AAPI adults are skeptical of tariffs and have more unfavorable views of Trump than before he took office
Most AAPI adults say racism is a serious problem in this country, but few have confidence in the government to handle it.
Topics covered: tariffs, economy, Donald Trump, global affairs, discrimination, hate
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Key Survey Takeaways
- More AAPI adults have unfavorable views of Trump compared with before he took office in December 2024. (71% v. 60%).
- 85% expect Trump’s tariffs to increase the price of consumer goods.
- AAPI adults are more concerned about the possibility of a U.S. recession compared to the general population (65% v. 53%).
- AAPI adults are more likely than the general public to say diversity makes the U.S. stronger (73% v. 60%) and support DEI programs at colleges and universities (58% v. 40%)
- Only about 1 in 10 AAPI adults are very confident in the government’s ability to handle discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities.
- While fewer AAPI adults report experiences of hate crimes or incidents compared to 2023, one in four are victims.
Trump Administration Favorability
Most AAPI adults hold unfavorable views of Trump, as well as Elon Musk, Vice President JD Vance, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Dislike for Trump has increased compared with before he took office in December 2024, returning to October 2023 levels.
More AAPI Democrats view Trump, Vance, Kennedy, and Musk unfavorably than AAPI Republicans who view them favorably, while independents fall somewhere in the middle.
Views on Economy
A majority of AAPI adults expect Trump’s tariff policies will raise the price of goods and reduce their availability and about half anticipate a decrease in the number of U.S. jobs. AAPI adults are more divided on the impact of tariffs for the future of U.S. manufacturing.
The general public is generally more optimistic than AAPI adults about the effects of the tariff policies on U.S. jobs and manufacturing, but majorities of both groups anticipate price increases. The AP-NORC Poll of U.S. adults was conducted in April 2025, just weeks after the Trump administration initiated its tariff policies while the AAPI Data/AP-NORC June Poll was fielded around the time steel and aluminum tariffs were doubled and as the administration began floating the idea of punitive tariffs.
About two-thirds of AAPI adults are concerned about the cost of groceries and the possibility of a recession in the next few months. About half are concerned about the cost of large consumer purchases, the cost of products at minority-owned small businesses and ethnic grocery stores, the availability of consumer goods, and the cost of eating out at ethnic restaurants. Three in 10 are concerned about costs for shopping on direct shipping e-commerce sites.
Views on Diversity and AAPI hate
When it comes to specific diversity-related measures implemented by colleges and universities, two thirds of AAPI adults are in favor of support services such as clubs and mentorship opportunities for students from underrepresented groups, while about 6 in 10 favor scholarships for students from underrepresented groups, courses that teach about racism, and DEI programs.
Similar to the AAPI Data/AP-NORC Poll in October 2023, 77% of AAPI adults say they have experienced discrimination at some point – whether often, sometimes, or rarely – when applying for jobs, dealing with the police, shopping in stores, or receiving healthcare from doctors and hospitals. AAPI adults are most likely to say they experience discrimination when applying for jobs or shopping in stores, figures that exceed those reported by the general public in a December 2021 AP-NORC Poll.
Study Methodology
The nationwide study was conducted by The AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and AAPI Data from June 3-11, 2025, using the Amplify AAPI Monthly survey drawing from NORC’s Amplify AAPI® Panel designed to be representative of the U.S. Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander household population. Online and telephone interviews were offered in English, the Chinese dialects of Mandarin and Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Korean with 1,130 Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islanders aged 18 and older living in the United States. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4.7 percentage points.