With an estimated population of 1.2 million, Americans of Asian Indian descent will represent the third largest Asian ethnic group in this year's census. From taxicab drivers in New York City to dot-com entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, they are making a myriad of positive contributions to their communities. Like most immigrant communities, the primary concern of many Indian Americans was how to provide for themselves and their families. As the community comes of age, however, the questions we ask ourselves are beginning to change. The Leadership Center recently conducted a survey of young people and discovered that close to one-third of eligible Indian American young people do not vote.
Civic engagement is a cornerstone of our efforts.
Working with APIA Vote 2000, we are developing a project to make voter registration easily accessible to college students. The outreach effort will inform them about the importance of democratic participation, specifically with respect to the 2000 elections. We are pleased to join fellow Asian Pacific Americans in the APIA Vote 2000 coalition, to build on the successes of past voter registration efforts. Through collaborative efforts, we believe that we can send a unified message to Asian Americans, empowering them to take ownership of this great country. We are confident that this year will mark the peak of Asian American electoral participation.