Asian Americans Hold Mixed Views Around Affirmative Action

*NOTE: This report draws on three surveys and a series of focus groups conducted by Pew Research Center between 2021 and 2023. These include a nationally representative survey of Asian American adults, two nationally representative surveys of U.S. adults, and a qualitative study of Asian Americans.

• While not all Asian Americans have heard of affirmative action, most have. Nearly three-in-four (74%) say they have heard the phrase before, with awareness varying some across Asian demographic subgroups.
• Asked about a list of factors that colleges should consider, only 21% of Asian adults say colleges should consider race and ethnicity when deciding which students to accept. By contrast, Asian adults broadly say high school grades (87%), community service (71%) and standardized test scores (71%) should be factors considered in college admissions.
• Compared with Asian Americans, U.S. adults overall who have heard of affirmative action are less likely to have a favorable view of it, with 36% saying it is a good thing and 29% saying it is a bad thing in a December 2022 survey. Regardless, only 17% say college admissions should take race into account.
• However, some English-speaking Asians also say affirmative action in college admissions can have a positive impact, according to the March survey. Nearly half (47%) say using race and ethnicity in admissions decisions is good for promoting equal opportunities, compared with 29% who say it is bad. In addition, English-speaking Asians are somewhat more likely to say affirmative action will improve all accepted students’ overall college experience rather than make it worse (37% vs. 24%).