A poll of a representative sample of 500 Asian Americans found a significant number in the community say they have personally experienced discrimination.
The survey conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is part of a larger survey of African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, whites, men, women and LGBTQ adults.
“Our poll shows that Asian American families have the highest average income among the groups we’ve surveyed, and yet the poll still finds that Asian Americans experience persistent discrimination in housing, jobs and at college,” said Robert Blendon to NPR. “Over the course of our series, we are seeing again and again that income is not a shield from discrimination.” Blendon co-directed the survey and is a professor of health policy and political analysis at the Harvard Chan School.
More than one out of four Asian Americans say they have been personally discriminated against because they are Asian.
27 percent have experienced discrimination when applying for jobs, 25% when being paid or applying for promotions, and also 25 percent when renting or buying a home.
Slightly more Asian Americans, about one out of three, say they have experienced racial or ethnic slurs. 35% say they have been subjected to offensive comments about their race and ethnicity.
61% of Asian Americans surveyed believe members of their community face discrimination. Younger Asian Americans are more likely to feel this than older Americans. 68% believe this discrimination is based on individual prejudice while 16 percent say both government policies and individuals are equally to blame. 14% blame institutional racism.
You can read the entire report here.
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