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4 in 10 Americans doubt Asian American loyalty to US: Survey
The 2025 STAATUS Index revealed a disconnect between how Asian Americans are perceived and how the community actually experiences life.
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Staff Reporter
- Thu, 01, May 2025
- 10:52 EDT
- 94
Representative Image / Unsplash
Four in ten Americans believe Asian Americans are more loyal to their countries of origin than to the United States, a new national survey has found.
The finding, part of the 2025 STAATUS Index by The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), indicated that this year marks a record high of 40 percent of
Americans holding this belief. The rate is up from 37 percent in 2024 and nearly double the 21 percent recorded in 2021, when the survey was first launched during a surge in anti-Asian hate amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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According to TAAF, this reflects a growing belief in the “perpetual foreigner” stereotype and highlights a widening gap between public perception and the lived realities of Asian Americans.
Despite nearly half of Americans believing Asian Americans are treated fairly—a five-year high—63 percent of Asian American respondents reported feeling unsafe and feared future discrimination.
Perrcentage of Americans believing Asian Americans are treated fairly / The Asian American Foundation“In 2021, we launched the STAATUS Index to explore how Asian Americans were being scapegoated, invisibilized, and viewed through the lens of toxic stereotypes during the pandemic,” said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. “Five years later, the data shows there is a growing perception that Asian Americans are more loyal to their countries of origin than to the U.S.—a reflection of the rising belief in the 'perpetual foreigner' stereotype.”
More than a quarter of Americans expressed concern that Chinese Americans pose a national security threat. Four in ten supported laws preventing foreign citizens living in the U.S. from owning land, aligning with recent legislative efforts targeting Chinese nationals.
The Index also pointed to continued erasure in public discourse: 42 percent of Americans could not name a prominent Asian American figure, and more than half were unable to name a well-known Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. Over one in four said they had no personal relationship with any Asian American.
Among younger Americans aged 16 to 24, global pop culture—such as Japanese anime and Korean dramas—was a primary lens for learning about Asian American communities, often conflating foreign media with domestic Asian American identities.
Asian Americans are still viewed through the lens of the model minority myth / The Asian American Foundation
In the workplace, Asian Americans are still viewed through the lens of the model minority myth: seen as smart, hardworking, and respectful, yet perceived as less assertive and lacking leadership qualities compared to white Americans.
Despite this, nearly 80 percent of Americans supported policies promoting safety, inclusion, and representation for AANHPI communities. Forty-one percent backed legislation requiring Asian American history in school curricula.
“The 2025 STAATUS Index also underscores a troubling and ongoing disconnect between how Asian Americans are perceived and how we actually experience life,” Chen said. “That has real consequences for our safety, sense of belonging, and pathways to prosperity in this country.”
The survey was conducted online between Jan. 22 and Feb.25, and included responses from 4,909 U.S.-based adults aged 16 and older.
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