surprised how much of Tory campaigning in Chinese communities is based on 'values'. The last couple federal elections, left leaning publications have obtained Conservative Mandarin or Cantonese campaign materials. Common themes include drugs, religious right stuff for Chinese Evangelicals, and implying the Liberals don't support immigrant values.

I don’t have any hard evidence but I suspect this is also true for Indian Canadians.

South Asians in Canada tend to vote left weirdly enough, albeit with a bit more willingness to swing right than their American counterparts. It's a bit odd given that Chinese Canadians vote ~ 20% more Conservative than the general population.

Wow, 20%, if most of Canada voted like their Chinese Countrymen would that mean a Tory country? Are the Conservatives really good in outreach operations (GOP could learn a thing or too about them if they wish to really win elections well)?

I'm not sure if I'd call it good, but they definitely make more of an effort than the GOP. NC Yankee has a theory that half of strong political results is just making an effort with a group. Under FPTP parties will make investments where they need to win and neglect where they don't. For example, the GOP does better with Hispanics in Florida than the Cuban factor would account for. In Yankee's theory, that is because the GOP needs to win Florida to win the Presidency, and they need to do better with Hispanics to do that, so they make more of an effort with them. Thus, you get Rick Scott doing Spanish commercials and stuff like that. I think you get a similar effect in Canada.

Canada has a similar share of whites as the USA but a large chunk of those are Francophones, or progressive city dwellers, who are mostly inaccessible to right wing parties. Thus, in order to win, the Tories had to seek out other groups. There was a concious choice by Stephen Harper, Jason Kenney and the Tory campaign staff to send out reps to minority events, drum up minority candidates and try to use wedge issues and ads to peel minorities away from the Liberals. Overall it was a mixed bag and flopped in some communities, but it paid off amazingly well with Chinese and Jewish Canadians.

Do you think as time goes on, the GOP will be "forced" to adapt and do something similar to the Candian Tories or is American headed for one-party rule for another generation?

If past results are any indication, party advantages don't last that long. The majority party usually alienates part of their coalition eventually, and the minority party is quick to exploit it to win power. I have no idea if the disaffected group will be Asians or not, but the GOP will start working harder with somebody eventually.

[DC Al Fine]

According to Statscan, a majority of Chinese Canadians are of no religion.  But there's a sizeable evangelical element that is seemingly growing.

Thing is, outside of a few rural pockets, evangelicalism in Canada is largely an immigrant phenomenon.

It might be different in say, the suburban counties in California with large Asian populations.  Does integration into "blue state liberalism" inhibit the influence of evangelical churches among Chinese Americans? 

Kensington, how are you getting Statscan data for religion by ethnicity? I can't find it.