Engaging Online

Abstract

The Internet has rapidly become a familiar communications medium at the workplace, at home, and on the streets. Fortunately, this trend has not passed Asian Americans by. Notwithstanding substantial variance among subpopulations, it is fair to say that Asian Americans as a racial group are on average well-connected to the Internet. What then are the implications for Asian American civic engagement? This Chapter addresses that question, first, by examining how Asian Americans are currently using online communities, with special focus on ethnic-specific forms of Internet-mediated engagements. Next, it analyzes a specific aspect of political engagement - voting - which may soon be strongly influenced by the Internet. Finally, it explores how the increasing significance of computer-mediated communications might alter or disrupt how race operates both online and off, and what that might mean for Asian America.

Keywords: internet, online communities, civic engagement, Asian Americans, political engagement

[download final draft @ SSRN]