Md. GOP Reaches Out To Asian Americans

"We have a Hispanic council; we go to ethnic festivals," he said after his speech. "We welcome people from all over the world."

Floyd, posing for pictures with guests at the fundraiser, said he did not agree with Ehrlich's radio comment. "I think he meant it in a positive light. He just didn't use the right words," said Floyd, a small-business owner from Kensington.

"Multiculturalism is very, very important," he added.

In Virginia, Asian Americans also have been wooed by both parties. Candidates in Fairfax County -- where Asians are 13 percent of the population -- regularly make stops at Asian-owned businesses and buy ads in ethnic newspapers. Republicans in the General Assembly redrew a legislative district to afford Asians and Latinos more representation.

The Latino community has also been courted by both political parties, and Maryland GOP chief John Kane says Republicans can capitalize on conservative social issues to attract many of those voters. The party leadership recently established the Maryland Hispanic Republican Caucus.

But the Latino candidates elected to office in 2002 -- two state delegates and a Montgomery County Council member -- were all Democrats. And some Maryland political scientists think that Latino voters will stay solidly in the Democratic column.

It is the Asian vote that is up for grabs, said James Gimpel, a professor at the University of Maryland who has recently studied voting patterns in the state.

"There's all this ridiculous furor over Latinos," he said. "What's very interesting are the Asians. There's tremendous value in their unpredictability. . . . They are in play."

Studies show that Asian immigrants are becoming U.S. citizens at a faster rate than Latinos. Yet as a group, Asian Americans haven't historically favored a particular party, Gimpel said. Nor do they tend to vote for a candidate simply because the person is Asian. But they do turn out to vote in great numbers, particularly in local races, he said.

Nationally, Asian Americans are the wealthiest and most highly educated ethnic group, with a median income of $53,600 and 47 percent of those older than 25 holding a bachelor's degree or higher, according to census figures.

Because many Asian Americans are newer residents and voters, the GOP's Kane said, they may be more open to his party's message.

"They come to America looking for government as less of a solution and opportunities as the answer," he said, adding that many African American voters have "become ensconced in the Democratic programs of the 'new era' society that have failed."

At last night's fundraiser, many of the guests were not Asian, and one sign, taped over a Chinese screen, boasted: "Irish American Republican Club." Some of the Asian Americans there had also attended Democratic events.

George Dang, a financial adviser who lives in Silver Spring, attended Duncan's fundraiser in December and helped organize yesterday's event for Floyd, a friend.

"I'm an independent. I have friends on both sides," said Dang, who has both a Vietnamese and a Chinese heritage.

Dang said he looks for politicians who appreciate "globalism" and are culturally sensitive. He said Ehrlich's remarks about multiculturalism gave him pause.

"I think he meant that immigrants need to learn English. I agree with that," Dang said. "But I want to make sure that he realizes that new languages take time to learn."

Dang has not yet decided whom he will support for governor. "I'll see how they perform," he said, "and see how they express their views on Asian Americans."