Asian Americans’ Attitudes Toward the Police in a Time of Heightened Anti-Asian Racism

Drawing upon the theories of system justification and cultural inertia, this study qualitatively assesses Asian American perceptions of the police, focusing on how such perceptions may have been impacted by the rise of anti-Asian racism since the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this study was conducted with Asian Americans in the mid-Atlantic region. Results show that most participants displayed favorable attitudes toward the police, believing they are integral to keeping communities safe. Some argued that the police should address hate crimes, while others believed that the police are unable to effectively control hate crimes due to a lack of resources and the ambiguous definition of hate crime. Meanwhile, fear of the police was common primarily due to police use of force, firearm-carrying, and racial discrimination. There is a shared belief that the relationship between Asian Americans and the police needs to be improved.