Global Forces, Foreign Policy, and Asian Pacific Americans

Extract

In his contribution to an important new collection on Asian-American politics, Don T. Nakanishi calls for “renewing a search for a paradign of Asian Pacific American politics” that takes into account “nondomestic political experiences and relationships” (2001, 106). This article addresses Nakanishi's challenge to consider efforts by Asian Pacific Americans to influence U.S.–Asia relations, especially in advocating changes in American foreign policy towards their countries of origin; the ways in which international processes and policies related to the flow of people, money, goods, and ideas impinge on the political behavior and status of Asian Pacific Americans; and the impact of international political conflicts and domestic political crises involving Asian homelands on interethnic and intracommunity political relations involving Asian Pacific American communities (2001, 106-7).