KINGSTON, R.I. – March 17, 2026 – The Asian community in the United States was microscopic six decades ago, for the wrong reasons. Because of discriminatory policies put in place that targeted the group—including federal legislation first enacted in the 19th century—Asian Americans in 1965 made up less than 1% of the U.S.’s total population, according to the Pew Research Center.
Since then, Asian Americans have become this country’s fastest-growing ethnic group, with more than 25 million residing in the U.S. as of 2025—or roughly 7.7% of the total population. National researchers predict the population of Asian American women will rise to 7.8% of all U.S. women by 2050.
Racism toward Asian Americans remains high, however, along with rising concerns about violence being committed against the ethnic group. Luzi Shi, a University of Rhode Island criminology and criminal justice professor, co-authored a study recently published in Justice Quarterly that examines how stereotypes about Asian women in the U.S. relate to public attitudes about anti-Asian hate crimes.
Shi and Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice associate professor Jason R. Silver authored “Measuring Stereotypes Against Asian Women in the U.S.: Multi-Dimensionality, Theoretical Antecedents and Responses to Anti-Asian Hate Crimes,” which analyzed survey data to see how extensive these views are.
A grant from the American Psychology-Law Society supported Shi and Silver’s work. Shi was compelled to conduct the study due to increased discrimination against Asian Americans, particularly Asian women, including the deadly spa shootings in Atlanta in 2021 and a surge of anti-Asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many people think they actually have positive stereotypes of Asian women and Asian Americans, but that is not always the case,” Shi said. “If you really want to understand the hate or the biases against the population, you have to measure that bias.”
Shi says some research was conducted on anti-Asian biases through history, film and literature. She notes there is a lack of awareness that the Asian community has resided in the U.S. since the mid-1800s, and, according to the study, federal legislation—such as the Chinese Exclusion Act—framed Chinese women at the time as immoral and dangerous.
Using data to determine bias
Shi and Silver gathered data for their study by using the polling firm YouGov to survey around 1,300 U.S. adults and an oversample of 200 Asian Americans to help ensure adequate representation. Questions were answered with a five-point scale, either they strongly agree or disagree, about various stereotypes of Asian women.
The data revealed to researchers three stereotype dimensions about Asian women. The first is Asian women are perceived as “submissive/docile,” or being obedient, shy, passive or compliant partners. Another stereotype found is “cold/achievement-oriented,” the belief that Asian women prioritize success and ambition over building relationships with others. Lastly, researchers also found through the data the “foreign/exploitive” stereotype, which portrays Asian women as exotic outsiders who may manipulate men through marriage or sexuality.
“Using myself as an example, if I’m waiting at a bus stop, no one knows that I’m a professor. They may view me as an exotic Asian woman,” Shi added. “This wasn’t a single stereotype that we found, but the bias toward Asian women and Asian Americans is multidimensional. This is driven by a fluctuating interaction of both racism against Asian Americans and misogyny against women.”
Shi also noted that some Asian Americans internalize these stereotypes and certain feelings, which could bring serious harm to their own mental well-being. With that, society could counterintuitively support policies that could further harm Asian communities in the U.S., Shi says.
The study will help social science researchers to look at racial matters through specific experiences within different demographic groups, such as Asian Americans, as opposed to just using the “White/non-White” binary variable, Shi said. Some communities across the country have passed legislation to curtail hate crimes against Asians, but more needs to be done, she noted.
“If we do not take action to support the Asian Americans in this country and improve their quality of life, there will be fear, anger, and anxiety within the community,” Shi said. “For policymakers, it’s very important to recognize the stereotypes against Asian women and how they feel about hate crimes so Asians don’t become victims of internalization, as well.”