Most Chinese-Americans say Washington not doing enough to fight discrimination: study

Respondents note struggles with psychological issues, particularly those who are younger, female and regularly experience racial prejudice

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The poor state of US-China ties has made life harder for more Chinese-Americans, according to the recent study. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:00am, 26 Sep 2024Updated: 5:16am, 26 Sep 2024

A majority of Chinese-Americans believe Washington is not doing enough to combat discrimination, overwhelmingly see US-China relations as dismal and find that deteriorating bilateral ties fuel the discrimination and hateful rhetoric they face personally, according to a survey released on Wednesday.

Respondents noted struggling with psychological issues, particularly those who are younger, female and regularly experience racial discrimination, the report by the non-profit Committee of 100 added.

“We were surprised at the large percentage of responses when it came to issues of mental health and wellness and how the relationship with the US and China impacts how Chinese-Americans are feeling discriminated against,” said Sam Collitt, a research and data scientist with the committee.

“We know there are issues related to shame and language barriers that prevent discussions from taking place,” said Collitt, adding that overall Asian-Americans were 60 per cent less likely to seek mental health services than other racial groups.

These factors underscored the need to “continue to put this challenge into the spotlight”, he added.

US President Joe Biden speaks during the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies gala in Washington in May. Photo: Bloomberg

Most respondents also said the US was headed in the wrong direction, although they identified areas where Washington and Beijing could, at the margin, improve ties, including student exchanges and in fighting climate change and infectious diseases.