President Obama signed a $30 billion small business lending bill into law on Monday. The issue has resonance with voters and candidates in the Chicago area.

Small business development was a point that candidates for Congress and the state legislature emphasized this weekend at a forum for Asian-American voters.

At least one person in attendance at the forum, in Wheeling on Saturday, was left wanting more.

“I came to learn about positions people running for office had in regards to important issues that concern our community but did not get a very clear image.” said Ethan Choi, 29, who recently received his master’s of public administration from DePaul University in Chicago.

Choi said he attended because he was interested in knowing candidates’ positions on immigration reform, specifically the DREAM Act, which would grant citizenship to certain groups of illegal immigrants if they fulfill certain requirements.

“Politicians were vague and didn’t have action plans.”

Another attendee, Kristna Tendilla, who lives in Chicago’s Bridgeport neighborhood, agreed.

“I wish there was more comparison between the two parties and of how they would deal with things. I think that they didn’t show what their differences were,” she said. “What are reasons for the Asian-American voters to vote for them? I wanted more.”

The Korean-American Resource Cultural Center, in association with several other Illinois social organizations, hosted the forum, the second for Asian-American Voters. About 100 people attended the forum.

Two state legislative candidates and one congressional candidate appeared and outlined their stands on health care, education, as well as to hear what the Asian-American  community is interested in knowing.

Dan Seals, a Democrat running for Congress in the seat being vacated by Mark Kirk, was joined by Democratic state legislative candidate Daniel Biss and Republican legislative candidate Hamilton Chang. They were introduced by Sik Son, the group’s executive director.

Son noted that until this year there has never been an Asian-American candidate in any level in government. People of Asian heritage constitute 5 percent of the Illinois population.

Legislative candidates Biss and Chang both agreed that Illinois health services are behind almost every other state in the country and that it is essential to fix the state’s budget problems and begin paying Medicaid providers on time. They both agreed nobody should have an obstacle in receiving health care regardless of their immigrant status or because of a language barrier.

On education, Biss and Chang agreed a strong public system is necessary to have a healthy society and robust economy. They do not support further budget cuts in schools.

The sponsor of the forum said more than15,000 Asian-American voters, including 5,000 Chinese-Americans, 5,000 Korean-Americans, 4,000 Indian-Americans and 1,500 Japanese-Americans, live in the district Seals is running in.