Report: 74% of AAPI women experienced racism in 2021

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Nearly 3 in 4 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) women reported experiencing racism and/or discrimination in 2021, according to a new report.

The National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) released its latest survey on Thursday, which highlights AAPI women’s experiences with discrimination, harassment and violence, showing a rise in hate incidents since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

NAPAWF’s surveyed 2,414 adult women residing in the United States who self-identify as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander.

Nearly 74% of them reported experiencing racism and/or discrimination over the past 12 months, with more than half reporting a stranger as the perpetrator. About 47% reported incidents taking place in public, according to the survey.

“The most recent deaths of two Asian American women in New York, nearly one year after the Atlanta shootings, is yet another reminder of a wave of violence targeting not just Asian Americans, but Asian American women,” NAPAWF’s executive director Sung Yeon Choimorrow said in a statement. “This past year, our community has experienced a 339% jump in hate crimes – with AAPI women disproportionately being the targets of this hate and violence.”

In addition, almost 40% of AAPI women reported experiencing sexual harassment in the last year with
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women (52%) and South Asian women (40%) being more likely to be targets compared to other AAPI subgroups.

The survey revealed that 71% of AAPI women have felt stressed or anxious last year due to harassment and discrimination, with many of them modifying their behavior, such as advising family members to stay away from public areas.

Click here to see the survey.

The NAPAWF said it’s the only multi-issue, progressive, community organizing and policy advocacy organization for AAPI women and girls in the U.S.