Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
I'm a day late in getting to it, but yesterday the New York Times published one of those articles that reminds me why I still subscribe to the grey lady. Headlined "Among New York's Soviet Immigrants, Affinity for GOP," the article reported on Russian enclaves such as Brighton Beach. Excerpts:
To many Russian and Ukrainian immigrants, the cornucopia in the shops along Brighton Beach Avenue — pyramids of oranges, heaps of Kirby cucumbers, bushels of tomatoes with their vines still attached and a variety of fish, sausages and pastries — seems like an exuberant rebuke of the meager produce that was available to them when they lived in the Soviet Union.
This contrast helps explain a striking political anomaly: immigrants from the former Soviet Union are far more apt to vote for Republicans than are most New Yorkers, who often drink in Democratic Party allegiance with their mothers’ milk and are four times as likely to register as Democrats than as Republicans....
One reason these voters tend to support Republicans is that they see them as more ardent warriors against the kind of big-government, business-stifling programs that soured their lives in the Soviet Union....
Tatiana Varzar came to the United States in 1979, at age 21, from the Ukrainian seaport of Odessa. She worked as a manicurist and then opened a small restaurant on the boardwalk that grew into Tatiana Restaurant, a spacious magnet for foodies who like a whiff of salt air and a sea view with their pirogen. Today it is a destination for high-powered Russians, like some of the executives who own the Brooklyn Nets.
“I am what I am because of capitalism,” Ms. Varzar said, “and Republicans are more capitalistic.”
A simple, honest job of reporting--and the result is a story that could hardly be more profound.
But will the New York Times write an editorial suggesting that these immigrants may be onto something? Will it occur to anyone in the newsroom that if Russian immigrants see parallels between the old Soviet apparat and the leadership of the Democratic Party, then those parallels might truly exist? That outrageous posters such as the one to the right might not be all that outrageous after all?
"To see what is in front of one's nose," as George Orwell remarked, "needs a constant struggle."
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Oct '10
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
anybody who has experienced communism leans Republican.
Jul '11
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
Spaceba bolshoi NYT. I am sure you have some fresh propaganda planned on the GOP tomorrow but at least someone reported a non biased story today.
Feb '11
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
Didn't Arnold Schwarznegger present this point at the 2004 GOP convention? Very effectively, IIRC.
May '10
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
One of my friends from back in Minnesota was born to Polish parents just weeks after they arrived in the United States from Communist Poland. I have never met a more Republican man than her father.
Sep '10
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
Well, Mr. Robinson, I see mention of the Berlin Wall speech you wrote for Mr. Reagan:
"His 1987 exhortation to Mikhail Gorbachev that he tear down the Berlin Wall still flutters hearts in Brighton Beach."
Its influence reaches into the present, at least in some New York quarters.
Edit: I enjoyed your graphic.
Edited on May 11, 2012 at 10:01amAug '11
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
In 2010, I was the campaign manager for a legislative candidate in Vancouver, WA. We discovered that the Russian communities in the area were very receptive to our pro-business/anti-big government message. The challenge was to get these new citizens to vote. They were used to Russia where their vote meant little and civic engagement was not encouraged. Fortunately, there was a passionate Russian Orthodox priest in the area who made a point of introducing local candidates in the Orthodox churches in the area and encouraging church members to vote!
Edited on May 11, 2012 at 11:58amRe: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
A "simple, honest job of reporting"? Peter, your standards have slipped. When the reporter calls this a striking political anomaly, we know we are reading Pravda-on-the Hudson. The reporter is surprised to learn that people with an experience of tyranny love liberty.
Nov '10
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
Yet Chinese immigrants lean Democrat. What's up with that?
Jun '10
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
Homesick.
Oct '11
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
Pretty much all the Russian immigrants I've met have been very clear eyed on the basic differences of principle between the two parties. They don't hesitate to draw correlations between the ever expanding leviathan that is our federal government and the policies of their old homeland.You'll find the same thing in Florida with our Cuban families, their some of the most vocal conservative/republicans I know down here.It's surprising to me that Republicans don't have a lock on the Chinese/Korean/Vietnamese communities vote. I can really only chalk it up to a complete lack of trying on the Republicans part.
Mar '12
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
Just to play devil's advocate for a second, these Soviet immigrants are the ones who found a reason to leave the USSR. I'm sure there are former Soviets who wax romantic about the days of the Soviet Empire. They had no reason to emigrate. As to which of these two groups is wiser, I'll let you decide... It's the capitalists.
Nov '11
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
'...reminds me why I still subscribe to the grey lady. ' I think conservatives/repubs should openly boycott the NYT in retaliation. First extreme coverage of all of the lies, then no mention at all ever (no links) and ridicule if it's brought up by somebody else. A little show of muscle will do the leftists good, and be our own 'shiny object' (hear the screaming). However reasonable and compassionate conservatives will prevail and prevaricate and say, I just can't do without the book and play reviews and look they are fair for once!, and it's so mean to single them out. Conservative media will not like it because the NYT is always a good thing to talk about, all the while praising and mourning Breitbart. It would be a great symbolic gesture of repudiation of leftist propaganda.
Aug '10
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
How long before there are NYT rebuttals by Manhattan blue-bloods complaining about the aesthetics of communities like Brighton Beach.
"Of course they're Republicans! Look how those people live!"
The portrayal of the community from Lord of War or Little Odessa comes to mind.
Feb '11
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
'...reminds me why I still subscribe to the grey lady. '
Peter, is there any chance that I could convince you to stop referring to this fish wrapper as "the grey lady" and rather a more appropriate "the old has been"? I always thought that "Grey Lady" was meant to communicate the intellectual superiority / integrity of the NYT, and I think we can all agree that those days are long gone.
As for the story about former Soviet citizens and their anti big gov't GOP leanings, only a rag like the NYT could write a story as obvious as "the sky is blue" and receive accolades for their "honest job of reporting".
Edited on May 11, 2012 at 3:53pmJul '10
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
This article is dead on. My experience with the Europeans I befriended over the years has been more along the lines of these Russians. The 3 most hardcore conservatives and religious followers of American politics I know are a Pole, a Ukranian, and a German.
Nov '11
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
JustinC:'...reminds me why I still subscribe to the grey lady. '
Peter, is there any chance that I could convince you to stop referring to this fish wrapper as "the grey lady" and rather a more appropriate "the old has been"? I always thought that "Grey Lady" was meant to communicate the intellectual superiority / integrity of the NYT, and I think we can all agree that those days are long gone.
As for the story about former Soviet citizens and their anti big gov't GOP leanings, only a rag like the NYT could write a story as obvious as "the sky is blue" and receive accolades for their "honest job of reporting".· 6 minutes ago
Edited 0 minutes ago
#boycottNYT
May '11
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
How many Cuban -Americans vote Democratic?
Mar '11
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
Peter Robinson
Soured? Soured?! How long did this reporter have to pour over a thesaurus to come up with that absurd euphemism?
Apr '11
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
I can attest that many Romanians (at least those that escaped communist Romania and remember it) are far more likely to be conservative and Republicans. In fact the strongest conservatives I know actually still live in Romania, and they keep track of American politics, fearing the worst for us.
As my dad would say " I lived half my life under socialism, and now that I have a chance to live the other half under capitalism I find that people want to make me live under socialism again. If they like socialism so much they should just go to Cuba, and let me enjoy capitalism here."
Oct '10
Re: Russian Immigrants Lean Republican--and They Would Know, Wouldn't They?
Probably because they don't have a problem with current China? China's the only country that made communism work.
Edited on May 11, 2012 at 6:12pm