TY - JOUR
T1 - It depends on who you run against
T2 - Inter-racial context and Asian American candidates in US elections
AU - Go, Min Hee
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2018/6
Y1 - 2018/6
N2 - Do White voters evaluate minority candidates differently by the racial context of an election? This paper addresses this question by measuring the effects of racial contexts on candidate evaluation. Drawing upon two prominent theories of interracial relations – racial priming and racial triangulation theories -, I argue that White voters change their assessments on candidates depending on the racial context of an election, and the contextual effects occur only in select areas of candidate evaluation. I support this argument by setting up a unique survey experiment that places an Asian American candidate in racially varying electoral contexts and conclude two major findings: First, racial context takes effect in assessing candidates’ issue competence but not their personal traits. Second, Whites evaluate Asian candidates’ issue competence based on the racialized nature of a give issue.
AB - Do White voters evaluate minority candidates differently by the racial context of an election? This paper addresses this question by measuring the effects of racial contexts on candidate evaluation. Drawing upon two prominent theories of interracial relations – racial priming and racial triangulation theories -, I argue that White voters change their assessments on candidates depending on the racial context of an election, and the contextual effects occur only in select areas of candidate evaluation. I support this argument by setting up a unique survey experiment that places an Asian American candidate in racially varying electoral contexts and conclude two major findings: First, racial context takes effect in assessing candidates’ issue competence but not their personal traits. Second, Whites evaluate Asian candidates’ issue competence based on the racialized nature of a give issue.
KW - Asian Americans
KW - Candidate evaluation
KW - Racial triangulation theory
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85047000869&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2018.04.003
DO - 10.1016/j.ijintrel.2018.04.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85047000869
SN - 0147-1767
VL - 65
SP - 61
EP - 72
JO - International Journal of Intercultural Relations
JF - International Journal of Intercultural Relations
ER -