It can all be very confusing: Asian. Or, American. Or, Asian American. Take your choice. There no right or wrong answer. There's a multitude of ways to identify oneself for US residents who trace their family lineage from Asia.
To make it even more complicated, throw in nationalities, ethnicities and how long one has lived in the US. Are you Filipino or Filipino American? Indian or Indian American? Chinese or Chinese American? With over 20 Asian countries of origin, it can leave one's head spinning.
A new report from the nonpartisan Pew Research Center shows that being Asian in the US, is far more complicated than a simple either/or answer. The wide range of experiences in the US offers up more options, blur distinctions and opens up to the wider question: Who is American?"
There are other ways in which Asians living in the US describe their identity. About half (51%) of Asian adults say they use American on its own (10%), together with their ethnicity (25%) or together with “Asian” as Asian American (16%) when describing their identity, highlighting their links to the US.
The United States’ Asian population is fast growing and diverse. Numbering more than 23 million, the population has ancestral roots across the vast, ethnically and culturally rich Asian continent. For Asians living in the US, this diversity is reflected in how they describe their own identity.
The United States’ Asian population is fast growing and diverse. Numbering more than 23 million, the population has ancestral roots across the vast, ethnically and culturally rich Asian continent. For Asians living in the US, this diversity is reflected in how they describe their own identity.
Immigration experiences, connections with home countries, and how long someone has lived in the US. shape many Asian Americans’ identities. Among Asian adults in the US, immigrants are more likely than those who are US-born to describe their identity most often with their ethnic labels, either alone or together with the label American (56% vs. 41%).
According to Pew's new, nationwide, comprehensive survey of Asian adults living in the US, 52% say they most often use ethnic labels that reflect their heritage and family roots, either alone or together with “American,” to describe themselves. Chinese or Chinese American, Filipino or Filipino American, and Indian or Indian American are examples of these variations.
According to Pew's new, nationwide, comprehensive survey of Asian adults living in the US, 52% say they most often use ethnic labels that reflect their heritage and family roots, either alone or together with “American,” to describe themselves. Chinese or Chinese American, Filipino or Filipino American, and Indian or Indian American are examples of these variations.
Asian adults see more cultural differences than commonalities across their group as well. When asked to choose between two statements – that Asians in the US share
a common culture, or that Asians in the US have many different cultures – nearly all (90%) say US Asians have many different cultures. Just 9% say Asians living in the US share a common culture. This view is widely held across many demographic groups among Asian Americans, according to the survey.
The view that Asian Americans have many different cultures is also one held by the general public, according to another Pew Research Center survey of US adults, conducted in December 2022. Among US adults of all ethnicities, 80% say Asians in the US have many different cultures, while 18% say they share a common culture.1
Though Asian Americans’ identities reflect their diverse cultures and origins, Asian adults also report certain shared experiences. A majority (60%) say most people would describe them as “Asian” while walking past them on the street, indicating most Asian adults feel they are seen by others as a single group, despite the population’s diversity.
One-in-five say they have hidden a part of their heritage (their ethnic food, cultural practices, ethnic clothing or religious practices) from others who are not Asian, in some cases out of fear of embarrassment or discrimination. Notably, Asian adults ages 18 to 29, (those still trying to "fit in" at their school or work) are more likely to say they have done this than Asians 65 and older (39% vs. 5%).
Growing sense of an 'Asian American' community
Asian adults in the US also feel connected with other Asian Americans. About six-in-ten (59%) say that what happens to Asians in the US. affects their own lives, at least to some extent. And about two-thirds (68%) of Asian Americans say it is extremely or very important to have a national leader advocating for the concerns and needs of the Asian population in the US.
The new survey also shows that large majorities of Asian adults share similar views on what it takes to be considered truly American. And they consider many of the same factors to be important in their views of the American dream.
These are among the key findings from Pew Research Center’s new survey of Asian American adults, conducted by mail and online from July 5, 2022, to Jan. 27, 2023. This is the largest nationally representative survey of its kind to date that focused on Asian Americans. The survey was conducted in English and five Asian languages, among a representative sample of 7,006 Asian adults living in the United States.
Asian Americans are 7% of the US population, according to the Pew analysis of the 2021 American Community Survey. The six largest origin groups (Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese), a focus of this survey and report, together account for 79% of all Asian Americans.
Overall, about 34% of Asian Americans are the US-born children of immigrant parents, and another 14% are of third or higher generation (meaning their parents were born in the U.S. as well), according to a Pew analysis of the 2022 Current Population Survey, March Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
This survey and report focus on Asian adults in the US. The six largest origin groups together account for 81% of Asian adults. And 68% of Asian American adults are immigrants, according to Center analysis of the 2021 American Community Survey. Additionally, 25% are the US.-born children of immigrant parents and 10% are of third or higher generation, according to Center analysis of government data.
In most cases today, someone is considered Asian or Asian American if they self-identify as such. But Asian Americans do not necessarily agree on which regional or ethnic groups from the Asian continent they consider to be Asian, according to the new survey. The vast majority of Asian adults say they consider those from East Asia, such as Chinese or Koreans (89%); Southeast Asia, such as Vietnamese or Filipinos (88%); and to a lesser extent South Asia such as Indians or Pakistanis (67%) to be Asian.
But Asian adults are split on whether they consider Central Asians such as Afghans or Kazakhs to be Asian (43% of Asian adults say they are). While about half of Indian adults (56%) say they would include Central Asians in the category Asian, fewer than half of Filipino (40%), Chinese (39%), Japanese (34%), Korean (32%) and Vietnamese (30%) adults consider them Asian.
Few say they are knowledgeable about US Asian history
Asian Americans have a long history in the United States. From Chinese laborers who helped build the first transcontinental railroad, to Japanese immigrants who arrived as plantation workers in what is now the state of Hawaii, to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, to Filipinos being treated as US nationals while the Philippines was a US territory, the Asian American experience has been a part of US history.
With the passage of the landmark Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, a new wave of immigrants from Asia began arriving in the United States, creating a new, contemporary US Asian history. The Vietnam War and other conflicts in Southeast Asia brought Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian refugees to the U.S., first with the passage of the 1975 Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act and then with the Refugee Act of 1980.
Immigrant ties shape Asian Americans’ identities and their life in the US.
Meanwhile, Asian immigrants are less likely than US-born Asians (46% vs. 65%) to say they most often describe themselves as American in some way – whether by their ethnic label combined with American, as Asian American, or simply as American. Still, nearly half of Asian immigrants describe themselves in one of these three ways.
When it comes to identifying with the label Asian – either alone or as Asian American – immigrant and US-born Asians are about equally likely to say they do so (28% and 29% respectively). Immigrant Asians are less likely than US-born Asians to identify most often as Asian American (14% vs. 21%).
On the question of seeing themselves more as a “typical American” or “very different from a typical American,” Asian immigrant adults are far less likely than those born in the US to think of themselves as a typical American (37% vs. 69%).
Nativity is also tied to how Asians in the US develop their friendships. Those who immigrated to the US are more likely to have friends who are Asian or of the same ethnicity as them than are U.S.-born Asians (56% vs. 38%).
Asian immigrants (15%) are also less likely than US-born Asians (32%) to have ever hidden a part of their heritage from people who are not Asian. When asked in an open-ended question to explain why they hide aspects of their culture, some U.S.-born respondents mentioned phrases such as “fear of discrimination,” “being teased” and “embarrassing.”
The view that Asian Americans have many different cultures is also one held by the general public, according to another Pew Research Center survey of US adults, conducted in December 2022. Among US adults of all ethnicities, 80% say Asians in the US have many different cultures, while 18% say they share a common culture.1
Though Asian Americans’ identities reflect their diverse cultures and origins, Asian adults also report certain shared experiences. A majority (60%) say most people would describe them as “Asian” while walking past them on the street, indicating most Asian adults feel they are seen by others as a single group, despite the population’s diversity.
Growing sense of an 'Asian American' community
Asian adults in the US also feel connected with other Asian Americans. About six-in-ten (59%) say that what happens to Asians in the US. affects their own lives, at least to some extent. And about two-thirds (68%) of Asian Americans say it is extremely or very important to have a national leader advocating for the concerns and needs of the Asian population in the US.
The new survey also shows that large majorities of Asian adults share similar views on what it takes to be considered truly American. And they consider many of the same factors to be important in their views of the American dream.
These are among the key findings from Pew Research Center’s new survey of Asian American adults, conducted by mail and online from July 5, 2022, to Jan. 27, 2023. This is the largest nationally representative survey of its kind to date that focused on Asian Americans. The survey was conducted in English and five Asian languages, among a representative sample of 7,006 Asian adults living in the United States.
Asian Americans are 7% of the US population, according to the Pew analysis of the 2021 American Community Survey. The six largest origin groups (Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese), a focus of this survey and report, together account for 79% of all Asian Americans.
Overall, about 34% of Asian Americans are the US-born children of immigrant parents, and another 14% are of third or higher generation (meaning their parents were born in the U.S. as well), according to a Pew analysis of the 2022 Current Population Survey, March Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
This survey and report focus on Asian adults in the US. The six largest origin groups together account for 81% of Asian adults. And 68% of Asian American adults are immigrants, according to Center analysis of the 2021 American Community Survey. Additionally, 25% are the US.-born children of immigrant parents and 10% are of third or higher generation, according to Center analysis of government data.
In most cases today, someone is considered Asian or Asian American if they self-identify as such. But Asian Americans do not necessarily agree on which regional or ethnic groups from the Asian continent they consider to be Asian, according to the new survey. The vast majority of Asian adults say they consider those from East Asia, such as Chinese or Koreans (89%); Southeast Asia, such as Vietnamese or Filipinos (88%); and to a lesser extent South Asia such as Indians or Pakistanis (67%) to be Asian.
But Asian adults are split on whether they consider Central Asians such as Afghans or Kazakhs to be Asian (43% of Asian adults say they are). While about half of Indian adults (56%) say they would include Central Asians in the category Asian, fewer than half of Filipino (40%), Chinese (39%), Japanese (34%), Korean (32%) and Vietnamese (30%) adults consider them Asian.
Few say they are knowledgeable about US Asian history
Asian Americans have a long history in the United States. From Chinese laborers who helped build the first transcontinental railroad, to Japanese immigrants who arrived as plantation workers in what is now the state of Hawaii, to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, to Filipinos being treated as US nationals while the Philippines was a US territory, the Asian American experience has been a part of US history.
The 1990 Immigration Act raised immigration ceilings and set in place processes that allowed the flows of Asian immigrants, particularly of high-skilled immigrants, to continue and expand. The US technology boom of the 1990s and 2000s attracted many high-skilled immigrants, particularly from India and China, to tech centers around the country.
This rich history, however, is little-known to Asian adults, according to the new survey. One-in-four (24%) say they are very or extremely informed about history of Asians in the United States, while an equal share (24%) say they are little or not at all informed.
The majority of those very or extremely informed about the history of Asians in the US say they learned about this history through informal channels: internet (82%), media (76%) and family and friends (70%). In contrast, 49% learned about it from college or university courses and 39% from elementary through high school.
This rich history, however, is little-known to Asian adults, according to the new survey. One-in-four (24%) say they are very or extremely informed about history of Asians in the United States, while an equal share (24%) say they are little or not at all informed.
The majority of those very or extremely informed about the history of Asians in the US say they learned about this history through informal channels: internet (82%), media (76%) and family and friends (70%). In contrast, 49% learned about it from college or university courses and 39% from elementary through high school.
Immigrant ties shape Asian Americans’ identities and their life in the US.
When it comes to identifying with the label Asian – either alone or as Asian American – immigrant and US-born Asians are about equally likely to say they do so (28% and 29% respectively). Immigrant Asians are less likely than US-born Asians to identify most often as Asian American (14% vs. 21%).
On the question of seeing themselves more as a “typical American” or “very different from a typical American,” Asian immigrant adults are far less likely than those born in the US to think of themselves as a typical American (37% vs. 69%).
Nativity is also tied to how Asians in the US develop their friendships. Those who immigrated to the US are more likely to have friends who are Asian or of the same ethnicity as them than are U.S.-born Asians (56% vs. 38%).
Asian immigrants (15%) are also less likely than US-born Asians (32%) to have ever hidden a part of their heritage from people who are not Asian. When asked in an open-ended question to explain why they hide aspects of their culture, some U.S.-born respondents mentioned phrases such as “fear of discrimination,” “being teased” and “embarrassing.”
Asians in the US share similar views on what it means to be American
The new survey also explored the views Asian Americans have about traits that make one “truly American.” Overall, Asian Americans and the general US population share similar views of what it means to be American. Nearly all Asian adults and US adults say that accepting people of diverse racial and religious backgrounds (94% and 91%), believing in individual freedoms (92% and 94%) and respecting U.S. political institutions and laws (89% and 87%) are important for being truly American.
Similarly, Asian Americans and the general population share in their views about the American dream. They say having freedom of choice in how to live one’s life (96% and 97% respectively), having a good family life (96% and 94%), retiring comfortably (96% and 94%) and owning a home (both 86%) are important to their view of the American dream. Smaller shares of Asian and US adults (30% and 27%) say owning a business is important to their view of the American dream.
The new survey also explored the views Asian Americans have about traits that make one “truly American.” Overall, Asian Americans and the general US population share similar views of what it means to be American. Nearly all Asian adults and US adults say that accepting people of diverse racial and religious backgrounds (94% and 91%), believing in individual freedoms (92% and 94%) and respecting U.S. political institutions and laws (89% and 87%) are important for being truly American.
Similarly, Asian Americans and the general population share in their views about the American dream. They say having freedom of choice in how to live one’s life (96% and 97% respectively), having a good family life (96% and 94%), retiring comfortably (96% and 94%) and owning a home (both 86%) are important to their view of the American dream. Smaller shares of Asian and US adults (30% and 27%) say owning a business is important to their view of the American dream.
Here are other survey findings highlighting the diverse views and attitudes of Asian adults living in the US:
- Indian adults are the most likely of the six largest Asian origin groups to say they most often use their ethnicity, without the addition of “American,” to describe themselves. About four-in-ten Indian adults (41%) say they do this. By comparison, smaller shares of Korean (30%), Filipino (29%), Chinese (26%) and Vietnamese (23%) adults do the same. Japanese adults (14%) are the least likely among the largest groups to use their ethnic identity term alone.
- For many Asian adults, where they were born shapes friendships formed in the US. Overall, about half (51%) of Asian Americans say all or most of their friends in the United States share their own ethnicity or are otherwise Asian. However, this varies by nativity. Those who immigrated to the US are more likely to say that all or most of their friends in the US are the same ethnicity as them or are otherwise Asian (56%). This compares with the 38% of U.S.-born
Asian adults who say the sam - Japanese adults are the least likely among the largest Asian origin groups to say they have friendships with other Asians. About one-in-three Japanese adults (34%) say most or all their friends share their own ethnicity or are otherwise Asian. By contrast, about half of all Indian (55%), Vietnamese (55%), Chinese (51%), Korean (50%) and Filipino (48%) respondents say the same.
- One-in-four Korean adults (25%) say they have hidden part of their heritage from people who are not Asian. Some 20% of Indian, 19% of Chinese, 18% of Vietnamese, 16% of Filipino and 14% of Japanese adults say they have done the same.
- Across the largest ethnic groups, about half or more say that what happens to Asians in the US affects what happens in their own lives. About two-thirds of Korean (67%) and Chinese (65%) adults say this. By comparison, 61% of Japanese, 54% of Filipino, 55% of Indian and 52% of Vietnamese adults say they are impacted by what happens to Asians nationally.
- Most Asian adults among the largest ethnic origin groups say a national leader advancing the US Asian community’s concerns is important. Roughly three-in-four Filipino (74%) and Chinese (73%) adults say it is very or extremely important to for the US Asian community to have a national leader advancing its concerns. A majority of Vietnamese (69%), Korean (66%), Japanese (63%) and Indian adults (62%) says the same.
- About half of Vietnamese registered voters (51%) identify with or lean to the Republican Party. In contrast, about two-thirds of Indian (68%), Filipino (68%) and Korean (67%) registered voters identify with or lean toward the Democratic Party. And 56% of Chinese registered voters also associate with the Democratic Party.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter or at his blog Views From the Edge.
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