Conservative support grows among Chinese-Canadians, despite Liberal push to regain ethnic voters

Good read and analysis on the political efforts of the major parties with Chinese Canadians:

The data appear to indicate the Tories’ continuing ethnic outreach, spearheaded by cabinet minister Jason Kenney, is connecting with the fast-growing numbers of Canadians who trace their roots to China and Taiwan.

The party’s more conservative approach to social issues and softened stance toward China may also be helping it reach Chinese-Canadians who were once seen as more likely to support the Liberal party.

For both parties, the money raised from Chinese-Canadians accounts for only a small share of total fundraising, but could be a leading indicator of ballot-box support in the coming election.

Although the parties do not report the ethnicity of donors to Elections Canada, contributions from Chinese-Canadians can be roughly tracked because of the limited number of Chinese surnames.

Most Chinese have one of about 100 common family names or their Romanized variants, such as Wong or Wang. So common are the Chinese names, the expression “Old One Hundred Names” is used in China to refer to the average person.

In 2007, seven of every 1,000 contributors to the Conservatives had one of these common Chinese surnames, according to the analysis of donors who gave more than $200 annually. But the 2013 numbers, reported this month, show that share has nearly doubled, with 13 of every 1,000 with a Chinese name.

Over the same period, the number of contributors who gave to the Tories rose by 34%, but the share with Chinese names outpaced that, rising by 173%.

The share of Liberal support from the Chinese community has remained largely static since 2007, when 10 in 1,000 donors to the party had Chinese names. That figure was unchanged in the 2013 filings, despite a surge in support for the party and its new leader, who was elected in April 2013.

The New Democrats appear to have the weakest level of support from Chinese-Canadians, the data show, with only three contributors in 1,000 with Chinese names.

Conservative support grows among Chinese-Canadians, despite Liberal push to regain ethnic voters