In a recent Center for American Progress Action Fund event, several experts from the Asian American, Latino, Native American, and African American communities discussed their views on the role minorities are playing in this year's campaigns, how they are participating, how the media are viewing them and how the candidates are treating them in their quest for votes. General themes were the existence of  the first ever truly competitive non-white presidential candidacy, the recent decision by the Supreme Court to uphold an Indiana law requiring all voters to present a government issued photo ID on voting day and how building coalitions between America's minority populations was important, but held great challenges.

Some of the most prominent points were:

The contradictory media treatment of minority communities - they are often painted as a general block to contrast with whites and yet there is the portrayal of groups in tension, for example the commonly heard assertion that Latinos would never vote for an African American presidential candidate.

The need to work together as communities of colour to achieve change. One speaker identified the successes that have been achieved when this happens, for example the recent reauthorisation of temporary sections of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) saw cooperation between them despite differing interests. Preclearance, for example (whereby certain, mostly southern, states and counties must apply for federal permission before changing voting laws), is an issue for African Americans who have large populations in the affected states, but was less important to Asian Americans who don't. By contrast Section 203 of the 1975 VRA, which requires bilingual ballots and oral assistance to those who speak Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Native American languages, and Eskimo languages, is not overly critical to African Americans but vital to Asian Americans (Latinos and Native Americans are very interested in both). Despite these diverging interests, the coalition stuck together and achieved success on all fronts.

The problem of working together like this without being portrayed as a monolithic, stereotypical block. There is no such thing as a "Latino voter", an "Asian American voter" or a "minority voter". The important thing is for coalitions within and between communities to realise the differences and be flexible enough to survive diverse opinions.

The reality that some minority groups are left behind. There is very little polling data or media coverage for Asian and Native Americans, for example.

The effect of the recent Supreme Court decision on minority communities will be significant. They are less likely to have the required ID and the resources and time necessary to get it.

All in all it was a very interesting discussion. I took more detailed notes which I can type up if someone desperately wants to read them.