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| Some states are looking at legislation banning the sale of property to some Chinese Americans. |
A new survey found that three out of four Chinese Americans have experienced racial discrimination in the past year.
Even with a long history in the US, and even as the hysteria surrounding the pandemic eases, Asian Americans, especially Chinese Americans, continue to be targets of acts of hate, according to a report by the Columbia University’s School of Social Work, one of the world’s leading research universities, and Committee of 100, a nonprofit membership organization of prominent Chinese Americans.
The results from a year-long research project and survey, "The State of Chinese Americans," that looked at the health, economic, and sociopolitical conditions of today’s Chinese American population were released Monday, April 27.
“The Chinese American population is one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the United States, yet it remains underrepresented in politics and policy, and underserved in healthcare, education, and social services,” noted Gary Locke, Committee of 100 Chair, former U.S. Ambassador to China, and current President of Bellevue College in Washington.
“This important collaboration between Committee of 100 and Columbia University brings a critical and deeper understanding of the real experiences of Chinese Americans, not the stereotypical assumptions assigned to a ‘model minority’ group. Moreover, it highlights that this is a group that is both politically active and engaged. These findings are certain to influence economic, social, and political policies to help improve the well-being of the entire Chinese American community.”
FYI: To read the executive summary and view the data slides, click here.
The first and largest project of its kind, the “State of Chinese Americans” survey gathered information from nearly 6,500 participants from across the U.S., compiling data related to demographics, politics, cultural identity, health, economic security, and social engagement. The research effort was supported by over 100 Chinese American and allied organizations nationwide, who shared the survey with community members in English, traditional Chinese, and simplified Chinese.
Collecting disaggregated, accurate and comprehensive data on Chinese Americans will help inform policymakers and the public on the diverse set of opinions, perceptions, and needs of Chinese Americans across the country. This will enable key decision-makers to develop timely and responsive policies, programs, and services to address those needs.
Key findings
Racism against Chinese Americans continues. While the overwhelming majority of Chinese Americans see themselves as an accepted part of American society, culturally blended between American and Chinese traditions, they are also marginalized.
The Chinese American respondents have experienced discrimination in their daily lives with:
- Nearly 3 out of 4 (74%) Chinese Americans having experienced racial discrimination in the past 12 months;
- 55% worrying about their safety relating to hate crimes or harassment;
- 9% having been physically intimidated/assaulted and 7% having had property vandalized/damaged;
- Nearly half of the survey respondents (46%) reported being treated with less respect than other people at least a few times in the past 12 months;
- 1 in 5 reported that people made a racial slur, called them a name, or harassed them in person or online at least a few times in the past 12 months.
The overwhelming majority of Chinese American citizens vote. They care deeply about issues facing US society, and they want better relations and more collaboration between the U.S and China, including:
- The overwhelming majority (83%) of Chinese American citizens are registered voters, and 91% of registered voters voted in the 2020 presidential election;
- Racism, crime, gun control, and the economy were identified as the top four most important issues facing the U.S. according to respondents;
- Most respondents (82%) agreed that the U.S. should build a collaborative economic relationship with China;
- The economy and trade were identified as the two top areas for mutual benefit from U.S.-China collaboration efforts.
Even as non-Asians fail to recognition of all the ehthnicities and nationalities that make up the AANHPI communities, even within the Chinese American community there is great diversity.
While often stereotyped as a “model minority”, many face disadvantages or hardships in health and economics and need better support from policies and services, including:
- Nearly one in four (24%) Chinese Americans are at moderate or severe risk of mental illness when asked about their psychological distress, including feeling worthless, depressed, hopeless, restless, nervous, or that everything was an effort;
- Nearly a quarter (24%) reported either fair or poor physical or mental health, or having one or more types of disability;
- 10% reported a household income below $15k and 9% reported experiencing food or bills hardship in the past 12 months.
"This initiative has deepened our understanding of the many challenges faced by Chinese Americans today – including experiences of discrimination and risk of mental illness. These critically important findings now make it possible for us to create clear and informed policy – policy that leads to equity,” says Dr. Melissa Begg, Dean of the Columbia School of Social Work.
Zhengyu Huang, President of Committee of 100 noted, “This collaboration with Columbia University marks the first in what I hope will be a long partnership in gathering and analyzing quality data related to the Chinese American community. The findings from this survey are certain to influence many conversations around the power of disaggregated data.
"For example, the vast majority of Chinese Americans believe that the US should work to find ways to collaborate with China on economic issues. The majority of them see the current US-China relationship as negative and needing improvement. As we delve more deeply into the data in the coming weeks and months, I am confident that the findings will have real impact in our efforts to work towards a more inclusive and equitable society for all.”
Additional Survey Findings
- Nearly 40% reported speaking two or more languages at home, with 80% being English proficient;
- Over half of the sample were born in Mainland China and over a quarter (27%) were born in the U.S., but the percentages of those who specified Mainland China and the United States as a place of upbringing were similar (44% and 41%);
- 79% viewed current U.S.-China relations as negative, and negativity grew with increasing educational attainment.
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