AAPI communities value rising costs more than government cuts, survey says

WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — As economic worries intensify, a new study finds that Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) resoundingly prefer the federal government to tackle rising costs instead of getting rid of all agencies or reducing public sector employment.

The survey, which was done by AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, established that close to 8 out of 10 AAPI adults consider healthcare expenses a priority issue, followed very closely by food prices and the affordability of housing. 

This fiscal anxiety contrasts with budget-cutting proposals of former President Donald Trump’s administration, such as eliminating the Department of Education under the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by adviser Elon Musk.

Republicans have portrayed these initiatives as a way to limit government expenditure, but AAPI adults are unconvinced. Roughly 6 in 10 are against abolishing whole federal departments, while a mere roughly 1 in 10 are in favor of such action—figures significantly lower than among the U.S. population in general. Further, close to half of AAPI respondents disapprove of wholesale firings of federal employees.

Aside from skepticism about broad government reductions, the survey finds strong support for more spending on public services. Two-thirds of AAPI adults think the nation underinvests in education, and roughly 6 in 10 express the same view about healthcare, environmental protection, and homelessness programs. Military expenditures are an exception, though—roughly half of AAPI adults indicate that the U.S. spends too much on defense.

“These results are indicative of a pragmatic mindset among AAPI communities,” explained Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of AAPI Data and a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. “They are more solution-oriented than partisan. The survey polled 1,170 U.S. adults aged Asian American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander between Feb. 4-11, 2025. The sampling error is plus or minus 4.7 percentage points.