Battleground Nevada. Is she oriental too?

They have some big signs in Nevada…

This past weekend, I was in Reno, Nevada. As you know, Nevada is a “battleground state.” Obama is leading McCain in California by something like 25% … so there are a flood of Californian volunteers in Nevada. I met a Bay Area college student who has been canvassing for Obama for several weekends. She said that her first weekend out in Reno, she said there were about *1,000* Californians in Reno from the Bay Area. Unfortunately, I didn’t see too may Asian American volunteers… I had also heard that there were 150 Stanford young Democrats in Las Vegas this weekend staying at the Bellagio (sponsored by a generous donator) – any Asian Americans from Stanford make that trip?

Where I was canvassing and where I was driving around, I would say there is definitely more support for Obama vs. McCain in terms of at least visible public support and signs. When I was speaking with one annoyed person, he said, “You’re like the 9th person to visit me regarding Obama…”

A big McCain sign, not too far from the Reno McCain HQ.

One door that I knocked on, apparently the registered voter moved when I asked if a certain registered woman resided there. He said ‘no’ – then asked me if she was “oriental” – like me – and said I should double check with the rental office if she moved. The man didn’t say the word “oriental” with any malice or derogatory manner, but it just reminded me that I wasn’t in California any more (I’m not sure if I’ve heard that term used here in normal conversation here in California.)

About John

I'm a Taiwanese-American and was born & raised in Western Massachusetts, went to college in upstate New York, worked in Connecticut, went to grad school in North Carolina and then moved out to the Bay Area in 1999 and have been living here ever since - love the weather and almost everything about the area (except the high cost of housing...)
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