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Quarter of white Americans don't view anti-Asian racism as a problem, report finds

A new survey reveals that toxic stereotypes still shape Americans’ perceptions of Asians despite a year of violence.
Demonstrators gather for a #StopAsianHate rally in San Jose, California on March 24, 2021. Photo courtesy of Jason Leung via Unsplash.

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Despite the fact that 8 out of 10 Asian Americans say they are discriminated against in the U.S., 24% of white Americans don’t believe anti-Asian racism is a problem that should be addressed, according to a new poll by the nonprofit Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change (LAAUNCH).

Anti-Asian hate crimes have soared in the last year, jumping nearly 150% in the U.S.’s biggest cities. The Asian American community has lost its own in mass shootings in Atlanta and Indianapolis, and reports of anti-Asian hate incidents continue to dominate social media. A recent spree in San Francisco saw two elderly women stabbed as well as a separate attack on a father who was walking his 1-year-old child in broad daylight.

To better understand attitudes towards Asian Americans, LAAUNCH surveyed 2,766 U.S. residents, aged 18 and over, online between March 29 and April 14. The sample was weighted using population parameters from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. 

Results show that the model minority myth is alive and well in the U.S. “The classic Asian American stereotypes—the ‘model minority,’ ‘perpetual foreigner,’ and ‘yellow peril’— persist as toxic myths in the U.S. today,” the LAAUNCH report states.

Among other key findings…

  • 37% of white Americans say they are not aware of an increase in hate crimes and racism against Asian Americans over the past year, even after the Atlanta shootings and mainstream outlets’ reports on anti-Asian hate. These numbers are higher for respondents who identify as Republican (46%) compared to Democrats (22%).
  • 35% of Republicans and 12% of Democrats do not believe anti-Asian racism is a problem that should be addressed (65% of Republicans and 88% of Democrats agree that it should be dealt with). 26% of Republicans also believe that terms used by former President Trump such as “China Virus” are appropriate to describe COVID-19, compared to just 6% of Democrats.
  • Nearly twice as many Democrats (77%) as Republicans (39%) appear aware of discrimination against Asian Americans, with 49% of Republicans and 16% of Democrats believing that Asian Americans are "treated fairly."
Via Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change (LAAUNCH).
  • Though a majority of Americans agree that Asian Americans contribute to the economy, about 20% believe Asian Americans are more loyal to their “countries of origin” than to the U.S.
  • Americans are most comfortable with Asian Americans as doctors or nurses, friends, and co-workers. They are less comfortable with Asian Americans as their boss, in-laws, and president of the United States.
  • When asked to name a prominent Asian American individual, respondents’ top answers were (in ranking order): “None/I don’t know” (42%), Jackie Chan (11%), and Bruce Lee (9%), despite several high-profile Asian Americans making headlines this year. (Think the Oscars.) Only 2% of Americans cited Vice President Kamala Harris.
  • In movies and on TV, respondents see Asian American actors 6 times more often in supporting or background roles compared to lead roles. These roles usually reflect overused stereotypes, e.g. martial arts expert, doctor, gangster, sex worker, or maid.
  • Asian Americans are significantly underrepresented in senior positions in companies, politics, and media, but nearly 50% of non-Asian Americans believe the opposite is true.
  • 77% of Asian Americans do not feel respected in the U.S., compared to 41% of white Americans and 86% of Black Americans.

The report, one of the few national assessments of attitudes towards Asian Americans in the last 20 years, is telling. It reinforces the fact that Americans still don’t see Asians as a marginalized group in the U.S. Asians—and their issues—remain largely invisible in the public sector, despite a year of targeted harassment and assault.

Previous polling has shown that anti-Asian hate continues to take its toll. 83% of Asian adults say Asians have faced more discrimination in the U.S. over the last year, while 58% of Asian adults say reports of anti-Asian hate impact their mental health.

Asian women are particularly susceptible, with 1 in 2 saying racism has impacted her life.

Yet nearly 40% of white Americans do not acknowledge an increase in anti-Asian hate—a troubling statistic, to say the least.

“As members of this community, we are outraged to see these senseless acts of violence,” said Norman Chen, CEO and co-founder of LAAUNCH. “We know from history that stereotypes lead to scapegoating and violence during times of crisis, but there has been a lack of national research on stereotypes of Asian Americans over the past two decades.”

“We developed [this index] to not only understand the root causes of racism and violence towards Asian Americans, but also to help shape Americans’ attitudes toward our community moving forward,” Chen added. “We still have work to do, but we’re hopeful we’ll see change in the future.”

While different groups have different ideas on how to address the uptick, the Senate passed legislation in April that would train police to better identify anti-Asian hate, marking Congress’ first substantial effort to tackle the issue since the pandemic began. AAPI lawmakers and advocates lauded the bipartisan move.

The House is expected to take up its version of the bill in mid-May.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with Norman Chen's statement.

Andrew Peng contributed reporting.

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