America's most anxious racial group
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images
Asian Americans report higher levels of anxiety than any other racial group in the U.S., a new survey finds.
Why it matters: As Washington hardens its policies on immigration, citizenship and its relationship with China, public attitudes toward Asian Americans are shifting in parallel.
- The broad survey illustrates the anxiety felt by Asian Americans six years after the COVID pandemic generated a wave of anti-Asian violence in the U.S.
By the numbers: Around 44% of Asian Americans say they feel worried about life right now, according to the STAATUS Index (Social Tracking of Asian Americans in the U.S.) released Friday.
- Asian Americans are the only group where worry outweighs hope (40%), the wide survey of all U.S. adults found.
- 66% of AAPIs support DEI programs — the highest of any racial group (vs. 48% overall), the survey found.
State of play: Asian Americans are widely seen as successful — placed near the top of the U.S. "social ladder" by the public — but report a more fragile lived reality marked by anxiety, discrimination and policy concerns.
- Federal policies on immigration, trade and visas are increasingly shaping how both Asian Americans and the broader public understand the community's place in the U.S.
- The Asian American Foundation and NORC at the University of Chicago are behind the findings of the STAATUS Index, the leading national study of Americans' perceptions of AAPIs.
Zoom in: The report also highlighted hardening attitudes and misconceptions toward Asian Americans from the general public.
- More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults (21%) say Chinese Americans pose a threat to society, the survey found.
- Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. adults believe Asian Americans are more loyal to another country than the U.S., with half unsure.
- Almost 40% can't name a famous Asian American, from pop artist Bruno Mars to former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Context: Anti-Asian hate crimes declined in 2025, but remain far above pre-pandemic levels.
- Preliminary FBI data reviewed by Axios shows anti-Asian incidents fell 17% from 2024 to 2025, continuing a multi-year decline from the 2021 peak.
- Still, anti-Asian hate crime is up around 200% since 2015, signaling a lasting shift rather than a return to baseline.
What they're saying: "This is a shift from extreme incidents to more systemic pressure," said Norman Chen, CEO of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), tells Axios.
- Chen said Anti-Asian violence may be declining, but anxiety persists, fueled by immigration debates, China tensions and questions about citizenship.
- TAAF data chief Sruthi Chandrasekaran tells Axios there are signs of movement: Americans are "persuadable" when given more context, especially on issues like student visas. "That's a sign of hope."
The bottom line: Asian Americans are gaining visibility in culture and public life, but the data show that recognition, safety, and belonging haven't caught up.
Methodology: The 2026 STAATUS Index was conducted from January 16 to February 10, 2026, by NORC at the University of Chicago on behalf of TAAF. It is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,500 U.S.-based respondents aged 18 and above, drawn from NORC's AmeriSpeak® Panel and NORC's Amplify AAPI Panel.
- The margin of sampling error is +/-3.17 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample.
