Converging Exposures, Divergent Experiences

This report summarizes how the digital media use and experiences of Asian Americans are shaped by various cultural, linguistic, and generational factors (e.g., age, ethnicity, education level, English-language proficiency, and political affiliation). It draws from a national survey of 2,000 participants from across the United States, including 1,750 Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders, to compare and contrast the experiences of these groups to those of the general U.S. population. It builds upon many of the themes explored in our April 2025 focus group report, Beyond Language Translation. 

Key Takeaways:

Takeaway #1: Asian Americans’ media diets are distinct from those of the general U.S. population and are greatly shaped by identity (ethnicity and immigrant generation), language preference, and, at times, language proficiency. At the same time, there is a great desire among Asian Americans for more culturally-relevant news sources. 

Takeaway #2: Experiences with, and exposure to, misinformation among Asian Americans were similar to those of the general U.S. population, with some exceptions. While all respondents reported moderate to high exposure to made-up news, higher rates of English-language proficiency correlated with higher exposure rates as well as higher confidence in recognizing made-up news.

Takeaway #3: Age, language, education, immigrant generation, and race/ethnicity (especially Asian American vs. NHPI), greatly shaped levels of concern as well as individual attitudes and behaviors. Those with more English-language proficiency tended to be more confident in addressing misinformation concerns, whereas those with more education were less confident, nonintuitively. Age also proved to be a significant factor in concern levels and attributing responsibility to various institutions.

Read the full report below.