Discrimination Experiences Shape Most Asian Americans’ Lives
Most Asian adults in the U.S. have been treated as a foreigner or experienced incidents where people assume they are a “model minority.”
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
Most Asian adults in the U.S. have been treated as a foreigner or experienced incidents where people assume they are a “model minority.”
32% of U.S.-born Asian adults have hidden a part of their heritage, compared with 15% of immigrants.
Burmese (19%) and Hmong Americans (17%) were among the Asian origin groups with the highest poverty rates in 2022.
Among Asian Adults living in the U.S., 52% say they most often describe themselves using ethnic labels that reflect their heritage and family roots, either alone or together with “American.” About six-in-ten (59%) say that what happens to Asians in the U.S. affects their own lives.
Across 49 focus groups with Asian immigrants, daily challenges related to speaking English emerged as a common theme. Participants also shared frustration, stress and at times sadness in dealing with cultural and language barriers, and described support they received from others.
Around three-quarters of Asian Americans (78%) have a favorable view of the United States. Majorities of Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese and Vietnamese adults in the U.S. have a favorable view of their own ancestral homeland. By contrast, fewer than half of Chinese Americans say they have a favorable opinion of China.
In a new analysis based on dozens of focus groups, Asian American participants described the challenges of navigating their own identity in a nation where the label “Asian” brings expectations about their origins, behavior and physical self.
A record 22 million Asian Americans trace their roots to more than 20 countries in East and Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
Here’s a look at how individual origin groups compare with the nation’s overall Asian American population.
About a million immigrants receive U.S. green cards each year, but fewer than half are new arrivals from other countries. The majority already live in the United States on temporary visas.
1615 L St. NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
USA
(+1) 202-419-4300 | Main
(+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax
(+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries
ABOUT PEW RESEARCH CENTER Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.
© 2024 Pew Research Center