ASIAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER AMERICANS in Massachusetts are concerned about the cost of living and housing in the state, tend to have a high level of civic engagement, and are more likely to vote for Democrats, according to a new statewide poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group.
On Tuesday, a group of organizations that work on issues relating to Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) released a survey report – titled No Longer Invisible – on the lived experiences and civic engagement of APIA residents in the state. The study included responses from 1,414 APIA residents in the state and was conducted from March 5 to March 31, 2025.
Asian and Pacific Islander Americans make up 7 percent of the population and are the fastest-growing racial group in Massachusetts, with the population rising by nearly 38 percent since 2012, according to the survey. However, little data has been collected that provides insights into the experiences of APIA in the state.
Top of mind for APIA survey respondents were issues around the affordability of housing and the cost of living in the state. Twenty-seven percent cited housing, and 32 percent picked cost of living as the most pressing issue. Broader statewide surveys have shown that housing shows up as the top issue for people living in Massachusetts.
The survey asked questions about political participation, safety and sense of belonging, and viewpoints on the Trump administration and its policies. Nearly a quarter of respondents said that they had experienced discrimination with 21 percent saying that they faced ethnic slurs.
Only 39 percent of respondents said that they strongly agree that they feel like they belong in the United States. Respondents largely said that they anticipated negative impacts from the Trump administration on critical issues like immigration policy (61 percent), racism (65 percent), reproductive rights (63 percent), climate change (63 percent), and LGBTQ+ rights (67 percent).
A majority of survey respondents opposed President Donald Trump’s executive orders purportedly ending birthright citizenship; rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; and increasing deportation actions. However, the results were a bit more divided on the deportation executive order compared to the others, with lower overall opposition.
Advocates for APIA communities say that their work is more difficult without adequate data, and elected officials might overlook APIA voters. The survey is meant to address that gap and provide some of the data necessary for more advocacy and policy changes regarding APIA issues.
The project was a collaboration between the Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission, the Institute for Asian American Studies at UMass Boston, the Asian Community Fund at The Boston Foundation, and APIs CAN. The groups worked with the MassINC Polling Group, which is partly owned by MassINC, the nonprofit organization that publishes CommonWealth Beacon, to create the survey questions.
Anti-Asian hate and discrimination have been on the rise nationwide. Nearly 36 percent of Asian Americans across the country reported having experienced harassment, and 63 percent reported that they have felt unsafe in a public place, according to the 2025 STAATUS Index – an annual survey of Asian Americans in the US.
“This project is both a wake-up call and a call to action,” said Danielle Kim, the executive director of the Asian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation and a member of the Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission, at an event on Tuesday launching the survey report. “This reported partnership represents an important milestone in uplifting greater visibility for our communities and harnessing our collective voice to advocate for lasting change.”
The survey also found that APIA survey participants were engaged politically at a relatively high rate, with 80 percent saying that they were registered to vote. Among those who were registered, 84 percent said that they had voted in the 2024 election. APIA survey respondents reported being politically active in other ways as well – 23 percent signed petitions, 19 percent attended government meetings, and 15 percent attended rallies.
A majority of APIA survey respondents – 56 percent – leaned Democrat, and 67 percent of those who reported voting in the 2024 election said they voted for Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate for president.
At the report launch event, members of the APIA community spoke of the importance of data in empowering APIA communities to advocate for themselves. Chahat Kalia, a member of the Massachusetts Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission’s Youth Council, noted that more work needs to be done to include other APIA voices that aren’t present in this survey report.
“As a young person, I want to inform a future where our mental health, our safety, our education, and our identities are not an afterthought,” said Kalia. “To the policy-makers and community members in this room, thank you for listening. Please continue to listen to us, include us, and value our stories because we are not just the future. We are the present, and we’re ready to be part of the conversation.”
