Anti-China Rhetoric Reduces Candidate Support for Most Asian American Voters

Abstract

American politicians of both parties routinely engage in anti-China rhetoric, identifying China as a rival or even an "enemy" of the United States. How does such rhetoric influence candidate support among East and Southeast Asian American voters? We leverage an original experiment embedded in a survey of 2,200 East and Southeast Asian American voters to examine how support for hypothetical candidates varies with their stance on China. Our findings show that these voters, both of Chinese descent and not, are less likely to support candidates who use hostile rhetoric against China. Our data is consistent with the interpretation that this effect is rooted in concerns about belonging and discrimination, which routinely accompany anti-China rhetoric. These findings draw attention to the domestic repercussions of candidates' expressed foreign policy positions and offer new evidence on the political behavior of Asian Americans—the fastest-growing racial group in America today.