National Survey Data of Chinese Americans Shows Mental Health and Discrimination Continue to be Key Concerns
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 (September 25, 2024) — 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
