A new survey has revealed a stark reality: most Americans cannot name a single famous Asian American. The study by the Asian American Foundation (TAAF) found that 52% of respondents were unable to provide a name. The most common incorrect answer was Jackie Chan, a Hong Kong actor.
“The main takeaway is that many continue to be unable to name a famous Asian American, pointing to the invisibility of our communities,” said Sruthi Chandrasekaran, TAAF’s Director of Data and Research.
Remarkably, only 2% of people identified Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Asian descent. The report highlights the tendency to confuse Asian nationals with Asian Americans and notes a significant underrepresentation of Asian American women among those named.
“I think it reflects our invisibility in American society for hundreds of years,” said Norman Chen, CEO of TAAF. “It’s been four years in a row now that Jackie Chan has been the number one answer… Our question is, who’s going to be the first person to replace Jackie Chan as a famous AANHPI? When is that going to happen? Is that going to happen in five years, 10 years, 20 years, or longer?”
Elsewhere in the survey, only 18% of Asian Americans said they “completely agree that they are accepted in the US for their racial identity.”
60% of Asian Americans said they had experienced discrimination and/or violence due to their race, ethnicity or religion.
Decreasing racism could come from teaching Asian American history in K-12 schools and colleges, say 41% of Asian Americans.
