Are Asian Americans living the ‘American Dream’? Depends on who you ask, it seems.
A report by The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) reveals a gap between Asian-Americans’ lived experiences and how the American public perceives them. The report shows how Americans view Asian-American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities across various categories like hate, national security, visibility, belonging, and building bridges.
When it comes to hate crimes, the perception is contrasting.
Only one-third of Americans believe anti-Asian hate crimes are on the rise, while 61% of Asian Americans report feeling increased hatred in the last 12 months.
Forty-three per cent of Americans surveyed showed no familiarity with recent attacks on Asian-Americans, according to the report.
Also, Asian-Americans feel the least sense of belonging compared to other racial groups, the report showed.
ASIAN AMERICANS FACES ABUSE AND DISCRIMINATION
“Lack of visibility and awareness of Asian-American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) issues, history, and leaders continues to pose a challenge to the AANHPI community’s sense of belonging and acceptance,” the report says.
Thirty-two per cent of the Asian-Americans said that they were called racial slurs and about 29% said that they have been verbally abused or verbally harassed over the past 12 months.
Forty-one per cent of the Asian-Americans surveyed believe that they will be physically attacked on the basis of race, ethnicity, or religion in the next five years. While 59% of Asian Americans believe that they will become a victim of discrimination.
Due to discrimination and lack of representation, only 38% of Asian-Americans fully agree they belong, and even fewer (18%) feel fully accepted in the US for their racial identity.
Asian-Americans feel the least sense of belonging compared to other racial groups. For those who feel excluded, online spaces/social media (34%) are the least welcoming, followed by workplaces,…
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