According to a Pew Research survey of 7,066 Asian descendants conducted over 10 months between May 2022 and February 2023, 38% of Koreans have been told to “go back to their home country,” and 25% have been criticized for speaking a non-English language in public.
Prejudice, particularly the assumption that they (Asian descendants) don’t speak English, was notably higher among Korean descendants (49%) compared to Japanese (26%), Indian (32%), and Filipino (37%).
A total of 1,146 Korean descendants participated in the survey, with 710 being second-generation U.S.-born. In the same survey, 57% of Asians said that discrimination against Asians living in the U.S. is a major problem that receives little attention. When asked if they have ever experienced racial discrimination, nearly 7 in 10 Koreans said yes, either regularly (5%) or occasionally (61%).
The same question was posed to Chinese (62%), Filipinos (55%), Indians (50%), and Japanese (53%). Based on the responses, other Asian descendants’ experiences of racial discrimination were lower than those of Korean descendants.
Koreans were also the most likely to answer “yes” to the question, “Have strangers ever called you offensive names?” with 44% of Koreans affirming. This was true for 39% of Chinese and 26% of Indians. Notably, 57% of U.S.-born second-generation Americans said yes, compared to 30% of immigrant groups.
When asked if they have been held back at a security checkpoint for secondary screening due to their race or ethnicity, 20% of all Asians, including 33% of Indians and 16% of Koreans, said yes.
Regarding “workplace discrimination due to race or ethnicity,” 13% of Koreans said they were “turned down for a job because they were Asian,” 11% said they have been “denied a promotion,” and 3% said they were “fired.”
40 percent of all Asians reported receiving poorer service than others at restaurants or stores. Koreans stand out, with 44% saying they have experienced this.
More than 6 in 10 Koreans (65%) say Americans have often failed to pronounce their name correctly.
BY BRIAN CHOI, JUNHAN PARK [ichoi@koreadaily.com]
