The VRA is one of the most significant pieces of civil rights legislation to ever become law. The act reaffirms the 15th amendment of the Constitution. which promised that the "right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race. color. or previous condition of servitude." In 1965. Congress recognized that this promise remained unfulfilled. and that barriers such as literacy tests and poll taxes prevented many American citizens from exercising their right to vote. The VRA has addressed these problems by prohibiting discrimination and providing language assistance to those who needed it. As an Asian American. this bill is of personal importance to me. I know of many Asian Americans who have experienced difficulty in the polls over the years. particularly due to language barriers. According to the 2000 Census. 77 percent of Asian Americans speak a language other than English in their homes. Asian Americans who came as refugees are the most likely to face language barriers. For example. 67 percent of Vietnamese Americans over 18 are limited English proficient. They follow the news closely. but often by accessing newspapers and other media In their native languages.
Identified stereotypes
Asian Americans experience difficulty in polls due to language barriers.