Event Summary

A new study on American public perceptions of Chinese and Asian Americans by the Committee of 100, a U.S.-based non-partisan organization comprised of Chinese American leaders that address important issues concerning the Chinese-American community and issues affecting U.S.-China relations, takes an in-depth look at American public perceptions of Asian and Chinese Americans on issues such as race relations, social equality, immigration, and other factors impacting public opinion. Committee of 100 member and Vice Chair for Research Frank H. Wu recently presented findings of the new study at an AmCham Shanghai event on June 29 at the Four Seasons Hotel.

The study found that Chinese and Asian Americans are well-received by the general U.S. population, and a majority of Americans feel that Chinese and Asian Americans fit somewhat well or very well into U.S. culture. The percentage of Americans that would be unwilling to vote for a Chinese or Asian American presidential candidate has decreased from 23 percent in 2001 to 9 percent in 2009, a figure likely to have been influenced by President Obama’s historic win, said Wu.

However, Chinese and Asian Americans continue to be viewed as the “perpetual foreigner”, said Wu. The number of Americans who believe that Chinese and Asian Americans are more loyal to their country of ancestry than the U.S. has increased in recent years, an outcome perhaps influenced by China’s rise as an economic power. Chinese and Asian Americans themselves believe that they are inadequately represented in American politics, while only half of the general U.S. population shares that opinion.

While the results of the survey generally cast Asian Americans in a favorable light, more work needs to be done to increase awareness, interaction, and understanding of different cultures to bridge the gaps between racial groups in the United States, said Wu.

For more information on the Committee of 100, please visit their website here.

-Linda Witters
Communications & Publications Intern

Event Announcement

AmCham Shanghai invites you to come explore current perspectives and obstacles for Chinese and Asian Americans in the United States through a new study released by The Committee of 100, a U.S.-based non-partisan organization made up of Chinese American leaders that addresses important issues concerning the Chinese-American community as well as issues affecting U.S.-China relations. 

The Chinese and Asian American population has been growing rapidly in the U.S., but what is the current status of Chinese and Asian Americans in American society? The Committee of 100's newest survey, "Still The 'Other'?: Public Attitudes Toward Chinese and Asian Americans," provides the latest in-depth look at public opinion of both the U.S. general population and Chinese Americans on race relations, social equality, immigration issues, and factors impacting public perceptions.

Survey results uncover glaring disparity in perceptions between the general population and Chinese Americans on issues like Asian American loyalty, political power, and equal rights in government, education, and the workplace. In addition, the perceptions reported by the general population are affected by a lack of knowledge about the Asian American population and a lack of interactions with Asian Americans.

Please join AmCham Shanghai on Monday, June 29 for a lively discussion with Committee of 100 member Frank H. Wu about the ways communities can work together to encourage further understanding of and contributions by Asian Americans in American society and how individuals and business leaders can work to increase awareness and combat harmful stereotypes.

About the speaker:

Frank H. Wu, a member of the Committee of 100 and Vice Chair for Research, is the author of Yellow: Race in America Beyond Black and White. He is a long-time member of the faculty at Howard University, former Dean of Wayne State University Law School, and has taught at George Washington University, the University of Maryland, and Columbia University. Wu serves as a Trustee of Gallaudet University, the only university in the U.S. serving primarily deaf and hard of hearing students; he became Vice Chair of the Board in 2006. He is on the Board of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, an elected member of the American Law Institute, and a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Wu was honored for leadership in higher education as the recipient of the Chang-Lin Tien Award from the Asian Pacific Fund in 2008.

About the Committee of 100:

Founded in 1989 by prominent Chinese Americans, the Committee of 100 is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit membership organization composed of Chinese American leaders in a broad range of professions. The Committee is committed to a dual mission: (1) encouraging stronger relations between the U.S. and Greater China and (2) encouraging the full participation of Chinese Americans in all aspects of American life. http://www.committee100.org.

Agenda

11:30       Registration and Networking
12:00       Buffet Lunch
12:30       Speech and Q&A
13:30       Event Ends

RSVP: All AmCham events require confirmation of attendance (RSVP). If you attend an event without prior notification you will be charged a RMB 50 "walk in" fee.

RSVP Cancellation: If you need to cancel your RSVP please notify Ms. Viola Huang T: 6279-7119 x 5658 or email viola.huang@amcham-shanghai.org no less than 12 hours in advance. Failure to cancel your RSVP will require payment of a "no show bill".