A quarter of U.S. adults see Chinese Americans as a "threat": poll
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Asian Americans gather at Times Square to protest anti-Asian Hate in New York City. Photo: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
More than one in four Americans believe Chinese Americans are a threat to U.S. society, and 40% believe Asian Americans are more loyal to their countries of origin than to the U.S., a new survey found.
Why it matters: Five years after the pandemic, when the U.S. saw a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes, Asian Americans are still battling harmful stereotypes and deep-seated misperceptions.
By the numbers: 63% of Asian Americans report feeling unsafe in at least one daily setting, according to the STAATUS Index (Social Tracking of Asian Americans in the U.S.) released Thursday at the start of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
- The same percentage believe it is at least somewhat likely they will be victims of discrimination based on their race, ethnicity, or religion in the next five years. By comparison, 33% of white Americans say the same.
- Asian Americans (40%) are far less likely than white Americans (71%) to completely agree that they belong in the U.S., and are least likely to feel they belong in online spaces/social media and their neighborhoods.
Zoom in: This year's survey found that a record percentage (40%) of Americans believe Asian Americans are more loyal to their countries of origin than to the U.S., up from 37% last year.
- That's the highest rate since the inaugural STAATUS survey launched in 2021.
- About two-fifths of Americans support legislation prohibiting foreign citizens from certain countries, including China, from purchasing land.
Stunning stat: Fewer than half (44%) of Americans strongly agree that Japanese American incarceration — the forcible detainment of 120,000 people with Japanese ancestry during World War II — was wrong.
What they're saying: "One of the most alarming results over the past five years has been the doubling of this perception of Asian Americans as more loyal to their country of origin," Norman Chen, CEO of The Asian American Foundation and co-founder of the STAATUS report, tells Axios.
- "It questions the loyalty and patriotism of Asian Americans in this country."
- Chen said the survey also found that most Americans continue to believe the "model minority" myth of overachieving Asian Americans who are "good at math" — stereotypes that are also harmful.
Between the lines: Rising antisemitism, anti-Arab American and anti-Muslim incidents have dominated the news since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel, taking the focus off hate crimes against Asian Americans.
Zoom out: The survey also found that 42% of Americans cannot think of a famous Asian American.
- Actor Jackie Chan (11%) (who is not American) and Bruce Lee (6%) have been the most popular responses for five years in a row, followed by Kamala Harris (4%) and Lucy Liu (3%).
Yes, but: Many Americans back teaching Asian American history in schools.
- The STAATUS Index found that nearly 80% of Americans support specific initiatives to uplift Asian American communities.
- Around 41% backed legislation requiring Asian American history to be taught in schools.
Methodology: This survey was conducted from Jan. 22 to Feb. 25 by Savanta Research. It is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 4,909 U.S.-based respondents, aged 16 and older, conducted via an online panel.
- The margin of sampling error is +/-1.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample.
