April 24, 2025
As we approach Trump’s first 100 days, data show that most AA/PIs have little confidence that the Trump administration will ease racial and economic struggles.
NATIONWIDE — Nearing President Trump’s 100 days in office, Stop AAPI Hate released a new report today that reveals most AA/PI (Asian American / Pacific Islander) adults have little confidence that the Trump administration will ease racial and economic struggles. More specifically, only around 1 in 10 AA/PI adults believe both racial and economic conditions will improve for AA/PI communities in the next four years under the Trump administration.
The survey, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago between Jan 7 – 15, 2025, further indicates that 62% of AA/PI adults feel there will be an increase in hostility toward immigrants, and the majority of AA/PI adults believe anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents will increase.
The report also shares examples of acts of hate reported to Stop AAPI Hate since January 1, 2025, confirming these fears. People have reported offenders questioning the identity and belonging of Asian people in America, saying they should be deported, and telling them to get out of the country.
“A [person] called me ‘illegal’ and said he would call ICE. He then pulled out his phone and looked for the ICE phone number, even though I was born in America. He then threatened me with a knife and violently pushed me and said ‘go back where you came from.’” – Boy, Southeast Asian, U.S.
“[Someone] called me a Chinese peasant [echoing the words of J.D. Vance] at [a big box store]. She said I shouldn’t be in this country and need to go back to my country. I told her that I was born here and I’m not a peasant and she needs to be more respectful. She kept yelling at me about how I need to be a peasant in my own country.” – Woman, Chinese, Washington
In its first 100 days, the Trump administration has threatened to dissolve one of AA/PIs’ main pathways to citizenship vis-a-vis the constitutional right of birthright citizenship, prosecute companies that embrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and dismantle government agencies that protect civil rights including the Department of Education. The administration has left Asian asylum seekers stranded in Panama; unjustly deported Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees to Bhutan, where they fled ethnic cleansing; shackled 100 Indian immigrants in a military airplane and sent them to India; threatened to issue travel, student, and land ownership bans based on national origin; and abused long-discredited policies like the Alien Enemies Act that stand to fuel racial profiling and undermine our democracy.
According to the Jan 7 – 15 survey, there is low support among AA/PI adults for anti-immigrant policies that undermine the safety and rights of immigrants and U.S. citizens alike. In fact, a majority decidedly oppose anti-immigrant policies such as targeting specific groups for deportation based on nationality as well as limiting visas for scholars and students. Two-thirds of Asian people and over a quarter of Pacific Islander people in the U.S. are immigrants, and many more are part of immigrant families. Additionally, most AA/PI adults oppose anti-DEI policies such as eliminating federal funding for DEI programs in public institutions including schools and federal agencies.
“President Trump has made it evident that people of color, immigrants, and anyone – citizen or not – that holds a dissenting opinion of the current administration are not welcome under his hate-fueled agenda,” said Cynthia Choi, Co-founder at Stop AAPI Hate. “From anti-immigrant slurs hurled in public spaces to discriminatory federal policies rapidly taking shape, AA/PI communities are once again being targeted and harassed under Trump’s leadership.”
Bracing for Impact: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Confront Trump’s Return surveyed nearly 1,600 AA/PI adults between January 7 and January 15, 2025. Some key findings from the report include:
- Only around 1 in 10 AA/PI adults believe racial and economic challenges for AA/PI communities will improve in the next four years under the Trump administration.
- Sixty-two percent of AA/PI adults feel there will be an increase in hostility toward immigrants.
- The majority (53%) of AA/PI adults believe anti-Asian hate crimes and incidents will increase.
- There is low support among AA/PI adults for both anti-immigrant and anti-DEI policies. For example: only 13% support targeting specific groups for deportation based on nationality, while most (58%) oppose it; only 14% support limiting visas for researchers, students, and academics from specific countries, while a majority (55%) oppose it; and only 21% support eliminating federal funding for programs promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in public institutions, while most (52%) oppose it. (Data on other policies included in the full report).
- About half or more AA/PI adults are as yet unfamiliar with many of the policies that impact their communities, including land ban legislation, visa limitations, elimination of federal funding for DEI programs, and targeted deportations based on nationality – indicating that a large proportion of AA/PI communities are unaware of the full extent of the administration and its allies’ policies that impact AA/PI communities.
- Nearly two-thirds (65%) of AA/PI adults say they are extremely or very likely to mobilize around policies to combat hate and discrimination in 2025.
“Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are bracing for more racism, discrimination, and injustice over the next four years,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, Co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate. “In just a few months, we’ve seen a coordinated assault on immigrant communities, civil rights, and AA/PI belonging — and this report makes it clear that our communities are fearing for their safety and futures.”
Stop AAPI Hate is committed to fighting back against hateful rhetoric and policies, and raising awareness of how these policies impact our communities. If you have experienced an act of hate, report here.
Read the full data analysis here for more information.
