Polling and focus group research examined environmental views and attitudes of among Asian Americans in California.

Key findings included:      

•  Self-defined environmentalists: California’s Asian American voters care about protecting our air, land, and water, and are even more inclined to call themselves “environmentalists” than other voters statewide.

• Support for government leadership: Asian Americans believe strongly that government should take an active role in protecting our air, land, and water, and these voters support environmental regulations and laws to protect natural resources.

• Willing to Pay: Asian American voters support policies to protect our air, land, and water—even when it comes with a price tag in the form of higher revenue or fees. 

• Language Matters:  Asian American voters responded differently to wording, both in English and in Asian languages. For example, the term “environment” ranked lower on the issue priorities list than “protecting our air, land and water.” As an environmental issue of importance, “global warming” resonated strongly with Asian American voters and ranked much higher than “climate change.”