Young Asian American adults strongly reject student deportations, college funding cuts: poll

A majority of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults oppose federal efforts to defund colleges with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and deport students involved in campus protests, according to a poll released last month by AAPI Data and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Why it matters: The findings reveal strong support among AAPI communities for academic inclusion and civil liberties, especially among younger adults, amid rising national tensions over DEI programs and student activism.

The big picture: About 6 in 10 AAPI adults said they “somewhat” or “strongly” oppose cutting federal funds to colleges and universities that support DEI efforts. A similar share rejected the idea of deporting international students who participate in campus protests.

Between the lines: The survey also found that most AAPI adults consider a college degree important or essential for achieving economic stability and upward mobility. Many expressed concerns over student debt, restricted free speech, and federal cuts to university research funding.

Zoom in: The poll was conducted April 7–14, 2025, and surveyed 1,094 AAPI adults across the U.S. in English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese and Korean. The margin of sampling error is ±4.8 percentage points.

This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.
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