July 17, 2025
New report paints sobering picture of widespread anti-AA/PI hate in California, fueled by rising anti-immigrant rhetoric and deepening racial discrimination during a contentious election year
CALIFORNIA — Stop AAPI Hate today released its State of Anti-AA/PI Hate in California report, which found that in 2024, 48% of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AA/PI) adults reported experiencing hate — similar to the level in 2023 (49%). The new findings confirm that anti-AA/PI hate in California remained widespread and deeply harmful last year during a contentious general election rife with xenophobic, racist political rhetoric led by now President Donald Trump and his allies.
The release of this report closely follows a barrage of federal attacks against AA/PI immigrants in California, home to the largest AA/PI population in the nation. Within the past few months alone, ICE officials have abducted AA/PI immigrants on fruit farms, hospitals, and courthouses without due process. The U.S. Department of Justice has slashed hundreds of millions in public safety grants from a number of AA/PI organizations across the state.
Some of the key findings of the report include:
- Nearly one in three (31%) AA/PI adults in California who experienced hate in 2024 told no one — not even a friend or family member, and 72% never reported their incident to a formal authority.
- The top three reasons AA/PI adults in California did not formally report included believing that 1) their hate experience was not serious enough to report (68%), 2) reporting would not make a difference (68%), and 3) reporting took too much time and effort (53%).
- Many anticipate worsening conditions over the next four years with most AA/PI adults in California expecting greater hostility toward immigrant communities (61%), rising racial tensions (56%), and an increase in anti-AA/PI hate acts (53%).
Despite these troubling findings, AA/PI adults in California continue to engage in various efforts to combat hate – ranging from providing interpersonal support and raising awareness to direct political activism. Two thirds (66%) of those surveyed actively worked to reduce or resist racial discrimination in their communities. Just as many are poised to take action to oppose policies and practices that threaten AA/PI communities, such as Trump’s attacks on birthright citizenship and international students as well as his administration’s cruel and unlawful mass deportation campaign.
The report validates California’s longstanding history as a state that is leading the way in addressing anti-AAPI hate – notably through the passage of the Asian and Pacific Islander Equity Budget in 2021 and its significant investments in community-based solutions like the Stop the Hate program. Yet, it also calls for sustained support given an anticipated rise in anti-AA/PI hate resulting from the Trump administration’s actions and rhetoric. Leaders in California must continue to work together to ensure greater investment in culturally competent mental health care, trauma recovery services, community-based systems of support, and policies that prevent hate and help victims heal.
“While our latest data confirms there is a lot more to be done to tackle anti-AA/PI hate and help victims, it also reflects how critical state investments have been in holding the line — mitigating harm in a political climate where the worst outcomes could unfold at the drop of a hat without strong support,” said Manjusha Kulkarni, Co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate. “With 63% of Asian people and 33% of Pacific Islander people in California born abroad, the Trump administration’s xenophobic mass deportation operation and attacks on education and public safety funding inflict profound harm on AA/PI Californians. As the federal government only continues to escalate their attacks, now is the time for California’s leaders to double down on investments to ensure the people they serve are safe from hate and violence.”
Reports submitted to Stop AAPI Hate’s reporting center have been instrumental in capturing the wide range of hate acts that AA/PI people face on a daily basis. The accounts in the current report reflect the presence of widespread anti-immigrant sentiment, which aligns with the rhetoric of Trump’s xenophobic agenda. One-third (33%) of hate acts reported to Stop AAPI Hate in 2024 occurred in California.
Person was saying hate speech in a public area. When he saw me enter a restaurant, he said, “Enjoy your last meal. You are getting deported.” – Man, Taiwanese
There was a group of three young adults. One of them assumed I am Muslim, which I am not. And as soon as I entered the playground with my kid, he said to his friend while looking at me, “Hey, do you have a gun?” I understood he was targeting me thinking I’m Muslim. Then he went on to say to the same friend, “Hey, do you have a bomb?” – Woman, Indian
Stop AAPI Hate has continued to receive similar reports in 2025 as Trump’s campaign promises have now become reality.
Attacker ran towards my wife & toddler (in stroller), yelled ‘Can I kill your child’ 3 times, then told my wife to ‘Go back to her country’ (She was born/raised in the US). Attacker then proceeded to physically KICK the stroller. – Family, Chinese
I was showing a group a mural that includes Wong Kim Ark and was talking about his Supreme Court case and how he argued, ‘I was born here,’ when he wasn’t allowed to re-enter the U.S. A man who was walking by yelled, ‘Are you sure you were born here? I don’t think so, b-tch’ and kept walking away. I tried to yell, ‘I WAS born here!’ but he was already gone and didn’t care. – Woman, Taiwanese
Other key findings from the 2024 State of Hate California report include:
- Harassment (44%) and institutional discrimination (21%) were the most common types of hate acts experienced.
- Online (39%) and public spaces (37%) were the most common locations where a hate act was experienced.
- Of those who experienced hate, (54%) noted that it was intersectional, and targeted other aspects of their identity in addition to their race, ethnicity, or nationality.
“As we witness the dangerous rollback of our rights and deepening federal cuts to public safety funding, California’s leaders have both a responsibility and opportunity to take a firm stance against Trump’s attacks on our communities’ safety, dignity, and belonging in this country we call home,” said Cynthia Choi Co-Founder of Stop AAPI Hate. “The recommendations in this report provide a clear roadmap for action from advancing legislation investing in state programs that promote safe and inclusive environments for AA/PI communities in partnership with small businesses, and renewing dedicated funding for organizations providing frontline support. This is a moment for bold state leadership.
The data from this report is based on a sample of 515 Californian AA/PI adults who were surveyed as part of Stop AAPI Hate’s nationally representative survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago from January 7-15, 2025.
Read the full data analysis here for more information.
