FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING "AMERICAN ATTITUDES TOWARD CHINESE AMERICANS AND ASIAN AMERICANS" SURVEY
April 2001

Who is the Committee of 100?
The Committee of 100 is a non-partisan, national organization, founded in 1989 by a group of Chinese Americans who are leaders in their fields. They recognized the need for an organization that brings an Asian American perspective to U.S. relations with the most populous region in the world and to address the concerns of Americans of Chinese/Asian heritage. The organization has a two-fold mission: encouraging the full participation of Chinese Americans in U.S. society, and improving relations between the U.S. and Greater China.

Why was this study done?
Over the years, there have been a number of incidents that we felt have reflected and/or exacerbated an anti-Asian sentiment in America. These include the killing of Vincent Chin in Detroit, a Chinese American that was murdered by auto workers who thought he was Japanese, over concerns regarding loss of jobs, the rise of hate crimes, the Wen Ho Lee issue, and campaign finance scandals. We conducted this study to determine and benchmark what Americans' attitudes really are towards Chinese Americans and Asian Americans. This study was conducted in a two-prong approach, using both qualitative and quantitative studies, for thoroughness and analytical rigor. It is a landmark study, never before conducted, and offers us a sound foundation for further analysis and comparisons in the future.

What were the objectives?
To find out what the American population, on a whole, felt about Asian Americans and Chinese Americans.

Who did the study?
The Marttila Communications Group performed the focus groups and Yankelovich Partners performed the quantitative research.

What methodology was used?
There were both qualitative research - 10 focus groups in three cities: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago - and quantitative research, conducted through over 1200 phone interviews with a national, statistically representative sample of Americans throughout the United States (during March 1-14).

Who can we talk to from the research side?
Hal Quinley is an Executive Vice President at Yankelovich and John Marttila is the principle of Marttila Communications. Contact the C100 c100@committee100.org and we can refer your questions.

What role did the ADL play?
The ADL has been active in research and education, in the areas of racism and anti- Semitism for many years. It helped guide us with the proper questions for the study and will continue to be a partner in the educational process.

What has been the reaction to the findings?
We were startled. We thought that the findings would indicate some prejudice and identify some stereotypes, but the findings reflect highly negative attitudes and stereotypes among a significant group of Americans. We were surprised at the large number, 25% of Americans that showed very negative attitudes, as well as the degree and nature of prejudice in areas such as Asian Americans in positions of power and in close social proximity.

What do you plan to do with the results?
These results should serve as a wake-up call to the community. The surprising results show us that the so-called model minority, that we have been described, has problems. During our annual conference, which was held April 26-28, we had numerous panels and discussions on the findings on how to better educate our C100 members, the Asian American community and Asian American groups, as well as the rest of America.

What are the follow-up plans?
At the conference, we had a number of panels and meetings to discuss the findings and make recommendations on how to move forward with education and strategies to address the findings. Based on these discussions, we are formulating an action plan comprised of a wide range of programs that can be implemented in conjunction with other Asian American groups and the ADL, to foster education and understanding and combat prejudice and discrimination against Asian Americans.

What are the most significant findings?
Key findings include:

• A significant minority, 25%, of Americans indicated strong negative attitudes and stereotypes towards Chinese Americans.
  
  
• 23% of Americans are uncomfortable voting for an Asian American to be President of the United States. This is in contrast to 15% compared with an African American candidate, 14% compared with a woman candidate and 11% compared with a Jewish candidate.
  
  
• 24% of Americans would not approve of inter-marriage with an Asian American. This number is lower than that compared to an African American (34%), but higher than a Hispanic (21%) and a Jew (16%).
  
  
• 7% of Americans would not want to work for an Asian American CEO. This is in contrast to 4% for an African American, 3% for a woman and 4% for a Jew.

Do you think discrimination against Asian Americans has increased, decreased or stayed the same?
We have no other study to compare these findings. This study will now be used as a benchmark and foundation for future analysis, including areas not explored in this one.

What is the relationship between your organization and China?
We are a group of Americans of Chinese decent. This is a very important point. There is a difference between cultural affinity and political affinity. This survey shows us that there is a blur between the two from the general American public and this is something that we have to work on in our educational outreach.

If you have more questions, please contact the C100 office at c100@committee100.org.