Asian American police officers in the 21st century: the “other” minority cop

Abstract

PurposeThis study examines a variety of personal and workplace topics to uncover why Asians are still underrepresented in US policing, despite a 114% growth in the Asian American population during the past 30 years.Design/methodology/approachSurvey responses are collected from Asian police officers (N = 70) to capture their characteristics and lived experiences.FindingsThis study found 11 themes that may account for the underrepresentation of Asian Americans in US policing.Research limitations/implicationsThe small sample size represents those respondents from only four US states, limiting the sampling frame and generalizability.Practical implicationsThis study offers targeted recruitment strategies for improving Asian representation in US policing.Originality/valueAlthough Asians account for 6% of the US population, very little is still known about the experiences of Asian American police officers, despite working in one of the most visible public institutions in local government.