December 17, 2025
Stop AAPI Hate’s latest report illustrates impact of widespread racism and discrimination against Pacific Islander people as PI communities continue to face critical systemic inequities
NATIONWIDE — Today, Stop AAPI Hate released a new report, “Unsettled Waters: Anti-Pacific Islander Hate Amid Ongoing Injustice,” that shows Pacific Islander (PI) communities in the U.S. are facing widespread racism and discrimination. The report also examines the impact of race-based hate against the backdrop of colonialism, militarization, and forced displacement that has harmed PI communities for generations.
The report is based on a 2025 national survey of 504 PI adults conducted with NORC at the University of Chicago, hate act reports submitted to Stop AAPI Hate’s reporting center, as well as insights from Stop AAPI Hate’s advisory council of Pacific Islander community leaders and experts.
Key findings include:
- Nearly half (47%) of Pacific Islander adults experienced some form of hate due to their race, ethnicity, or nationality in 2024.
- Harassment was the most common type of hate act (41%). Around a quarter (27%) experienced institutional discrimination, like unfair treatment by an employer.
- In addition to facing high levels of hate in online (48%) and in public spaces (44%), PI adults also experience high levels of hate at institutions like workplaces (38%) and businesses (37%).
- PI adults, compared to Asian adults, were more likely to report hate acts at certain institutions, including in the workplace (38% vs. 19%), educational institutions (26% vs. 11%), healthcare settings (22% vs. 9%), and places of worship (16% vs. 6%).
- Experiences with hate take a serious toll on individuals’ well-being, with 58% of PI adults reporting negative effects on their mental or physical health.
- A majority of PIs (61%) who experienced hate did not report the hate act to a formal authority or agency such as a HR department, the police, or a civil rights agency.
- 82% expressed concern about the racial climate, and 75% were motivated to get involved in justice and equity efforts.
“Pacific Islander communities are too often overlooked in society, by our government, and even among AAPI communities – and this has been the case for generations,” said Connie Tan, Data and Research Manager at Stop AAPI Hate. “This imposed invisibility exacerbates the harmful impact of hate acts that Pacific Islander people experience – and it is, in and of itself, a form of anti-PI discrimination on a systemic level. Our report aims to chip away at this issue by shining a light on the concerningly high prevalence of hate acts against Pacific Islander people – while also emphasizing their communities’ unique challenges stemming from centuries of colonialism, militarization, forced displacement, and government neglect.”
A number of stories submitted to Stop AAPI Hate’s reporting center further illustrate how Pacific Islander people experience acts of hate today. In some instances, PI people report being mistaken for Asian, underscoring how PI communities are too often wrongly conflated with Asian communities:
- “I made a random comment on a [social media] post [related to the release of dolphins to the wild] […] Some guy posted that I should be locked up in concrete and do tricks […] This person then proceed[ed] to post that they are reporting me to ICE (I’m a citizen), and I should get my papers ready. Is this 1930s Germany? I fear for my safety with the current ICE raids.” –Man, multiracial Pacific Islander (2025)
- “A woman attempted to stop me in my tracks and screamed in my face. She said, ‘You’re wearing a mask? What goes around comes around. Go back to f***ing China.’” –Man, multiracial Pacific Islander (2023)
- “I was walking […] when a man walked up to me while I was masked […] He got up close to me and yelled at me, ‘Why are you even wearing a mask, your people brought it here,’ referring to COVID. I identify as Pacific Islander but this man saw me as Chinese.” –Man, CHamoru (2022)
- “I was sharing about my home, Guam, and how we are a U.S. territory. A woman stated that my culture is insignificant, I’m a foreigner, and an ingrate.” –Woman, CHamoru (2021)
- “They called me a Samoan sea n-gg-r outlaw.”–Undisclosed gender identity, Polynesian (2021)
The report also highlights systemic inequalities that leave Pacific Islander communities more susceptible to long-term health issues and other harms. For example, a disproportionate number of PI people are recruited to the military or athletic programs, which leave them more susceptible to traumatic brain injuries, chronic pain, PTSD, and other long-term health problems.
“While Pacific Islander communities share commonalities with Asian communities, we are and should be considered distinct for many reasons. Even among PI communities, there are countless differences in cultures, histories, languages, and experiences,” said API Advocates Executive Director Isa Kelawili Whalen, who is on Stop AAPI Hate’s PI Advisory Council. “Leadership, media, and society at large need to make a stronger effort to evaluate and address the specific challenges and harms Pacific Islander people face. Only then can our communities begin to heal from generations of colonization, militarization, and displacement – and stop acts of hate against us from reoccurring.”
Read the full report and the executive summary for more data and information.
