What exactly is the ethnic vote?

I just heard a commentator – it is now 7:30 pm EST, Tuesday, election day – say that it’s important to assess the “Asian-American” vote as a harbinger of the election. What the heck is that and how do you calculate it? If Suzie Chow, who is Chinese, marries John Jones, who is “just” an American, and changes her name to Jones, how do count her vote? Is she Asian or American? How would you know? How on earth do you assign her vote, correctly?

If Jose Gomez changes his name – via marriage or simply desire – to Josh George, how do you know he is, or should be counted as, part of the Hispanic voting bloc? Or, if I were to change my name from Ackerman (Is that really Jewish?) to Atkins, how would one know I’m part of the Jewish-American vote?

You don’t. So, why are the commentators – with such serious suits and eyes – telling us to follow the voting trends of these seeming tribes? Seems misleading to me, if not analysis devoid of reliable content.

May the best human win. Amen.