Will the Taiwanese American Vote Matter? Taiwanese American Political Attitudes and Identity in the 2024 U.S. Election

Abstract

The 2024 U.S. Presidential Election demonstrated the potential for foreign policy issues to become divisive and potentially decisive. Kamala Harris’s inability to address the concerns of the Arab American community surrounding the Israel-Palestine Conflict arguably caused her to lose the votes of Michigan, a critical swing state. Other minority groups similarly positioned between U.S. politics and larger geopolitical conflicts may have similar outsized effects on future U.S. elections. One such group is Taiwanese Americans, given the political relevance of both cross-Strait tensions and U.S.-China competition. However, there are few—if any—research studies on the public opinion of Taiwanese Americans towards U.S. foreign policy and U.S. politics. This thesis ambitiously seeks to answer the question: How might Taiwanese Americans influence the outcome of future U.S. elections, particularly on the basis of foreign policy? Drawing upon original survey data and interviews conducted with leaders of Taiwanese American community organizations, I offer original insight into the contemporary attitudes of Taiwanese Americans toward Taiwanese geopolitics and U.S. politics during the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. Not only do I evaluate the political attitudes of Taiwanese Americans, but I also explain how these political attitudes relate to the conceptualization of Taiwanese American identity among particular subgroups of the diaspora. At its core, this thesis makes the case that while Taiwanese Americans care deeply about Taiwan, their potential to influence future U.S. elections may be driven less by specific foreign policy stances and more by a broader passion for democratic values. These cross-generational values are embedded in the Taiwanese American psyche. Therefore, any perceived threat to these democratic freedoms—whether in Taiwan or the United States—could serve as a powerful catalyst for political mobilization, not only for the preservation of global stability, but also in defense of Taiwanese American identity itself.