What’s It Like to Be Asian in America in 2023?

Pop quiz: What percent of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders feel a sense of belonging here? How many feel safe? How accurately do Americans think AA+PIs are portrayed in the media? How prevalent is the model minority myth (still) in America?

Today, the Asian American Foundation (TAAF) is releasing the results of its annual STAATUS Index (Social Tracking of Asian Americans in the U.S.), a nationally representative study based on more than 5,000 U.S.-based adult respondents to a survey conducted between Feb. 9 and March 13, 2023. The STAATUS Index was first conducted in 2021, and this third year aimed to dive even further into issues of belonging, as well as compare how we’re evolving in terms of how AA+PIs are perceived in America.

Over the next few weeks, in partnership with TAAF and in celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month, we’ll be doing our own deep dive into the findings of the STAATUS Index, reporting on race relations in America; misperceptions and stereotypes of AA+PIs and the importance of visibility and awareness; and where we go from here. This mini-series will dig deeper into specific aspects of this wide-ranging report, providing further insights into a snapshot of how our community is feeling, and how America feels about our community.

But while you’re waiting, here are a few of STAATUS’ key findings:

• Nearly 80 percent of Asian Americans do not completely feel they belong and are accepted; 1 in 2 feel unsafe in the U.S.
• Of Asian American respondents, 69 percent felt that they were somewhat or highly inaccurately portrayed in film and/or TV.
• Many Americans still use model minority terms to describe AA+PIs: 51 percent used “intelligent/smart/educated,” 32 percent used “hardworking,” 21 percent used “kind/nice/thoughtful.”

Stay tuned for more insightful analysis from STAATUS!