Half of Asian Americans still feel unsafe in the United States, especially on public transit

Anti-Asian American sentiment has been on the rise ever since the first emergence of COVID-19. While many people have moved on from the pandemic, discrimination against the Asian American community is still here. The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) released its annual STAATUS Index, a study that asks a sample of 5,235 Americans representing different demographics about their sentiments around Asian Americans and Asian issues. Here are the key findings:



52% of Asian Americans have felt uncomfortable or unsafe because of their race, compared to 53% of Black respondents, 47% of Hispanic respondents, and 28% of white respondents. Asian Americans feel the least safe on public transportation (29%), followed by in their own neighborhoods and schools (19%). The majority of Americans see China as a threat, complicating their perception of Asian Americans. Eighty-three percent of respondents said they saw China as a military threat and 74% as an economic threat. But 79% of Americans don’t think Chinese Americans are a threat to the United States, even as about one-third of Americans see Asian Americans as more loyal to their perceived country of origin. Additionally, about one-third of Americans also think Asian Americans should be subjected to additional security if they work in areas critical to America’s global competitiveness. However, Americans are open to improving their relationship with Asian Americans: 64% of all respondents believe Asian Americans are somewhat or highly inaccurately portrayed on TV and in movies, and 60% of Americans said they’d like more opportunities to interact with Asian Americans and learn about their experiences and history. About a quarter of Americans could not name a single famous Asian American.



The survey’s release coincides with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which is observed in May.