Growing faster than the general population (21.8 million, 7% of the overall US population) and maintaining income and education rates higher than any other racial or ethnic group, Asian Americans continue to make gains as tech-enabled influencers.
Asian Americans have the added advantage of maintaining ties with brands based in their native countries that are global leaders in smartphone manufacturing, social media, and online commerce. They outpace non-Hispanic Whites in ownership of the latest digital devices and are also more likely to use their digital devices. They are early adopters and are loyal to the brands they deem perform well. Asian Americans are also more likely to use their digital devices to purchase products online, listen to music and radio, watch TV or movies and carry out other daily lifestyle functions.
Representing a plethora of ethnic and cultural traditions, Asian Americans differ greatly from each other, not only along lines of ancestral background, nativity, and language, but also by economic status and generation. Millennial Asian Americans are spearheading a generational shift toward an increasingly intercultural American mainstream. Younger Asian Americans are more likely than their 35 and over elders to speak English well (92% vs. 73%), and speak English at home (37% vs. 24%). Asian Americans 18-34 are also more likely than their older cohorts to be U.S. born (45% vs. 17%).
Thirty-three percent of Asian Americans agree that their cell phone is an extension of their personality (over-indexing by 38% to non-Hispanic Whites) and 73% agree text messaging is an important part of their daily life. Asian Americans also are 68% more likely to use a computer or a smartphone, which further exemplifies their influential digital voice.
The presence of Asian Americans on TV and other digital media platforms has increased. Of the top 10 broadcast network TV shows preferred by Asian Americans, two of them (ABC’s “The Good Doctor” and CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory”) have Asian Americans in leading roles.
Asian Americans: Digital Lives and Growing Influence. (2018, May 20). Nielsen.