Hispanics and Asian Americans celebrate their new electoral clout

Hispanics and Asian Americans celebrate new electoral clout with inaugural galas, wish lists

View Photo Gallery — Dave Kumar, right, addresses Asian Americans who supported Obama as they celebrate his inauguration with a party on Jan. 18, 2013 in Washington. Inauguration 2013: A last-minute, low-stress guide to best events.

By Pamela Constable and Luz Lazo,

Jan 20, 2013 03:11 AM EST, The Washington PostPublished: January 19

 

Dave Kumar, a District lawyer whose parents immigrated from India before he was born, and Mauricio Martinez, a Salvadoran refugee who cooks for a catering service in Virginia, have one important thing in common. Both are part of the historic surge in electoral participation and activism by immigrant groups, who turned out for President Obama in record numbers last year and put the country on notice that their votes and voices count.

This weekend, Kumar and Martinez are among thousands of Hispanic and Asian American immigrants gathering in Washington to celebrate Obama’s reelection — and their own growing political impact. Among the flurry of inaugural events are glittering Latino- and Asian-themed galas, immigration policy workshops and citizenship fairs.

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