Joint research by Committee of 100 and NORC shows the U.S. – China relationship, along with political and media rhetoric impacts how Chinese Americans are treated by strangers, acquaintances and coworkers

New York, NY — Committee of 100, a non-profit membership organization of prominent Chinese Americans, and NORC at the University of Chicago, one of the largest independent social research organizations in the United States, today unveiled its ‘State of Chinese Americans’ study, a survey focused on areas of mental health, political preferences, discrimination, and diversity of the Chinese American population.

In the survey, two-thirds of Chinese Americans (68%) stated they face at least one form of discrimination in an average month, with a large percentage of the Chinese American community stating they continue to struggle with mental health. 43% of those surveyed say they felt depressed and 39% reporting having felt worthless. 61% say that the language and rhetoric used by the U.S. news media when reporting on U.S. – China relations negatively affects how strangers treat them; and about a quarter of the respondents say their relationship with acquaintances (26%) and coworkers (25%) has also been negatively impacted by the relationship.  On the U.S. – China relationship overall, nearly ninety percent (89%) of Chinese Americans view the current U.S. China relationship as negative.

With a lack of data specifically on Chinese Americans, the Committee of 100 and NORC study was conducted to help address the insufficient data necessary to inform and address ongoing discrimination, stereotypes, and misperceptions about Chinese Americans, and the many gaps in knowledge that remain about Chinese Americans’ political attitudes and behaviors.

“Understanding the mental health, discrimination and political perspectives of Chinese Americans is essential to create inclusive and informed policies,” said Cindy Tsai, Interim President, Committee of 100. “These insights not only enrich political dialogue but also foster a more equitable society. Partnering with NORC at the University of Chicago, Dr. Nathan Chan and Dr. Vivien Leung on this project has been exciting, and we hope the data will help shape policy decisions that help improve the lives of Chinese Americans nationwide.”

“Recognizing and understanding the diverse viewpoints within the Chinese American community is essential for ensuring our political landscape truly reflects all voices.,” said Alex Chew, Director, AmeriSpeak at NORC at the University of Chicago and Amplify AAPI lead. “We are proud to join forces with the Committee of 100 on this important research.”  

The “2024 State of Chinese Americans” study aimed to identify model minority stereotypes, misperceptions of the Chinese American population as a monolithic political bloc, and provide needed insights about the lived experiences, policy preferences, and political activity of Chinese Americans.  In particular, the study seeks to further understanding and illuminate the effects that poor relations between the U.S. and China has on how politicians and U.S. news media talk about China and U.S.-China relations, and in turn how the rhetoric and language used in these discussions negatively impacts the treatment of Chinese Americans by the general public.  Continuing this throughline, the study also shows how this poor treatment (i.e. discrimination) negatively affects mental health outcomes and perceptions of acceptance in American society.

Overall conclusions from the survey include Chinese Americans having high levels of concern about U.S. and China relations, particularly as relations affect how Chinese Americans are treated by others; that they are a diverse and excited electorate, yet uncaptured by either major party; they still frequently face discrimination in everyday life, and; are diverse when it comes to nativity and birthplace. The Executive Summary of the key findings from the 2004 “State of Chinese Americans” survey report are broken out into these four key areas: 

Chinese Americans still frequently face discrimination in everyday life.

• About two thirds of Chinese Americans (68%) face at least one form of discrimination in an average month, and 85% perceive this discrimination to be because of their race, ethnicity, accent, or name.
• More than half of Chinese Americans (54%) regularly experience microaggressions, such as people assuming they are not from the U.S., but many also are verbally insulted (27%) or physically threatened or harassed (21%) in an average month.
• A large proportion of the Chinese American community continue to struggle with mental health; 50% report having felt hopeless in the 30 days before taking the survey, 43% say they felt depressed, and 39% report having felt worthless. This struggle with mental wellness is particularly pronounced among those who are younger, women, and Chinese Americans who regularly experience racial discrimination.

Chinese Americans are a diverse and excited electorate, yet uncaptured by either major party.

• Three quarters of Chinese American citizens (76%) are certain they’ll turn out to vote in November’s presidential election, including 87% of registered voters that say the same;
• A little less than half of Chinese Americans (46%) identify as Democrats, 31% identify as Republicans, and 24% identify as independents or don’t lean toward either party;
• The economy ranks as one of the most important issues to Chinese Americans ahead of the 2024 election, and the plurality (43%) say the economy is getting worse.

Chinese Americans have high levels of concern about U.S. and China relations.

• 89% describe the current U.S. and China relationship as negative and nearly two thirds (65%) say the current bilateral relations negatively affect how other Americans treat them;
• Four in five Chinese Americans (81%) are at least a little concerned about the language and rhetoric used by the 2024 presidential candidates when they talk about China and U.S.-China relations;
• 61% say that the language and rhetoric used by U.S. news media when reporting on China and U.S.-China relations negatively affects how strangers treat them; and about a quarter of respondents says their relationships with acquaintances (26%) and coworkers (25%) have also been negatively impacted by this. 

Chinese Americans are diverse when it comes to nativity and birthplace.

• Only a third of Chinese Americans are optimistic that their values and cultures are becoming more widespread and accepted in the United States. The majority feel that American society has not shifted in either direction when it comes to cultural acceptance (41%) or that acceptance is becoming rarer (18%).
• Most Chinese Americans feel connected to other people of Chinese descent in the U.S.: 70% state that the well-being of other Chinese Americans affects their individual lives.
• Roughly three in four Chinese Americans are born outside of the United States,  Although many Chinese Americans are born abroad, the vast majority (83%) are citizens, including 78% of those born outside of the U.S.

Additional Findings

• About two thirds (67%) think that legislative efforts by many states to limit the ability of individuals with Chinese citizenship to own various types of land has a negative effect on how others treat them;
• About four in five Chinese Americans (81%) still think that the two countries – U.S. and China – can cooperate on student exchange programs;
• About three quarters of Chinese Americans (76%) think the country is going in the wrong direction, including about two thirds of Democrats (68%);
• Chinese Americans are dissatisfied with the handling of violence against their communities, with more than half (51%) saying federal elected officials are doing a poor job of handling this situation;
• A majority of Chinese Americans say that being Chinese (57%) and American (56%) are very important to their identity;
• Roughly three in four Chinese Americans are born outside of the United States, but younger people are born in the U.S. at significantly higher rates; 42% of 18-29 year-olds are born in the U.S., compared to 26% of people 60 years or older.  

Survey Methodology   

Committee of 100 partnered with NORC at the University of Chicago to reach a sample of 504 Chinese American adults using NORC’s probability-based Amplify AAPI survey panel.  Participants were asked 49 questions about: cultural identity and acceptance in the U.S., experiences with discrimination, opinions about how violence against Chinese Americans is being addressed, political engagement, views toward presidential candidates, positions on a wide array of pertinent policy issues, and opinions on U.S.-China relations and the downstream effects of the countries’ relations. Participants were given the option to take the survey over the phone in English, Mandarin, or Cantonese, or online in English, simplified Chinese, or traditional Chinese. The data were weighted across age, gender, age-by-gender, census region, education, and nativity, benchmarked by the American Community Survey’s 2022 5-year data.

Acknowledgment

Committee of 100 and NORC at the University of Chicago are thankful for the contributions of Dr. Vivien Leung, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Santa Clara University and Dr. Nathan Kar Ming Chan, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Loyola Marymount University. Both contributed their academic expertise in the questionnaire’s design and will collaborate with Committee of 100 in analyzing the data, drafting reports, and presenting findings and recommendations.  Committee of 100 would also like to thank Dr. Sam Collitt, Research and Data Scientist at Committee of 100 for his leadership in the project overall.

Committee of 100 and NORC at the University of Chicago are also grateful for the participation and support of the Advisory Group members on this project, whose knowledge and expertise across the fields of academia and civic engagement served to guide the project’s development and implementation: Gordon H. Chang, Professor, Stanford University; Daphne Kwok, Vice President, Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Asian American & Pacific Islander Audience Strategy at AARP; and Jeremy Wu, PhD, Founder and Co-Organizer, APA Justice.

Notes

The Executive Summary of “State of Chinese Americans” can be downloaded for free here. 

Recommend citation for media: Nathan Kar Ming Chan, Vivien Leung, Sam Collitt (2024). State of Chinese Americans Survey 2024. Committee of 100 and NORC at the University of Chicago.

Committee of 100 will be conducting free, in-person or virtual town halls and Q&As to discuss the findings and recommendations from this research throughout 2024. If your group or organization is interested, reach out to info@committee100.org to discuss timing and opportunities. 

Committee of 100 is offering exclusive sponsorship opportunities for current and future research initiatives that delve into the complexities of Chinese American xenophobia and hate and providing a unique platform for brands to support groundbreaking studies that drive meaningful change in our communities. If interested, reach out to sponsorship@committee100.org to discuss. 

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About Committee of 100

Committee of 100 is a non-profit U.S. leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, healthcare, and the arts focused on public policy engagement, civic engagement, and philanthropy. For over 30 years, Committee of 100 has served as a preeminent organization committed to the dual missions of promoting the full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life and constructive relations between the United States and Greater China. Visit https://www.committee100.org.

About NORC at the University of Chicago

NORC at the University of Chicago conducts research and analysis that decision-makers trust.  As a nonpartisan research organization and a pioneer in measuring and understanding the world, we have studied almost every aspect of the human experience and every major news event for more than eight decades. Today, we partner with government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world to provide the objectivity and expertise necessary to inform the critical decisions facing society.

Media Contacts

Committee of 100
Charles Zinkowski
Sr. Director of Marketing & Communications
czinkowski@committee100.org

Sam Jones
Public Relations & Social Media Manager
sjones@committee100.org

NORC at the University of Chicago
Jeannie Novak
Sr. Manager, AmeriSpeak Communications
Strategic Communications and External Affairs
novak-jeannie@norc.org

Eric Young
Associate Director of External Affairs
Strategic Communications & External Affairs
young-eric@norc.org

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