Asian American Demographics: Diverse Identities, Economic Divides, and Political Leanings

As of 2022, over 24 million Asian Americans resided in the United States, representing 7% of the total population, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. This group is noted for being the fastest-growing major racial or ethnic demographic in the country.

Asian Americans have roots in more than 20 nations across East and Southeast Asia, as well as the Indian subcontinent. However, a significant majority—77%—trace their ancestry to just six countries: China, India, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Vietnam.

More than half of Asian Americans (54%) are immigrants, while the remaining 46% are born in the United States. Geographically, California is home to the largest number of Asian Americans, with more than 7 million, followed by New York and Texas, each with about 2 million.

In 2022, the median income for Asian American households was $100,000. This figure indicates that half of these households earned more and half earned less. The economic status of Asian American groups in the U.S. varies widely, making them one of the most economically diverse racial or ethnic groups.

Between 2022 and 2023, Pew Research Center conducted surveys involving over 7,000 Asian adults in the U.S. The surveys explored their identities, perspectives on the U.S. and their ancestral homelands, political and religious affiliations, and more. Here are some key insights from the findings.

Identity

Asian Americans identify themselves in various ways. When asked about their primary identity, some respondents mentioned their ethnic origins, such as “Chinese” or “Filipino,” while others used regional identities like “South Asian,” or the broader pan-ethnic term “Asian.” Some identified simply as “American,” and others combined their ethnic or racial identity with the term American, such as “Asian American” or “Vietnamese American.”

About 26% of Asian adults in the U.S. most frequently use their ethnicity alone to describe themselves, while a similar 25% combine their ethnicity with “American.” Another 16% often describe themselves as “Asian American,” 12% as “Asian,” and 10% simply as “American.” A small percentage (6%) identify with a regional Asian label like “South Asian.”

Knowledge of Asian American History

Around 24% of Asian American adults consider themselves extremely or very informed about the history of Asians in the U.S. Half of the respondents feel somewhat informed, while 24% feel they know little or nothing at all about it.

Among those who are at least somewhat informed, most have learned about U.S. Asian history through informal means—82% from the internet, 75% from media, and 63% from family and friends. Fewer respondents acquired this knowledge through formal education, with 37% learning in college or university and 33% during their K-12 schooling.

Views of the U.S. and Ancestral Homelands

A significant majority of Asian Americans (78%) have a favorable view of the U.S., surpassing their favorable opinions of any other places included in the survey. Japan holds the second-highest favorable rating at 68%, while only 20% of Asian American adults view China favorably.

Among the six largest Asian origin groups in the U.S., most hold positive views of their ancestral homelands, with the exception of Chinese Americans. Only 41% of Chinese adults in the U.S. have a favorable opinion of China.

While many in these large origin groups have favorable opinions of their ancestral homelands, most say they would not consider moving there. Overall, about 72% of Asian Americans would not move to their ancestral homeland, with U.S.-born Asian Americans being more likely to say this than immigrants (84% vs. 68%).

Achieving the American Dream

A substantial portion of Asian Americans believe they are either on their way to achieving the American dream (45%) or have already achieved it (26%). However, about 27% feel that the American dream is out of reach for them, with this sentiment being even more pronounced among Asian Americans living in poverty (47%).

Politics

Asian Americans tend to lean towards the Democratic Party. About 62% of Asian registered voters in the U.S. identify with or lean towards the Democratic Party, while about 34% align with or lean towards the Republican Party.

Most of the six largest Asian origin groups in the U.S. show a preference for the Democratic Party, with Vietnamese Americans being the exception. Among Vietnamese registered voters, 51% are Republicans or lean towards the GOP, while 42% identify with or lean towards the Democratic Party.

In 2022, there were approximately 14 million Asian Americans eligible to vote, comprising 5% of the total eligible voter population in the U.S. Pew Research Center estimates that this number will rise to around 15 million by November, marking Asian Americans as the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group within the U.S. electorate since 2020. Eligible voters are defined as those who are at least 18 years old and U.S. citizens either by birth or naturalization.

Religion

Reflecting trends seen in the broader American population, an increasing share of Asian Americans are not affiliated with any religion, while a declining percentage identify as Christian.

About 32% of Asian adults in the U.S. are religiously unaffiliated, an increase from 26% in 2012. Conversely, 34% of Asian adults are Christian, down from 42% in 2012.

Despite this decline, Christianity remains the largest religious group among Asian Americans. Smaller percentages identify as Buddhist (11%), Hindu (11%), Muslim (6%), or another faith (4%).

Religious affiliation varies significantly among Asian Americans based on their origin. For instance, more than half of Japanese Americans (47%) are religiously unaffiliated, while around three-quarters of Filipino Americans (74%) identify as Christian.