Because of the pandemic, the focus groups were conducted virtually, allowing us to recruit participants from all parts of the United States.
The focus groups were organized into 18 distinct Asian ethnic origin groups, fielded in 18 languages and moderated by members of their own ethnic groups. In the fall of 2021, Pew Research Center undertook the largest focus group study it had ever conducted – 66 focus groups with 264 total participants – to hear Asian Americans talk about their lived experiences in America. Yet despite diverse experiences, backgrounds and origins, shared experiences and common themes emerged when we asked: “What does it mean to be Asian in America?” Instead, Asian Americans’ lived experiences are in part shaped by where they were born, how connected they are to their family’s ethnic origins, and how others – both Asians and non-Asians – see and engage with them in their daily lives. No single experience defines what it means to be Asian in the United States today. Introduction This is how I view my identity This is how others see and treat me This is what it means to be home in America About this project Methodological note Acknowledgments Introduction
