The Republican Party’s state and national leadership teams met with members of the Indian American and Asian American press at the annual California GOP Convention here to brainstorm ideas on how to become more engaged in ethnic communities from India, China, the Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam.
Party leadership and selected Republican members of California’s Assembly and state Senate hosted a roundtable discussion at the Anaheim Marriott Sept. 19 to share perspectives on how to better reach out to various ethnic communities in California, New York and other states where large Indian American and Asian American population centers exist.
Key leaders present at the meeting included state Sens. Jean Fuller and Bob Huff, Assembly members Ling Ling Chang and Kristin Olsen, Orange County Supervisor Michelle Steel, and California GOP vice chair Harmeet Dhillon.
The roundtable discussion concluded the best way for Republicans to engage the Indian and Asian American communities is to have the right person delivering party ideals and platforms. Journalists, editors and publishers also told party leadership they need to do a better job of explaining how major national headlines directly impact local ethnic communities, especially in California, where GOP leaders hope to be more competitive in national elections.
Media representatives and party leaders pondered questions such as how to connect with ethnic communities nationwide and whether national issues are relevant to Indian and Asian American communities. The GOP leadership hopes to connect with Indian Americans and other ethnic media leaders to answer these questions ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Party leaders are also looking to develop a budget to promote GOP ideals and platforms to the Indian and Asian American communities within the next few months.
Steel, a Korean American recently elected to the Orange County Board of Supervisors, said outreach is essential and Republican candidates for office should integrate themselves into ethnic communities. Rep. Ed Royce was cited as an ideal example of a Republican political leader who regularly attends Indian American events and personally connects with attendees.
Royce was the keynote speaker at a convention luncheon held immediately after the roundtable discussion. The Republican House of Representatives and Foreign Relations Committee member spent 20 minutes explaining why he believed the recently enacted Iran Nuclear Deal was a bad accord.
He particularly disagreed with provisions reportedly granting Iran self-inspection privileges. However, multiple media reports stated the nuclear deal actually did not include a provision allowing Iran to hire its own inspectors to monitor and report on declared nuclear sites.
Royce added he believed the nuclear deal would allow Iran to become an increasing threat to its neighbors and American allies in the region