Japanese Americans:
A Survey Data Snapshot
- All Asian Americans
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- Filipino Americans
- Indian Americans
- Japanese Americans
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More than 1.2 million Japanese Americans lived in the United States as of 2022, making up about 5% of the country’s Asian American population, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Two states are home to nearly half of Japanese Americans: California (29%) and Hawaii (16%).
Japanese Americans stand out among U.S. Asians for their relatively low share of immigrants: Just 25% are immigrants, and 75% are U.S. born.
The median income among Japanese American households was $90,000 in 2022, meaning that half of households headed by a Japanese American person earned more than that and half earned less. This is less than the median household income among Asian Americans overall ($100,000).
Here are some key facts about Japanese Americans’ views and experiences, drawn from a nationally representative Pew Research Center survey of 7,006 Asian adults in the U.S. The survey was conducted in 2022 and 2023 and included 294 Japanese Americans.
Identity
Japanese Americans describe their identity in different ways, as is the case among other Asian American origin groups. About a third (34%) say they most often describe themselves as “Japanese” or “Japanese American.” Another 20% describe themselves most often as “American,” and 39% describe themselves as “Asian” or “Asian American.”
Among the six largest Asian origin groups in the U.S., Japanese adults stand out for the relatively small share who describe themselves by their ethnic origin alone (14%) or with their ethnic origin and the label “American” (20%).
Some 14% of Japanese Americans say they have hidden a part of their heritage from people who are not Asian. By comparison, 20% of all Asian Americans say they have done this.
Views of the U.S. and Japan
Japanese adults are among the Asian origin groups most likely to hold a favorable opinion of their ancestral homeland: 92% view Japan favorably, including 63% who view it very favorably.
Japanese Americans also have largely positive views of the U.S. About eight-in-ten (79%) say they have a favorable view, including 48% who have a very favorable view.
Achieving the American dream
Roughly four-in-ten Japanese Americans (39%) say they have achieved the American dream. Three-in-ten say they are on their way to doing so, but 31% say the American dream is out of reach for them.
Religion
Among Japanese Americans, 47% aren’t affiliated with any religion. A quarter of Japanese Americans are Christian, including 11% who identify as evangelical Protestant, 10% as nonevangelical Protestant and 3% as Catholic. Another 19% identify as Buddhist.
Photo by Genna Martin/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
How we did this
Source https://www.pewresearch.org/race-and-ethnicity/2024/08/06/japanese-americans-a-survey-data-snapshot/
