Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) women and gender-expansive people are a growing force in the United States, yet they often remain overlooked in national research, media, and policy conversations.

This survey comes at a consequential moment for AANHPI communities. Heightened immigration enforcement and uncertainty are affecting families and communities across the country, while rising costs, health care access, and caregiving continue to shape daily life. And with the 2026 midterm elections approaching, understanding the experiences and priorities of AANHPI women is increasingly important to the national conversation.

In Focus: The 2026 National AANHPI Women+’s Survey is a new annual study from the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) examining the issues shaping AANHPI women and gender-expansive people nationwide.

Conducted by Lake Research Partners and Sprout Insight, the first survey reached 1,300 people across more than 20 ethnic backgrounds. It marks the first year of a five-year research project designed to track how AANHPI women’s experiences and priorities are evolving over time.

What we’re seeing

The first year of data provides a wide-ranging picture of AANHPI women’s lives, including the pressures they face around economic security, health care, caregiving, and immigration, as well as how they engage with information and civic life.

  • 57% are currently caregivers, rising to 72% among those living in multigenerational households.
  • 59% say the economy is not working well for them personally, while just 39% are confident they will be able to retire comfortably.
  • 42% lack a reproductive health care provider for their own health care needs.
  • 77% often or sometimes encounter news they suspect is false, misleading, or manipulated.
  • 23% know someone, including themselves, who has avoided travel, medical care, work, or other public places because of concerns about immigration status.

While AANHPI women carry significant responsibilities, they also see themselves as agents of change. 83% are registered to vote, and a majority say both they personally and AANHPI women collectively have the power to bring about meaningful change.

Resources