61% Asian Americans feel increased hate toward them: Report

32% of Asian Americans said they were called a slur, and 29% said they were verbally harassed or abused

More than six in 10 Asian Americans (61%) feel that hate towards them has increased in the last 12 months, but only one-third of Americans think so, according to a new study.

As many 43% of Americans show no familiarity with recent attacks on Asian Americans, according to the study by The Asian American Foundation.

Lack of visibility and awareness of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) issues, history, and leaders continues to pose a challenge to the AANHPI community’s sense of belonging and acceptance, it says.

READ: Biden signs legislation to combat hate crime against Asian Americans (May 20, 2021)

The results show that Americans have stereotypical opinions and perceptions about AANHPI communities across five key categories – hate, national security, visibility and awareness, belonging, and building bridges/cross-racial solidarity.
‍
Key findings include:
‍
Over the past 12 months: 32% of Asian Americans say they were called a slur, and 29% said they were verbally harassed or verbally abused.

41% of Asian Americans think they are likely to be the victim of a physical attack in the next five years because of their race, ethnicity, or religion.

59% of Asian Americans think it is at least somewhat likely that they will be a victim of discrimination in the next five years.
‍
Because of discrimination and lack of representation, only 38% of Asian Americans completely agree they belong, and even fewer (18%) feel they are fully accepted in the US for their racial identity.

READ: Half of AAPIs experienced race-based hate in 2023: Survey (May 1, 2024)

Asian Americans are the least likely group to feel strongly that they belong in the US compared to 44% of Black Americans, 51% of Hispanic Americans, and 70% of white Americans.

For Asian Americans who feel they aren’t fully accepted or don’t fully belong in the US, online spaces/social media (34%) feel the least welcoming. Asian Americans also said they feel like they belong least at their workplaces, neighborhoods, and schools/colleges/universities (all 31%).

For Asian Americans who don’t feel they belong or are accepted, six out of 10 (60%) pointed to previous experiences of discrimination and/or violence, and 37% said they don’t see people like them in positions of power.
‍
For the fourth year in a row many Americans still can’t name a famous Asian American. This year, 52% of people could not think of a single famous Asian American. Only 2% named Indian American Vice President Kamala Harris.

More than half (55%) of Americans are unable to name a single historical event or policy related to Asian Americans.‍

READ: 1 in 5 Asian American New Yorkers faced physical assault: Report (April 3, 2024)

“Our 2024 data shows a disturbing trend that The Asian American Foundation has been tracking,” said Norman Chen, CEO, TAAF. “A large percentage of Americans show no familiarity with recent attacks on Asian Americans, while fear for safety continues to be a reality for too many members of our community. The persisting and escalating hate and mistrust directed at Asian Americans, combined with a lack of representation and visibility, are creating an environment in which many feel excluded, unseen, and unsafe.”

Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the United States and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders are the third-fastest-growing. It is therefore more critical than ever to combat misconceptions towards the AANHPI community through representation, connection, and education, TAAF stated.

Americans surveyed believe that racism towards Asian Americans will decrease by teaching the history of Asian Americans in K-12 schools and colleges (41%), increasing visibility of Asian Americans in American society (41%), and providing more opportunities to interact with Asian Americans (39%).

“When Americans learn our history, and see us on their TV screens and at the highest ranks of corporate America, that influences and shifts their perceptions, which can combat hate, build bridges, and ultimately create a sense of belonging for AANHPI communities,” Chen said.
‍