September 25, 2024
Half of all Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AA/PIs) have recently experienced an act of racism or discrimination
Across the political spectrum, racism is a strong motivator for civic and political engagement; AA/PIs who experienced an act of hate are most civically, politically engaged to combat racism
NATIONWIDE — Today, Stop AAPI Hate released a new report, From Pain to Power: Asian American and Pacific Islander Activation in the Face of Hate, which examines the state of anti-AA/PI hate in the U.S., the impact on victims, and key motivators for political activation and civic engagement. The report is based on Stop AAPI Hate’s inaugural nationally-representative survey conducted in collaboration with NORC at the University of Chicago.
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the survey results indicate that AA/PIs today are politically and civically motivated to take action against racism and discrimination at unprecedented levels, with survivors of hate being the most activated. Key findings include:
- A staggering half (49%) of AAPI adults overall reported experiencing hate in 2023 due to their race, ethnicity, or nationality, which translates into millions of AA/PIs. This shows anti-AA/PI hate remains pervasive over four years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- A large majority (85%) are concerned about the U.S. racial climate and 70% are motivated to get involved in efforts to advance justice and equity for AA/PI people.
- Although Democrats (75%) are more motivated than Independents (68%) and Republicans (61%) to engage in efforts to advance justice and equity for AA/PI communities, motivation is high across political parties.
- Nearly 3 in 4 (74%) participated in activities to resist racism in 2023, including civic actions such as educating others about racism, donating to racial justice organizations, etc. as well as political actions such as contacting an elected official, signing a petition, protesting, etc.
- Over 1 in 4 (27%) AA/PIs engaged politically to combat racism in 2023. This suggests a remarkable increase in Asian American political engagement over the past 15+ years, when compared to outside data from 2008 indicating just 9% of Asian Americans contacted a politician and just 4% participated in protest activity in general.
- Those who recently experienced hate are the most politically and civically activated, with 89% engaging in some form of resistance against racism in 2023. For political participation in particular, survivors of hate were 2.5 times as likely to engage politically.
“Our new research reveals that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are politically activated at unprecedented levels as we approach an enormously consequential presidential election, and they’re driven strongly by a desire to combat anti-AA/PI racism,” said Cynthia Choi, Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate and Co-Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action. “AA/PIs did not simply resign as victims as we endured rising hate during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, it appears our experiences with racism and discrimination have spurred more civic action and political participation. We are the fastest-growing voter demographic in the nation — and on top of that, we are actually motivated to exercise our increasing political power in the face of widespread hate today.”
In addition to lingering COVID-19-related hate, AA/PI communities today are facing intense anti-Asian political scapegoating rooted in xenophobia and Sinophobia — including both racist rhetoric and discriminatory land ban legislation. Further, South Asians in particular are experiencing a wave of hate in the midst of racist, Islamophobic political rhetoric around Gaza as well as backlash against the rise of Indian American political figures like Vice President Kamala Harris and Usha Vance.
“The more we are targeted with racism, the more motivated we become to take action against it,” said Stephanie Chan, Director of Data and Research at Stop AAPI Hate. “This has huge implications right now because AA/PIs continue to be fired up in today’s political climate.”
While the persistence of anti-AA/PI racism and discrimination has been met with significant resilience in the form of political and civic engagement, the survey findings show there are also negative impacts on survivors and urgent needs that must be addressed. Of AA/PI adults who experienced hate in 2023:
- 43% said their experience with hate negatively impacted their health, with victims 5.6 times more likely to report moderate/severe anxiety and depression.
- Over one-third (37%) did not receive the support they needed, such as legal assistance, mental health support, language services, etc., while only 32% received the support they needed.
- 44% did not share their experience with anyone. Just 10% shared with a criminal law enforcement agency and 6% with a civil law enforcement agency.
“Our research tells us that AA/PIs are not being provided with the resources they need to easily report acts of hate and get the help they need.” said Manjusha Kulkarni, Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate and Executive Director of AAPI Equity Alliance. “Our leaders must invest more in AA/PI communities to address not just the violent attacks that make headlines but also every form of hate we face, including harassment, institutional discrimination, and societal racism like anti-Asian rhetoric from political figures.”
Stop AAPI Hate and NORC’s survey on the state of anti-AA/PI hate was conducted for the first time this year and will be deployed annually moving forward as a complement to Stop AAPI Hate’s existing reporting center. Read the full report here to see all survey results, including: more findings based on political identification; additional impacts of hate beyond health; the most common forms of anti-AA/PI hate; where acts of hate take place; breakdowns by regional/ethnic subgroups, age, gender, and income; and more. The report also includes recent first-hand accounts of anti-AA/PI hate acts submitted to Stop AAPI Hate’s reporting center.
