As more and more Asian Americans vote in California, often choosing candidates for their Asian surnames, identity politics could prove more decisive than gender or party affiliation in the upcoming Senatorial race between incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer and Republican challenger Matt Fong. PNS correspondent Bill Wong is a freelance journalist and former reporter for the Wall St. Journal and a columnist for the Oakland Tribune.

SAN FRANCISCO -- The U.S. Senate race in California between Democratic incumbent Barbara Boxer and Republican challenger Matt Fong won't be decided strictly along ideological and party lines. Race and gender are potent factors too, supporters of both candidates say.

Asian American voters, proud to see a Chinese American in the race, could make a difference, too. Even some Asian American Democrats, stung by their party's fundraising that embarrassed them, could cross over to vote for the Republican Fong.

After an early lead, Sen. Boxer finds herself in a virtual dead-heat with Fong, the 44-year-old California state treasurer who, if he wins, would be the first Chinese American U.S. Senator from the mainland. Fong's appeal to the state's increasingly active Chinese American and other Asian American voters could be decisive in what both sides say will be a close contest in November.

Asian Americans make up six percent of the state's electorate, an increase of about 50 percent from the senate race six years ago, when Boxer defeated conservative Republican Bruce Herschenson. Asian American voters are an unpredictable lot, as they are roughly equally split among the Democratic and Republican parties and no party affiliation, indicating a large potential swing vote. However, David Lee of the non partisan Chinese American Voter Education Committee (CAVEC) in San Francisco says there is a clear trend for Asian Americans to vote candidates with Asian surnames.

In the 1992 U.S. Senate race, exit polls indicated that Boxer got 52 percent of the Asian American vote, while Herschenson got 48 percent. In May, the first bilingual poll commissioned by CAVEC found that Chinese surnamed voters in San Francisco preferred Fong over Boxer by a more than three to one margin. An exit poll conducted during the June 2 primary by political consultant Tom Hsieh Jr. said Fong won three-fourths of the Chinese American votes cast in the Senate race, while 81 percent of these same voters chose a Democratic gubernatorial candidate and 74 percent of them voted against Prop. 227, the measure eliminating bilingual education programs in public schools.

Rose Kapolczynski, campaign manager for Boxer, conceded that "Matt Fong will probably get some cross-over votes from Asian American Democrats, but Barbara will get some support from Republican women who disagree with Fong's mostly pro-life positions."

She said the campaign has formed an "Asian Americans for Boxer" group. "We're working hard to reach Asian Americans," Kapolczynski said, touting Boxer's record of Asian American federal judicial nominations and support of other issues of interest to Asian Americans such as Japanese American reparations, Filipino American veterans benefits and family reunification provisions of immigration laws.

Joseph T. Yew Jr., who is raising funds for Fong in Asian American communities nationally, says California Asian Americans "have a lot of pride in helping Matt become the first mainland Chinese American senator...Matt Fong understands the Asian American community. He can be a voice for the Asian American community in the Senate."

The views of Asian American Democrats range widely. Some are supporting Boxer enthusiastically, while others more tepidly. Still others say they are working for Fong's election.

Alicia Wang, first vice chair of the California Democratic Party, the first Chinese American to hold that title, says it's understandable for Chinese American voters to feel pride in Fong's candidacy "but that doesn't mean we shouldn't apply the same standards we apply to other candidates. Where has Matt been on issues important to us?"

Dale Minami, a San Francisco attorney long active in the Democratic Party, supports Boxer but sees Fong as "representing the aspirations of Asian Americans." He said Boxer isn't going to win over Asian Americans on the race issue, but her achievements are better than Fong's.

Bruce Quan Jr., a San Francisco attorney, is one Democrat who is openly supporting Republican Fong. "Barbara Boxer has not been there for us when she could have been. I am telling people that we have an opportunity to elect someone (Fong) who understands our issues. He is a person from our community. And Matt Fong is a moderate, not a flaming right-winger."

One long-time Asian American Democratic Party activist, speaking on condition of anonymity, said many Asian American Democrats feel unfairly targeted in the party's fundraising scandal in which a few Asian Americans have been indicted for illegal activities. For that reason, "some traditional Asian Americans are willing to sacrifice ideology to elect an Asian American as U.S. Senator," this source said. In addition, while Boxer has been "right on issues important to our community, she hasn't done a good job communicating that to us."

Fong is a powerful symbol for the state's Chinese American and Asian American community, the Democratic activist continued. If he gets to the Senate, Fong will show that "a Chinese American is as American as anyone else. His just being there in the Senate will raise the level of consciousness in Congress and the nation of who Asian Americans are."

Political consultant Hsieh feels Fong will spur more California Asian Americans to vote than ever. Knowing that, more candidates will make extra efforts to reach this suddenly large voting community, he said.

Another long-time Chinese American Democratic activist, who asked to remain anonymous, said he voted for Fong in the open June primary to send a message to Boxer and the party. "She (Boxer) hasn't really been paying attention to out community," this activist said, who added he intends to vote for Boxer in November because "Being Chinese isn't enough for me to vote for someone. Fong hasn't been consistent on issues like immigration, affirmative action and bilingual education."