In post-election analysis, politicians and pundits repeatedly cite the changing demographics of the United States as a key factor in the re-election of President Barack Obama. In addition to receiving 93 percent of the African-American vote, President Obama received 71 percent of the Hispanic vote. However, what is less often noted is that, according to exit polls, 73 percent of Asian Pacific Americans (APA) also voted for him.

Coverage in the media about APA voters, however, tends to perpetuate the stereotype of the model minority. Further, it only sees Asian Americans in terms of economic status. A recent New York Times opinion piece by David Brooks is illustrative of this example. In the article, Brooks criticizes the Republican party’s characterization of Obama supporters as takers who feel entitled to government handouts by noting that Asian-American voters, similar to Hispanic voters, are hardworking Americans.

"Let’s just look at one segment, Asian Americans," Brooks writes. "Many of these people are leading the lives Republicans celebrate. They are, disproportionately, entrepreneurial, industrious, and family oriented. Yet, on [Election Day], Asian Americans rejected the Republican Party by 3 to 1. They don’t relate to the Republican equation that more government = less work."

While the point Brooks is making aims to challenge the distinction between the makers and the takers that many Republicans describe as the divide between Republican and Democrat supporters respectively, the "exemplary status" of Asian Americans does not always account for why Asian Americans have been entrepreneurial, industrious, and family oriented.

Taken out of context, the descriptions reinforce the stereotype of a homogenous "Asian culture" and circumvent an equally important analysis of how the effects of anti-immigrant policies and discriminatory employment practices both past and present have, for example, led Asian Americans to open their own businesses.

The narrative that celebrates Asian-American success often points to the high per-household income of Asian Americans in relation to other groups, including whites. But these statistics of median household income do not take into consideration the average number of members in a household.

According to the Asian American Justice Center, the average household size for Asian Americans is 3.1 and for Pacific Islanders it is 3.4, in comparison to 2.6 for the general population. And in the households with three or more workers, the percentage is 17 percent while the general population is 12 percent.

This is one of the examples in which the focus on household income of Asian Pacific Americans can be potentially misleading. A more accurate figure would be to look at per capita income, which measures the income that an individual takes in. The per capita income of many APAs is below the national average.

That said, it is not just the entrepreneurial spirit or the belief in government programs that explain APA support for Democrats. Rather, it is the way in which people of color have been collectively cast as entitled, un-American, and government freeloaders.

The fact that the president is still being asked for proof of his birth certificate to verify his American citizenship reinforces the idea that to be American is to be white. It is not because of a stubborn clinging to a politics of grievances that explains the broad coalition of people of color who supported President Obama.

Rather, it is a recognition that the policies of exclusion and racism persist and that to be a person of color is to be under suspicion of not being "American" enough. What Brooks misses in his comparison of Hispanics and Asian Americans is how anti-immigration laws and barriers today were built on the enforcement of Asian exclusion in the past.

As one of the fastest growing groups in the U.S., Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are also becoming an increasing presence on the political scene. In the same election that granted President Obama a second term, a record number of APAs were also voted into congress. Joining Mike Honda (D-California) will be Mark Takano (D-California), Ami Bera (D-California), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Grace Meng (D-New York), and Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois). The demographics of the country are changing, but how we talk about this country has yet to catch up with these new realities.