apalc community of contrast

7/31/2019 APALC Community of Contrast

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Asian American Center for Advancing Justice

A Communty of ContrastsAsan Amercans n the Unted States: 2011

Co-authorPrincipal Researcher and Co-author


2/68

Welcome 1

introducton 2

Executve Summary 3

Populaton 6

Economc Contrbutons 11

Cvc Engagement 13

immgraton 17

Age 23

Language 24

Educaton 30

income 33

Employment 39

Housng 43

Health 46

Polcy Recommendatons 50

Ethnc Group Hghlghts 55

Glossary 58

Appendx A:Race & Ethncty 59

Appendx B:Asan Amercans by State 60

Appendx C:Asan Amercans by County 61

Appendx D:Socoeconomc Status 62

Techncal Notes 64

Order Form 65


3/68

For decades, Asian Americans

have been among the astest

growing racial groups in the

United States. The Asian

American population is larger

today than it has ever been in our

nations history, growing both in

places like Caliornia and New

York, where large Asian American

communities have existed or

decades, and in parts o the coun-

try like the South, where smaller

communities have more recently

grown to a critical mass.

As our communities grow,

Asian Americans are making

signicant contributions to

the economy and developinggreater political power. At the

same time, our population is

incredibly diverse. With parts o

the community thriving, those

who struggle seem invisible.

Many Asian Americans con-

tinue to ace language barriers

and struggle economically. The

current recession poses even

greater challenges to this vulner-

able population.

At this time o both challenge

and opportunity, our organi-

zationsthe Asian American

Institute, Asian American Justice

Center, Asian Law Caucus, and

Asian Pacic American Legal

Centerhave deepened their

aliation and come together to

orm the Asian American Center

or Advancing Justice. As inde-

pendent organizations under

one umbrella, we will continue

to advance the goals we have

always worked towardpromot-

ing a air and equitable society

or all, strengthening civil and

human rights, and empowering

Asian American, Native Hawaiian

and Pacic Islander (NHPI), and

other vulnerable communities.

A publication o the Asian

American Center or Advancing

Justice, A Community o

Contrasts: Asian Americans in

the United States 2011 draws

upon data rom the 2010 Census,American Community Survey,

and other sources to provide

a detailed portrait o the Asian

American community in the

United States. The report also

includes a number o policy

recommendations based on the

data that address critical con-

cerns acing Asian Americans

throughout the country.

This national report is the

second in a series and will be

ollowed by regional reports on

Asian American and NHPI com-

munities in Caliornia, the West,

the Midwest, the South, and the

Northeast. Additional reports

are also planned, including one

ocused on the NHPI community

and another on the economic

contributions o Asian Americans

and NHPIs.

We would like to thank the

sponsors who made this report

possible, including the Wallace

H. Coulter Foundation, the Cyrus

Chung Ying Tang Foundation,

and Bank o America.

We would also like to thank

those who contributed to

this report, including sta at

the Asian Pacic American

Legal Center (Deisy Del Real,

Victoria Wilson, Dan Ichinose,

and Karin Wang) and Asian

American Justice Center (MaritaEtcubaez, Terry Ao-Minnis, and

Olivia Chow). Special thanks to

the National Coalition o Asian

Pacic Americans (NCAPA) and

our colleagues in Congress and

philanthropy, who provided criti-

cal guidance on the content and

structure o this report.

Karen K. Narasaki

President and Executive Director

AAJC

Stewart Kwoh

President and Executive Director

APALC

welcome


4/68


5/68


6/68Asian American Center or Advancing Justice4

iga ps

sppa pa

Asa Aas.

Proportionately, Asian Americans

are more likely than any other

racial group to be oreign-born.

According to the U.S. Census

Bureaus 20072009 American

Community Survey 3-Year

Estimates, approximately 60%

o Asian Americans were born

outside the United States, a rate

signicantly higher than that

o Latinos. Immigrants con-

tinue to enter the United States

rom Asia in large numbers

using almost every pathway.

The largest number come as

the immediate relatives o U.S.

citizens, while equal numbers

come under amily-sponsored

and employment-based preer-

ences. Immigrants rom certain

Asian countries wait decades to

enter, contributing to an Asian

American undocumented popu-

lation bordering one million.

From 2001 to 2010, Asians made

up 26% o reugee arrivals and

33% o people granted asylum.

Impacting millions o Asian

Americans, immigration policy

should promote amily unity,

provide a path to legalization

and citizenship or the undocu-

mented, and create a process

or immigrant students who

have lived in the United States

or most o their lives to obtain

legal residency. Eorts to revoke

the rights o noncitizens and

harsh immigration enorcement

measures have extremely dispro-

portionate impacts on the Asian

American community.

lagag as

pps s

Asa Aas.

According to 20072009

American Community Survey

3-Year Estimates, roughly

one out o every three Asian

Americans are limited-English

procient (LEP) and experience

some diculty communicating in

English. This impacts their ability

to integrate ully into American

society or access critical ser-

vices needed to survive. Rates

o limited-English prociency

vary by ethnic group, with a

rough majority o Vietnamese

and Bangladeshi Americans

being LEP. Even among the

most English-procient Asian

American ethnic groups, roughly

one in ve Japanese, Filipino,

and Indian Americans are LEP.

In addition, roughly one in ve

Asian American households is

linguistically isolated, where all

members o the household 14

years or older are LEP. Providing

assistance in Asian languages

and greater opportunities to

learn English promotes better

access to good jobs, citizenship,

voting, healthcare, social ser-

vices, and the judicial system or

millions o Asian Americans.

Asa Aa aa

aa as

ag h gps.

With disproportionate numbers

o Asian immigrants entering the

country as proessionals under

employment-based preerences,

Asian American educational

attainment generally approaches

or exceeds that o non-Hispanic

Whites. Yet disaggregated

20072009 American Community

Survey 3-Year Estimates data

show that the educational

attainment o Cambodians,

Laotian, Hmong, and Vietnamese

Americans is similar to Arican

Americans and Latinos, limiting

employment opportunities or

many in Southeast Asian com-

munities. Job training programs

and vocational English language

instruction should be targeted

to Asian Americans with lower

levels o educational attainment

in an eort to increase access to

good jobs.

S Asa Aas sgg

a.

While some in Asian American

communities enjoy economic

success and stability, others

struggle through severe pov-

erty. According to 20072009


3-Year Estimates, poverty

rates have allen or all Asian

American ethnic groups since

2000. Yet challenges persist.

Hmong Americans have the

lowest per capita income o any

racial or ethnic group nation-

wide, while Hmong, Bangladeshi,

and Cambodian Americans have

poverty rates that approach

those o Arican Americans and

Latinos. Federal, state, and local

governments should establish or

expand culturally and linguisti-

cally accessible public assistance

programs to meet these needs,

particularly in light o the on-

going economic recession.


7/68A Community o Contrasts 5

up has pa

Shas Asa Aa

s.

With disproportionate num-

bers in management and

proessional elds, many Asian

Americans have been better

situated than others to weather

the current nancial crisis.

While the unemployment rate

o Asian Americans is low rela-

tive to other groups, 20072009


3-Year Estimates shows that

the most vulnerable in our

community ace high rates o

joblessness. Hmong, Laotian,

and Cambodian Americans have

unemployment rates higher

than the national average. Job

training, adult English lan-

guage learning, unemployment

benets, and other saety net

programs should be made acces-

sible to these workers as they

struggle to get back on their eet.

Asa Aas

a hsg s.

According to 20072009


3-Year Estimates, 59% o

Asian Americans own homes

nationwide. Yet this rate o home-

ownership lags signicantly

behind that o non-Hispanic

Whites, with a majority o

Bangladeshi, Hmong, and

Korean Americans renting rather

than owning their own homes.

The problem is compounded

by large numbers o Asian

Americans living in overcrowded

housing. Approximately 7% live

in over-crowded housing, twice

the national average. Like other

communities continuing to

ace recession, Asian

Americans would greatly

benet rom expanding

aordable housing and

homeownership opportunities.

Ass aa haha

ag s a Asa

Aas.

Data rom the Centers or

Disease Controls 2008 National

Health Interview Survey show

that Asian Americans are twice

as likely than both non-Hispanic

Whites and Arican Americans

to have seen a doctor in the

past ve years, despite being

more likely to develop hepatitis,

stomach and liver cancer, and

other diseases. Asian Americans

are also more likely than non-

Hispanic Whites to be uninsured,

with nearly one in our Pakistani

and Bangladeshi Americans

being without health insurance.

The ederal government should

work with insurance compa-

nies and employers to expand

access to aordable healthcare

coverage or all U.S. residents,

including immigrants.

Social and economic data on

Asian Americans, particularly

those disaggregated by Asian

American ethnic group, provide

policymakers and service provid-

ers with critical inormation to

guide sound decision making.



PoPulAtion

Ppaby Race and Hispanic Origin, United States 2010

ra a Hspa og n P

White 196,817,552 64%

Hispanic 50,477,594 16%

Arican American 42,020,743 14%

Asian American (AA) 17,320,856 6%

AIAN 5,220,579 2%

NHPI 1,225,195 0.40%

ta Ppa 308,745,538 100%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census.Note: Figures are or the inclusive population, single race and multirace combined, and are not exclu-sive o Hispanic origin, except or White, which is single race, non-Hispanic. Figures will not sum tototal. Major races and ethnic groups ranked by United States percentage.

o as Asa Aa ppa has g aaa s

sa ga qas a 1965. ng

6.9 1990, h a 17.3 Asa

Aas g h u Sas, ha a a h

as hs.

There are over 17.3 millionAsian Americans living in

the United States.

Asian Americans make up6% o our nations total

population.


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GeoGrAPHicdiStribution

Sas wh Hghs n Asa AasUnited States 2010

u.S. Sas n %

Caliornia 5,556,592 15%

New York 1,549,494 8%

Texas 1,110,666 4%

New Jersey 795,163 9%

Hawaii 780,968 57%

Illinois 668,694 5%

Washington 604,251 9%

Florida 573,083 3%

Virginia 522,199 7%

Pennsylvania 402,587 3%

Massachusetts 394,211 6%

Maryland 370,044 6%

Georgia 365,497 4%

Michigan 289,607 3%

North Carolina 252,585 3%

Sas wh HghsGh Asa AasUnited States 2000 to 2010

u.S. Sas % Gh

Nevada 116%

Arizona 95%

North Carolina 85%

North Dakota 85%

Georgia 83%

New Hampshire 80%

Delaware 78%

Arkansas 77%

Indiana 74%

Texas 72%

Florida 72%

Virginia 71%

Idaho 71%

South Dakota 70%

Alabama 70%

Asian American populations in Nevada, Arizona,North Carolina, and Georgia were the astest

growing nationwide between 2000 and 2010.

Nevadas Asian American population more than

doubled over the decade.

Caliornias Asian American population remainedby ar the countrys largest, numbering over

5.5 million in 2010. Asian American populations

in New York, Texas, New Jersey, and Hawaii

ollowed Caliornia in size.

O 19 states home to more than 225,000 AsianAmericans, six are in the South (Texas, Florida,

Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, and North Carolina)

and our are in the Midwest (Illinois, Michigan,

Minnesota, and Ohio).

Over 57% o Hawaiis total population is AsianAmerican, making it the countrys only majority

Asian American state.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census.



Asa Aa eh GpsUnited States 2010, Ranked in Order o Population

eh Gp n eh Gp n

Chinese(except Taiwanese)

3,794,673 Laotian 232,130

Filipino 3,416,840 Taiwanese 230,382

Indian 3,183,063 Bangladeshi 147,300

Vietnamese 1,737,433 Burmese 100,200

Korean 1,706,822 Indonesian 95,270

Japanese 1,304,286 Nepalese 59,490

Pakistani 409,163 Sri Lankan 45,381

Cambodian 276,667 Malaysian 26,179

Hmong 260,073 Bhutanese 19,439

Thai 237,583

The countrys astest growingAsian American ethnic groups

were South Asian. Bangla-

deshi and Pakistani American

populations doubled in size

between 2000 and 2010.

Chinese Americans continueto be the largest Asian Ameri-

can ethnic group, numbering

nearly 3.8 million nationwide.

They are ollowed in size by

Filipinos, Indians, Vietnamese,

and Korean Americans.

Vietnamese Americans nowoutnumber both Korean

and Japanese Americans

nationwide.

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Filipino

Cambodian

Laotian

Chinese (except Taiwanese)

Pakistani

Hmong

Total Population

Korean

Bangladeshi

Thai

Indian

Sri Lankan

Indonesian

Japanese

Malaysian

0 50 100 150

10%

14%

17%

34%

39%

39%

40%

41%

42%

44%

51%

58%

59%

68%

85%

100%

157%

etHnic GrouPS


Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 and 2010 Censuses.Note: Population growth percentages or Burmese, Nepalese, and Bhutanese excluded because thesegroups did not meet 2000 Census population thresholds to be counted as an ethnic category.

Ppa Ghby Ethnic Group, United States 2000 to 2010



P Ppa tha is m-raby Ethnic Group, United States 2010

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 3

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Filipino

Cambodian

Laotian

hinese (except Taiwanese)

Pakistani

Burmese

Nepalese

Bhutanese

Hmong

Korean

Bangladeshi

Total Population

Thai

Indian

Sri Lankan

Indonesian

Japanese

Malaysian

35%

26%

23%

22%

16%

14%

12%

10%

9%

8%

8%

8%

6%

6%

5%

4%

4%

3%

3%

3%


More than 15% o Asian Americans are o mixed race. Only 3% o all

Americans are multiracial.

Among Asian American ethnic groups, Japanese Americans are mostlikely be o mixed race. More than one-third o Japanese Americansare multiracial, ollowed by 26% o Indonesian, 23% o Thai, 22% o

Filipinos, and 16% o Malaysian Americans.

Fewer than 5% o Burmese, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Hmong, andBhutanese Americans are o mixed race. Among larger ethnic

groups, only 6% o Vietnamese and 8% o Indians are multiracial.

mixed-rAce PoPulAtion


13/68

As Asa Aa s

g, s ha h

s h Aa

. Asa Aas a

a gg s p

hs a sha s gg

aaa. Asa Aas

as a sppa

ssss, pg

a ag s agag sga .

economiccontributionS

Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacic Islander (NHPI)buying power was $509 billion in 2009.*

*AA and NHPI data are not available separately.

buyinG Power reers to the personal income, ater taxes, that can be used on any expenditure. This gure does notinclude savings rom previous years or income that is borrowed.

African American

Total Population

White

Hispanic

Asian American & NHPI

AIAN

0 20 40 60 80 100

100%

89%

65%

54%

46%

49%

Source: Humphreys, Jerey M. 2009. The Multicultural Economy 2009.Selig Center or EconomicGrowth 69(3).

P chag bg Pby Race and Hispanic Origin, United States 2000 to 2009



ra aHspa og A s(n) rs($1,000) eps(n) Aa Pa($1,000)

White 22,595,146 $10,240,990,714 52,518,201 $1,824,109,379

Asian American 1,549,559 $506,047,751 2,807,771 $79,230,459

Hispanic 2,260,269 $350,661,243 1,908,161 $54,295,508

Arican American 1,921,864 $135,739,834 909,552 $23,334,792

AIAN 236,691 $34,353,842 185,037 $5,930,247

NHPI 37,678 $6,319,357 37,081 $1,217,799

Total Population 27,092,908 $30,031,519,910 117,310,118 $4,822,816,636

ra a Hspa og bsss osUnited States 2007

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2007 Survey o Business Owners.Note: Race and ethnic categories do not sum to the total population fgures because Hispanic is treated as an ethnic category that overlaps with the racialcategories.

Asian American and NHPI* buying power nearlydoubled between 2000 and 2009, growing 89%

over a nine-year period.**

Asian American and NHPI* growth in buyingpower surpassed that o non-Hispanic Whites,

Arican Americans, and Native Americans over

the same period.**

*AA and NHPI data are not available separately.**Source: Humphreys, Jerey M. 2009. The Multicultural

Economy 2009. Selig Center or Economic Growth 69(3).

Asian Americans owned over 1.5 million busi-nesses in 2007, generating over $506 billion inrevenues. These businesses generated more in

revenue than businesses owned by any other

racial group except non-Hispanic Whites.

Approximately 26% o Asian Americanbusinesses had paid employees, highest

among all racial groups.

Asian Americanowned businesses employednearly 3 million Americans in 2007, paying outnearly $80 billion in payroll. These businesses

employed more persons and dispensed more

in payroll than businesses owned by any other

racial group, except or non-Hispanic Whites.


15/68



0 20 40 60 80 10

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Filipino

Cambodian

Laotian


Pakistani

Hmong

Korean

Bangladeshi

Thai

Indian

Sri Lankan

Total Population

Indonesian

Japanese

Malaysian

73%

67%

64%

63%

62%

60%

57%

57%

54%

50%

49%

47%

43%

43%

35%

33%

27%

27%

33%

36%

37%

38%

40%

43%

43%

46%

50%

51%

53%

57%

57%

65%

67%

73%

Naturalized

Not Naturalized

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 20072009 American Community Survey, 3-Year Estimates.

P Fg-b Ppa wh Ha naazby Ethnic Group, United States 2007 to 2009

Approximately 57% o Asian American immi-grants are U.S. citizens, an increase rom 50%

in 2000.

Nearly three out o our Vietnamese Americanimmigrants are U.S. citizens. Approximately 60%

or more Taiwanese, Filipino, Cambodian, Laotian,

and Chinese American immigrants are citizens.

Fewer than hal o Malaysian, Japanese,Indonesian, Sri Lankan, Indian, and Thai

American immigrants are citizens.

In 2010, more than 250,000 Asian Americanimmigrants became U.S. citizens.*

*Source: Jeanne Batalova, Asian Immigrants in the United States,Migration Policy Institute, May 2011.



c bhlga Pa

rssn eg

naazP eg

naaz

Philippines 550,000 280,000 51%

China 530,000 190,000 36%

India 500,000 200,000 40%

Vietnam 320,000 200,000 63%

Korea* 240,000 140,000 58%

Japan 130,000 110,000 85%

Pakistan 120,000 50,000 42%

*Korea includes North and South Korea.

Source: U.S. Department o Homeland Security, Estimates o the Legal Permanent Resident Population in 2009.Note: Estimates assume that immigrants are required to reside in the U.S. 5 years ater obtaining Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) status except or the ol-lowing immigrant categories: Spouses o U.S. citizens (3 years), asylees (4 years), and reugees, Lautenberg parolees, and those who adjusted to LPR statusthrough cancelation o removal (2 years).

Asa Aa lga Pa rss eg naaz

by Country o Birth, United States 2008

The greatest number o legal permanent residents eligible to becomecitizens are rom the Philippines, India, and Vietnam.

Approximately 85% o Japanese American legal permanent residentsare eligible to naturalize. In contrast, only 36% o Chinese Americanlegal permanent residents are eligible to become citizens.

A leGAl PermAnent reSident is generally eligible to naturalize onceshe or he has held that status or ve years. However, additional criteria, such as

good moral character and basic English literacy, must also be met.


18/68



African American

White

NHPI

Total Population

AIAN

Asian AmericanHispanic

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

60%

38%

14%

13%

8%

5%

4%


iga s a ga pa

h Asa Aa p.

igas Asa

h u Sas

ag s. S

as ga gas, gs,

ass, h hs

h a a

sas h

ag a sa. H a

a s h u

Sas ga as h hs

a sa -g

hs .

immiGrAtion

Approximately 60% o AsianAmericans are oreign-born, the

highest proportion o any racial

group nationwide. In contrast,

only 38% o Latinos, 8% o

Arican Americans, and 4% o

non-Hispanic Whites were born

outside the United States.

Despite being overwhelm-ingly immigrant, increasing

numbers o Asian Americans

are native-born. The percent o

Asian Americans nationwide

born outside the United States

decreased rom 63% in 2000 to

60% in 20072009.

Nearly one in three o the10.6 million Asian American

oreign-born entered the

United States between 2000

and 2009.

P Ppa wh A Fg-bby Race and Hispanic Origin, United States 2007 to 2009




P Ppa wh A Fg-b

by Ethnic Group, United States 2007 to 2009

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 8

Sri Lankan

Malaysian

Bangladeshi

Indian

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Pakistani

Korean

Indonesian

Thai


Cambodian

Laotian

Filipino

Hmong

Japanese

Total Population

76%

73%

73%

70%

68%

65%

65%

65%

64%

61%

60%

56%

55%

53%

44%

28%

13%

More than three out o our Sri Lankan Americans are oreign-born,the highest rate among Asian American ethnic groups. Roughly 7 in

10 Malaysian, Bangladeshi, Indian, and Taiwanese Americans were

born abroad.

Among Asian Americans, Japanese and Hmong Americans are theonly ethnic groups with majority native-born populations.


21/68

Source: U.S. Department o State, The Report o the Visa Oce 2010.* FY2010 data are preliminary and are subject to change. Any changes would not be statistically

signifcant. Chart includes all visas issued to both permanent and nonpermanent immigrants, andalso includes replaced visas.

YearImmigrantVisa

WasIssued

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

159,871

0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000

169,380

157,385

156,025

171,775

180,769

150,179

159,871

138,080

144,465

144,590

364,813

408,774

389,529

379,426

402,248

449,103

434,412

470,100

468,770

482,053

Total All Immigrant Admissions

Total All Asian Immigrant Admissions

wAitinG PeriodS For viSAS*The waiting period or visas under both amily-sponsored and employment-based preerences can vary widely depending on country.

Asian Americans sponsor more than one-third o all amily-based immigrants and have some o the longest wait times.

FAmily-SPonSored viSAS : Immigrants born in mainland China and India must wait between 3 and 11 years. Immigrants born inthe Philippines must wait between 3 and 23 years.

emPloyment-bASed viSAS: Immigrants born in mainland China and India wait or up to 9 years, the longest wait time or anynation besides Mexico. Immigrants born in the Philippines must wait up to 7 years.

*Source: U.S. Department o State, Visa Bulletin: Immigrant Numbers or July 2011.

demAnd For viSAS

iga vsas iss h u Sas2001 to 2010


22/68

iga vsas iss h u Sas Asa cs2001 to 2010

Source: U.S. Department o State, The Report o the Visa Oce 2010.*FY2010 data are preliminary and are subject to change. Any changes would not be statistically signif-cant. Immigrant visas include any visas issued under the auspices o immediate relative and amilysponsorship, employer sponsorship, the Special Immigrants program (Iraqi and Aghan translators,government workers, and religious workers), and the Diversity Visa program. This chart does notcontain data on temporary visitors.

0 50000 100,000 150000 200,000 250000 300,000 350000 400,000

Philippines

Co

untryWhereU.S.V

isaWasIssue

d

China

India

Vietnam

Pakistan

Bangladesh

South Korea

Hong Kong

Taiwan

Japan

Thailand

Nepal

Cambodia

Burma

Sri Lanka

Indonesia

Malaysia

Singapore

Laos

Mongolia

350,694

286,008

267,403

193,049

84,643

69,202

59,057

45,809

42,367

34,599

21,147

18,880

8,896

7,045

8,129

5,837

4,183

3,870

1,843

388

reFuGeeS And ASyleeS are persons who came to the United States to escape persecution in their country o origin. Reugeesare immigrants who applied or admission while living abroad, while asylees are immigrants who applied or admission at either a port o

entry or within the United States.

From 2001 to 2010, those rom Asian countries made up 26% o all reugee arrivals and 33% o all persons granted asylum.*

From 2001 to 2010, 52% o reugee arrivals rom Asian countries were rom Burma, and 68% o asylees born in Asia were rom China.*

*Source: The U.S. Department o Homeland Securitys Yearbooks o Immigration Statistics, 2010.

Among Asian countries, thePhilippines, China, and India

sent the most immigrants to

the United States over the

past decade.

Between 2001 and 2010,

1.6 million immigrants

entered the United States

rom Asian countries.

Bangladesh sent moreimmigrants to the United

States than South Korea or

Japan over the same period.


23/68

Pss oag lga Pa rs Sasby Class o Admissions, Asian Country o Birth, 2010

D = Data withheld to limit disclosure.

Source: U.S. Department o Homeland Securitys Yearbook o Immigration Statistics, 2010.

leGAl PermAnent reSidentS

While the largest number o Asian-born personsobtaining legal permanent resident (LPR) status

in 2010 entered as the immediate relatives o U.S.

citizens, those born in Asia were more likely than

other immigrants to enter under amily-sponsored

or employment-based immigration preerences.

Over hal o Macau- and Vietnamese- and nearlyhal o Hong Kongborn persons obtaining LPR sta-

tus in 2010 entered under amily-based preerences.

A majority o Cambodian, Japanese, Laotian,Mongolian, and Philippine and nearly hal o

Indonesian and Pakistani-born persons obtaining

LPR status in 2010 entered as the immediate rela-

tives o U.S. citizens.

A majority o South Korean and nearly hal oIndian- and Singapore-born persons obtaining

LPR status in 2010 entered under employment-

based preerences.

c bh

Fa-Sps

Ps

ep-bas

Ps

iaras

u.S. czs

ds rgs aAss

oh

% n. % n. % n. % n. % n. % n.

Bangladesh 41% 6,006 6% 827 33% 4,935 19% 2,800 1% 171 0.5% 80

Bhutan D 0% 6 0.5% 28 D 99% 6071 0% 0

Burma 4% 459 1% 86 5% 604 3% 329 89% 11,445 0% 2

Cambodia 14% 418 2% 59 76% 2,266 4% 115 4% 113 1% 15

China 19% 13,610 25% 17,949 34% 24,198 0% 23 21% 14,943 0% 140

Hong Kong 49% 1,196 19% 464 30% 731 1% 30 0% 7 0% 4

India 21% 14,636 45% 31,118 32% 21,831 0% 58 2% 1,324 0% 195

Indonesia 10% 306 17% 515 48% 1,461 5% 138 19% 573 1% 39

Japan 2% 120 32% 1,973 63% 3,916 4% 218 0% 12 0% 25

Laos 9% 113 5% 59 71% 847 0% 4 14% 172 0% 5

Macau 59% 84 13% 18 24% 34 5% 7 0% 0 0% 0

Malaysia 9% 149 30% 508 41% 704 2% 40 18% 301 0% 12

Mongolia 1% 5 11% 66 54% 320 14% 80 20% 121 1% 2

Nepal 4% 269 11% 788 18% 1,312 23% 1,644 44% 3,093 0% 9

Pakistan 34% 6,247 16% 2,896 47% 8,522 0% 14 3% 507 0% 72

Philippines 31% 17,849 11% 6,423 58% 33,746 0% 14 0% 55 0% 86

Singapore 8% 65 49% 377 37% 289 2% 14 2% 18 1% 11

South Korea 11% 2,351 52% 11,642 37% 8,128 0% 6 0% 7 4% 93

Sri Lanka 10% 195 26% 530 32% 645 19% 394 13% 258 1% 14

Taiwan 26% 1,729 31% 2,090 40% 2,691 3% 196 0% 6 0% 20

Thailand 4% 345 6% 530 44% 4,126 1% 43 46% 4,276 1% 64

Vietnam 59% 18,027 1% 360 36% 11,091 0% 0 3% 1,032 0% 122

ta 24% 84,179 23% 79,284 38% 132,425 2% 6,167 13% 44,525 0.3% 1,010


24/68

dreAm Act StudentSAmong the 2.1 million undocumented youth who would qualiy or legalization through the DREAM Act, 1 in 10 is o Asian origin.**

**Source: Batalova, Jeanne, and Margie McHugh. July 2010.

u Asa Aa iga Ppa h u Sasby Country o Birth, 2005 to 2010

Source: U.S. Department o Homeland Security, Estimates o Unauthorized Immigrant Population residing in the United States: January2010.Note: Estimates o the unauthorized resident population are the remainder ater estimates o the legally resident oreign-born populationare subtracted rom estimates o the total oreign-born population.

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

China130,000

India200,000

Korea170,000

Philippines280,000

nmbe

rofudocmetedimmgrats

Approximately 1 million undocumented immigrants in the UnitedStates are rom Asia.

More undocumented immigrants were born in the Philippines thanany other Asian country.

undocumented PoPulAtion



rac ad Hispaic oigi mdia Ag 017 1864 65+

Arican American 30 30% 62% 8%

AIAN 31 30% 62% 8%

Asian American 33 26% 65% 9%

Hispanic 27 35% 60% 6%

NHPI 26 35% 60% 6%

White 41 21% 63% 16%

ta Ppa 37 24% 62% 13%

ma Ag a Ag Gp raUnited States 2007 to 2009


ethic Gp mdia Ag 017 1864 65+

Bangladeshi 31 33% 64% 3%

Cambodian 27 32% 63% 5%

Chinese (except Taiwanese) 35 25% 65% 13%

Filipino 34 28% 63% 10%

Hmong 20 45% 52% 3%

Indian 32 26% 68% 6%

Indonesian 33 24% 70% 6%

Japanese 38 24% 61% 15%

Korean 33 26% 66% 8%

Laotian 28 32% 63% 5%Malaysian 33 22% 74% 5%

Pakistani 29 34% 63% 4%

Sri Lankan 36 24% 68% 8%

Taiwanese 35 19% 59% 9%

Thai 32 26% 70% 4%

Vietnamese 34 28% 64% 8%

ta Ppa 37 24% 63% 13%

ma Ag a Ag Gp eh GpUnited States 2007 to 2009

AGeAg as h a as

pps a sa s

s. Asa Aas a

g aag a ha a

hgh pp g-agas pa h aj

aa gps.

Approximately 65% o AsianAmericans are working-age

adults between the ages o 18

and 64, a greater proportion

than any other racial group.

The median age o AsianAmericans is 33, making them

younger than both the overall

U.S. population (37) and non-

Hispanic Whites (41).

Over one-quarter o AsianAmericans are children under

the age o 18.

Among Asian American ethnicgroups, Japanese Americans

have the oldest median age(38), while Hmong Americans

have the youngest (20).



P Ppa wh Spa a lagag oh tha egsh a H

ths 5 yas Ag a oby Race and Hispanic Origin, United States 2007 to 2009

African

American

Total

Population

WhiteHispanic or

Latino

Asian

American

NHPI AIAN0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

77%

71%

29%

20% 20%

8% 6%


Asa Aas spa zs

agags a as,

fg h s

h ga haa a

s. na h

Asa Aas spa a

agag h ha egsh a

h, a gh -h s

-egsh p (leP).

cp h a a aaa

egsh asss, agag s a

a a pag

ass a ag a

ss, sh as haha,

sa ss, hsg, s,

a a.

lAnGuAGe


27/68


28/68



African American

White

Hispanic

Total Population

Asian American

NHPI

AIAN

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

38%

32%

9%

8%

6%

3%

2%

P Ppa wh A l egsh P ths 5 yas Ag a oby Race and Hispanic Origin, 2007 to 2009


limited enGliSH ProFiciency

Approximately 32% o Asian Americans are limited-English procient(LEP) and experience some diculty communicating in English.

Despite continued immigration, rates o limited-English prociencyamong Asian Americans have allen since 2000, when 36% o Asian

Americans were LEP. Rates o limited-English prociency among

Latinos have seen a similar decline, rom 41% in 2000 to 38% in

20072009.



P Ppa wh A l egsh P ths 5 yas Ag a oby Ethnic Group, 2007 to 2009

Sri Lankan

Malaysian

Bangladeshi

Indian

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Hmong

Pakistani

Korean

Indonesian

Thai


Cambodian

Laotian

Filipino

Japanese

Total Population

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

51%

46%

43%

43%

43%

42%

41%

40%

36%

30%

28%

23%

22%

22%

19%

18%

9%


Among Asian American ethnic groups, over halo Vietnamese and nearly hal o BangladeshiAmericans are LEP.

Even among the most English procient AsianAmerican ethnic groups, including Japanese and

Filipino Americans, nearly one in ve are LEP.

Among Asian American ethnic groups, onlySri Lankan Americans have seen an increase inlimited English prociency since 2000. Limited

English prociency among Sri Lankan Americans

increased rom 18% in 2000 to 22% in 20072009.

Over 40% o Cambodian, Hmong, Taiwanese,

Chinese, Korean, and Laotian Americans are LEP.



P lgsa isa Hshsby Ethnic Group, 2005 to 2009

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 20052009 American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates.Note: The ethnic group percentages included in this graph do not include mixed-ethnicity and mixed-race people.

Sri Lankan

Malaysian

Bangladeshi

Indian

Vietnamese

Hmong

Pakistani

Korean

Indonesian

Thai


Cambodian

Laotian

Filipino

Total Population

Japanese

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

35%

31%

29%

25%

22%

21%

21%

20%

20%

19%

16%

12%

12%

11%

8%

5%

linGuiSticAlly iSolAted HouSeHoldSHouseholds in which all members 14 years old and older speak English less than very well.

linGuiStic iSolAtion

Approximately 21% o Asian American house-holds are linguistically isolated, a decrease rom25% in 2000.

Among Asian American ethnic groups, 35% oVietnamese, 31% o Korean, and 29% o Chinese

American households are linguistically isolated.

Despite their origins in ormer U.S. andBritish Commonwealth territories, 8% o Filipino,11% o Indian, 12% o Pakistani, and 12% o

Sri Lankan American households experience

linguistic isolation.



eaa Aaby Race and Hispanic Origin, United States 2009


0 20 40 60 80 10

Asian American

White

African American

Total Population

NHPI

AIAN

Hispanic 61%

13%

80%

16%

85%

81%

18%

28%

85%

90%

31%

86%

49%

17%

Bachelors Degree or Higher

High School Degree or Higher

Asa Aas a

hgh as hag hgh

s a a.wh hs s ga , a

s a aa h

u.S. css ba as

ag spas Asa

Aa h gps, h

h aa ps

s s sa

las a Aa Aas.

ths sggss ha a Asa

Aas a h as

ssa ass s ag ag js, p-

p haha, a

pps asss.

educAtion

Asian Americans are less likely than non-Hispanic Whites to hold ahigh school degree.



eaa Aaby Ethnic Group, United States 2007 to 2009


Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Filipino

Cambodian

Laotian

Total Population


Pakistani

Hmong

Korean

Bangladeshi

Thai

Indian

Sri Lankan

Indonesian

Japanese

Malaysian

0 20 40 60 80 100

High School Degree or Higher

Bachelors Degree or Higher

96%

94%

94%

93%

93%

92%

92%

91%

87%

85%

84%

82%

81%

72%

66%

62%

61%

14%

14%

12%

27%

47%

50%

28%

42%

55%

68%

46%

52%

56%

57%

46%

47%

73%

educAtionAl AttAinment

The educational attainment o Hmong, Cambodian,Laotian, and Vietnamese Americans is lowest

among Asian American ethnic groups and similar

to those o Latinos and Arican Americans. Only

61% o Hmong Americans hold a high school

diploma, while only 12% o Laotian Americans

have graduated rom college.

In contrast, eight Asian American ethnic groups,including Taiwanese, Indonesian, Japanese,

Sri Lankan, Malaysian, Korean, Filipino, and

Indian Americans, are more likely than non-

Hispanic Whites to hold a high school degree.


34/68

White

African American

American Indian

Asian American & NHPI

Hispanic

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 3

34%

16%

8%

1%

1%

Source: U.S. Department o Education, Institute o Education Sciences, National Center oEducation Statistics, National Assessment o Education Progress (NAEP), 2009 Reading Assessment.

Pag Fh Gas ( rag Assss)wh egsh lagag la Sasby Race and Hispanic Origin, 2009

enGliSH lAnGuAGe leArnerS

Approximately 16% o Asian American and Native Hawaiian andPacic Islander (NHPI) students are English language learners (ELL),

second highest among racial groups.

*National English Language Learner Status data do not provide separate gures or Asian Americans

and NHPIs.

32


35/68

White

Asian American

Total Population

NHPI

AIAN

African American

Latino

Household Income

Per Capita

0 $20K $40K $60K $80K

$31,735

$28,342

$27,100

$19,020

$17,933

$17,549

$15,506

$55,906

$68,549

$57,664

$51,369

$38,515

$34,585

$40,920

P capa i s. Hsh iby Race and Hispanic Origin, United States 2007 to 2009


incomei s a a

s sas. Asa

Aas a p

apa ha las

Aa Aas ss ha

-Hspa whs sp

paa as aa

aa. y aa h

gp sh ha p apa

a p as

s Asa Aa h

gps a sa hs

las a Aa Aas.

HouSeHold income For ASiAn AmericAnS miSleAdinG

Asian Americans are more likely than other racial groups, including non-Hispanic Whites and Arican Americans, to have three or

more workers per household, resulting in an infated household income. Because Asian Americans also have larger households,

their income is better measured by per capita income, which adjusts or household size.


36/68

Sri Lankan

Malaysian

Bangladeshi

Indian

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Pakistani

Korean

Indonesian

Thai

Hmong

Chinese (including Taiwanese)

Total Population

Cambodian

Laotian

Filipino

Japanese

0 10K 20K 30K 4

$38,312

$36,533

$33,264

$32,480

$31,831

$27,100

$30,061

$26,118

$25,799

$25,729

$24,663

$21,708

$21,542

$16,784

$16,585

$15,940

$10,949

P capa iby Ethnic Group, United States 2007 to 2009


Per cAPitA income

Asian American per capita income alls below thato non-Hispanic Whites but exceeds that o every

other racial group. Per capita incomes vary con-

siderably by Asian American ethnic group.

Hmong Americans have a per capita incomelower than any racial group nationwide, alling

below even that o Latinos.

The per capita incomes o Hmong, Cambodian,Laotian, and Bangladeshi Americans all below

that o Arican Americans.

Per capita incomes o Taiwanese, Indian,Malaysian, Sri Lankan, and Japanese Americans

exceed that o non-Hispanic Whites.

Per cAPitA income is the mean income computed or every man, woman, and child in a particular group. It is derived bydividing the total income o a particular group by the total population o that group.

mediAn HouSeHold income divides the income distribution o households (all persons living in the same residence)into two equal parts, hal alling below and hal above the median household income.



0 5 10 15 20 25

African American

AIAN

Hispanic

Total Population

NHPI

Asian American

White

25%

23%

22%

14%

14%

11%

10%

P ras

by Race and Hispanic Origin, United States 2007 to 2009

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 20072009 American Community Survey, 3-Year Estimates.Note: Chart contains data or all individuals living beneath the ederal poverty line, not amily poverty.

The Poverty tHreSHold used by the Census Bureauin 2009 was an annual income o $21,954 or a amily o our.

Poverty by rAce

Approximately 11% o Asian Americans live below the ederalpoverty line, a rate that exceeds that o non-Hispanic Whites but

alls below the national average.

While poverty among all Americans has increased, the percentageo Asian Americans living beneath the ederal poverty line decreased

slightly rom 2000, when 13% o Asian Americans were poor.

Poverty varies considerably among Asian American ethnic groups,with some among the most impoverished in the country.


38/68



P ras Ss (Ags 64+)by Ethnic Group, United States 2007 to 2009


Sri Lankan

Malaysian

Bangladeshi

Indian

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Pakistani

Korean

Indonesian

Thai

Total Population

Hmong


Cambodian

Laotian

Filipino

Japanese

0 5 10 15 20 25

21%

20%

19%

19%

17%

16%

16%

11%

10%

10%

9%

9%

8%

8%

7%

6%

2%

Poverty AmonG cHildren And SeniorS

Nearly one-third o Hmong American children live in poverty. Approximately one-th o Korean, Hmong, Cambodian, and

Laotian American seniors live in poverty.

Hmong, Cambodian, and Bangladeshi American communities havethe highest proportion o children and seniors who live in poverty.



P Ppa wh r cash P Asssaby Ethnic Group, United States 2007 to 2009

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 20072009 American Community Survey, 3-Year Estimates.Note: Data on Malaysian Americans not reported.

cASH Public ASSiStAnce

Hmong, Cambodian, and Laotian Americans aremore likely than any racial group to access cash

public assistance. In 20072009, approximately

13% o Hmong, 8% o Cambodian, and 6% o

Laotian Americans accessed cash public assis-

tance, compared to 5% o Arican Americans and

4% o Latinos.

Other Asian American ethnic groups are ar lesslikely to access cash public assistance. Roughly

1% o Indian, Japanese, Pakistani, Sri Lankan,

Taiwanese, and Thai Americans access cash

public assistance.

Only 2% o all Asian Americans access cash publicassistance, the lowest rate among racial groups.

Sri Lankan

Bangladeshi

Indian

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Pakistani

Korean

Indonesian

Thai

Hmong


Cambodian

Total Population

Laotian

Filipino

Japanese

0 3 6 9 12 15

13%

8%

6%

4%

3%

2%

2%

2%

2%

2%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%



up raby Race and Hispanic Origin, United States 2007 to 2009


African American

White

NHPI

AIAN

Asian American

Total Population

Hispanic

0 3 6 9 12 15

13%

13%

10%

9%

8%

6%

6%

While Asian Americans have lower unemploymentrates relative to other racial groups, some Asian

American ethnic groups have unemployment rates

similar to Latinos and Arican Americans.

During the second quarter o 2010, 52% o unem-ployed Asian Americans had been unemployed

or more than six months, while 39% had been

unemployed or more than a year. Both rates

exceeded those o any other racial group.

Source: Economic Policy Institute, February 2011.

A as pas h hs sag

a

as, g

a hh has hah

sa. bas h aj

Asa Aas a g-

ag as, p s

paa pa. wh

Asa Aas as a gp

ha p as

a a sppap aaga

pssa pas, s

Asa Aa h gps

s p as

sa las a Aa

Aas. o p,

Asa Aas a

p g ps

ha a h aa gp.

emPloyment


42/68

up ra ths 16 yas Ag a oby Ethnic Group, United States 2007 to 2009

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 20072009 American Community Survey, 3-Year Estimates.Note: Chart contains data or civilian labor orce only.

Sri Lankan

Malaysian

Bangladeshi

Indian

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Pakistani

Korean

Indonesian

Thai

Hmong


Cambodian

Total Population

Laotian

Filipino

Japanese

0 2 4 6 8 10 1

11%

10%

10%

8%

8%

7%

7%

6%

6%

6%

6%

6%

6%

6%

5%

5%

4%

unemPloyment

Hmong, Laotian, and Cambodian Americans have unemploymentrates higher than Latinos and similar to Arican Americans. Roughly

1 in 10 Hmong, Laotian, and Cambodian Americans in the civilian

labor orce are without work.

union memberSHiP

From 2003 to 2007, Asian American workers who were unionized earned 14% more than nonunionized Asian American workers.*

At 12%, Asian Americans and NHPIs unionized at a slightly higher rate than workers overall (11%).*

*AA and NHPI data are not available separately.Source: Schmitt, John, Hye Jin Rho, and Nicole Woo. January 2011. Unions and Upward Mobility or Asian Pacic American Workers. The Center orEconomic and Policy Research.



Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 20072009 American Community Survey, 3-Year Estimates.Note: Chart contains data or civilian labor orce only.

Asa Aa opas ths 16 yas Ag a oUnited States 2007 to 2009

Management &

Professional

Occupations

Sales & Ofce

Occupations

Service

Occupations

Construction, Extraction,

Production, Transportation,

& Material Moving

Occupations

0

10

20

30

40

50

Total PopulationAsian American

17%16%

26%

23%

34%

47%

21%

14%

occuPAtionS key

conStruction, extrAction, Production,

trAnSPortAtion, And mAteriAl movinG:

carpentry, construction, shing, arming, electronicassembly, tailoring, piloting, bus driving, etc.

mAnAGement And ProFeSSionAl: science,

engineering, architecture, law, education, media, arts,

medicine, etc.

SAleS And oFFice: sales, administration, etc.

Service: healthcare support, ood service, caregiving,

police, reghting, etc.

occuPAtion

Nearly hal o employed Asian Americans are working in manage-ment and proessional elds.

While Asian American ethnic groups with the lowest poverty rates(Filipino, Indian, and Japanese Americans) are concentrated inmanagement and other proessional occupations, those with the

highest poverty rates (Bangladeshi, Cambodian, and Hmong

Americans) tend to work in production, transportation, and material

moving occupations.



opa eh Gps wh l P rasUnited States 2007 to 2009

opa eh Gps wh Hgh P rasUnited States 2007 to 2009

Filipino Indian Japanese Total Population0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

41%

14%

26%

20%

64%

9%

20%

7%

49%

11%

27%

14%

35%

22%25%

17%

Bangladeshi Cambodian Hmong Total Population0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

32%

17%17%

33%

21%

19%

36%

24%

20%

19%

36%

24%

35%

17%

22%

25%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 20072009 American Community Survey, 3-Year Estimates.Note: Charts exclude percentages o workers active in the arming, fshing, and orestry industries.

occuPAtion And Poverty

Sales & Ofce

Service

Construction, Extraction, Production,

Transportation, and Material Moving

TYPES OF OCCUPATIONS

Management & Professional




African American

White

Hispanic

Asian American

Total Population

NHPI

AIAN

Renter

Owner

0 20 40 60 80 100

45%

49%

48%

56%

59%

66%

73%

55%

51%

52%

44%

41%

34%

27%

Hsg s a aa

ha . Asa Aas

a h ss ha -

Hspa whs h

h a

s.

dsp hs hags, Asa

Aas a ss

z g-ssz

hsg pgas.

HouSinG

Approximately 59% o Asian Americans are homeowners, while41% rent their homes. While rates o homeownership among Asian

Americans exceed those o Latinos and Arican Americans, they all

well below those o non-Hispanic Whites. Rates o homeownership

vary by Asian American ethnic group.

P Ppa wh A Hs s. rsby Race and Hispanic Origin, United States 2007 to 2009



P Ppa wh A Hs s. rsby Ethnic Group, United States 2007 to 2009


Sri Lankan

Malaysian

Bangladeshi

Indian

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Total Population

Pakistani

Korean

Indonesian

Thai

Hmong


Cambodian

Laotian

Filipino

Japanese

0 20 40 60 80 10

44%

48%

49%

51%

53%

55%

55%

55%

56%

61%

62%

63%

63%

63%

64%

66%

66%

56%

52%

51%

49%

47%

45%

45%

45%

44%

39%

38%

37%

37%

37%

36%

34%

34%

Renter

Owner

HomeownerSHiP

Over 60% o Taiwanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Japanese, Laotian,Chinese, and Sri Lankan Americans are homeowners.

However, less than hal o Bangladeshi, Hmong, and KoreanAmericans own their homes.



P wh l o Hsgby Ethnic Group, United States 2007 to 2009

Sri Lankan

Malaysian

Bangladeshi

Indian

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Pakistani

Korean

Indonesian

Thai

Hmong


Cambodian

Total Population

Laotian

Filipino

Japanese

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

32%

24%

14%

14%

11%

8%

8%

6%

6%

6%

5%

5%

5%

5%

3%

3%

2%


overcrowded HouSinG

Approximately 7% o Asian Americans live in overcrowded house-holds in which there is more than one person per room. In contrast,

only 3% o the total population and 1% o non-Hispanic Whites live

in such conditions.

Nearly one-third o Hmong and one-quarter o Bangladeshi Ameri-cans live in overcrowded housing.

Despite large numbers living in overcrowded conditions andacing a high housing burden, Asian Americans are under-

represented in government-subsidized housing with only 3% o

Asian Americans benetting.


48/68


49/68


50/68

Pag Hgh Sh Ss wh Ap Ss cs Sby Race and Hispanic Origin, United States 2009

NHPI Hispanic WhiteAIAN AsianAmerican

AfricanAmerican

Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide

Attempted Suicide

0

5

10

15

20

19%

12%

10%

8% 8%

4%5%

19%

15% 15%

13% 13%

Source: The Asian and Pacic Islander American Health Forums tabulation o the 2009; Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System data reported in CDC,2009.

reFuGee And ASylee mentAl HeAltH

Approximately 62% of Cambodian Americans in Long Beach, California, report symptoms of post-traumatic

stress disorder (PTSD), and 51% reported major depression.*

A 1998 study of 51 Vietnamese ex-political detainees found higher rates of PTSD and depression than in a

comparison group.**

*Source: Marshall et al., 2005. Mental Health o Cambodian Reugees 2 Decades Ater Resettlement in the United States,Journal o the American

Medical Association.

**Source: Mollica et al., 1998. The Dose-Eect Relationships between Torture and Psychiatric Symptoms in Vietnamese Ex-Political Detainees and a

Comparison Group, The Journal o Nervous and Mental Disease. Vol. 9 (2).

Suicide

Approximately 15% o Asian American high school students haveseriously considered attempting suicide, a rate higher than both

Arican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites.

From 2002 to 2006, the highest suicide rates or women ages 65and older were among Asian Americans and NHPIs, with 6.4 suicides

per 100,000.*

*Centers or Disease Control and Prevention. 2009. National Suicide Statistics at a Glance:Suicide Rates Among Persons Ages 65 Years and Older, by Race/Ethnicity and Sex, United States,20022006.


51/68

medicAre And medicAid

Approximately 34% of Asian Americans over the age of 65 only have Medicare coverage. In comparison,

29% o non-Hispanic Whites rely solely on Medicare.

Approximately 74% of Asian Americans under the age of 65 have private health insurance, and only 10%

have Medicaid coverage.*

*Source: The Asian and Pacic Islander American Health Forum Tabulation o the 2008 NHIS reported data in CDC, 2010.

inSurAnce

More than one in ve Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Korean, and CambodianAmericans is uninsured.

Among Asian American ethnic groups, Japanese Americans are mostlikely to have health insurance.

P usby Ethnic Group, 2007 to 2009

Bangladeshi

Indian

Vietnamese

Taiwanese

Pakistani

Korean

Indonesian

Thai

Hmong

Total Population


Cambodian

Laotian

Filipino

Japanese

0 5 10 15 20 25

23%

23%

22%

21%

19%

19%

19%

16%

15%

15%

14%

12%

12%

11%

8%




civic enGAGement

Asian Americans are increasingly becoming citizens, registering to

vote, and casting ballots. But signicant hurdles hindering ull political

participation and civic engagement remain. Many o the over 1 million

Asian American noncitizens who have met the residency requirements

to naturalize will need assistance to become U.S. citizens. Only 55%

o Asian Americans eligible to register to vote have registered. Asian

American voter turnout still lags behind that o non-Hispanic Whites.

Corporations, oundations, and the government should promote

citizenship through greater investment in civics courses, adult

English language learning, and naturalization assistance.

The ederal government should make naturalization and immigration

ees aordable and ensure sucient unding to USCIS to expeditiously

process citizenship applications.

Foundations, political parties, candidates, and other stakeholders

should increase their investment in voter registration and mobiliza-

tion eorts targeting Asian American communities, including voters

who are not ully fuent in English.

Federal, state, and local agencies and elected ocials should guarantee

equal access to voting by combating discriminatory voting practices

that deny or abridge the right o Asian Americans and others to vote.

Voter protection laws should be vigorously enorced and policies and

practices that impose additional barriers to voting should be opposed.

The Department o Justice and state and local voting ocials mustensure compliance with and enorcement o Section 203 o the Voting

Rights Act, which provides or language assistance to communities

that meet certain requirements. Communities with signicant popula-

tions o Asian American voters should consider providing voluntary

language assistance.

immiGrAtion

Every aspect o immigration policy aects Asian Americans. Nearly 60%

o Asian Americans are oreign-born, yet there is insucient public and

private investment in programs supporting immigrant integration. The

ate o aspiring new Americans hinges on a broken immigration system.

Approximately one million Asian Americans are undocumented.

Waiting times or amily visas can be as long as 23 years. Under the

current system, immigrants are separated rom their amilies, exploited

by unscrupulous employers, denied meaningul educational and

employment opportunities, and prevented rom contributing ully to

American society. In the absence o immigration reorm at the ederal

level, many states have attempted their own xes to immigration law,

resulting in a patchwork o laws, many o which are harmul to commu-

nities and undermine Americas most undamental values.

Policy recommendAtionS


53/68



Government, corporations, oundations, and other stakeholders need

to invest in high-quality bilingual K12 education that promotes

English language acquisition as well as academic achievement.

Both the public and private sectors need to provide sucient undingto meet the demand or English language programs or adults. The

Workorce Investment Act (WIA) and adult educational systems need

to be reormed and better unded to provide or this need.

educAtion

It is in the education context that the term model minority is most

oten used to describe Asian Americans. While many in the Asian

American community are well educated, others do not complete high

school. Many Asian Americans who came as reugees have levels o

educational attainment similar to Latinos and Arican Americans.

Government, corporations, oundations, and other stakeholdersshould improve K12 programs to better address the cultural and

linguistic barriers that contribute to educational disparities, including

improving programs or English language learners.

Government agencies and educational institutions should protect and

promote armative action programs in education. Asian Americans

should be included in armative action programs, particularly under-

represented groups such as Southeast Asians.

income And emPloyment

Asian Americans occupy both ends o the socioeconomic spectrum. The

per capita income o Asian Americans approaches that o non-HispanicWhites, but more than 1 in 10 Asian Americans live in poverty. While

almost hal o Asian Americans work in management and proessional

elds, Asian Americans work in all occupations, including sales,

services, construction, and production.

Federal, state, and local governments need to strengthen and expand

access to saety net programs, including public assistance and un-

employment benets, particularly during times o recession when

needs are especially acute. Public benets must be culturally and

linguistically accessible.

While many Asian Americans have high educational attainment andwork in proessional elds, some ace a glass ceiling that blocks

their proessional advancement. Corporations, law rms, government

agencies, academic institutions, and other employers should imple-

ment equal opportunity programs that remove barriers to advance-

ment in the workplace.

Federal, state, and local agencies should include Asian Americans in

equal opportunity programs, including minority contracting programs.

Asian Americans ace ongoing discrimination in public contracting and



should be included in minority set-aside programs and allowed to

complete or government contracts on an equal ooting.

Government agencies at all levels need to ensure vigorous enorce-

ment o employment and labor laws, including antidiscriminationprovisions and protection against retaliation or workers who assert

their rights. This enorcement must extend to workers regardless o

immigration status and ensure that all workers are protected.

Government agencies, unions, and employers should protect collec-

tive bargaining rights and support workers rights to unionize and

organize to challenge unair employment practices.

HouSinG

Access to quality aordable housing, whether rented or owned, is

key to economic stability. Asian American homeownership rates are

lower than those o non-Hispanic Whites. A signicant percentage oAsian Americans live in overcrowded housing, but only 3% o Asian

Americans live in government-subsidized housing.

Federal, state, and local agencies and private companies need to

expand aordable housing and homeownership opportunities or

Asian American amilies.

All levels o government should vigorously enorce laws prohibit-

ing predatory lending practices that target immigrant communities,

individuals with limited-English prociency, and other vulnerable

communities.

With many people losing their homes in the oreclosure crisis, ed-

eral, state, and local governments need to und and expand housing

counseling services and consumer protection agencies, such as the

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

HeAltH

Having access to aordable quality healthcare is a basic human need.

Asian Americans need access to quality, aordable health care that is

linguistically and culturally appropriate. Asian Americans ace specic

health disparities, including high rates o hepatitis, liver cancer, and

stomach cancer.

Federal, state, and local governments and private entities such as

insurance companies and employers should expand access to aord-

able healthcare coverage or all U.S. residents, including immigrants.

All levels o government, community-based organizations, and those

in the health industry should outreach to and educate Asian Ameri-

cans about the Patient Protection Aordable Care Act so they can

benet rom the expanded availability o healthcare insurance.



The ederal government and courts should broadly interpret and ully

enorce the antidiscrimination provisions o the Patient Protection

Aordable Care Act.

Those in the healthcare industry and ederal, state, and local govern-ments need to ensure meaningul access to quality healthcare or

persons who are not fuent in English. They can accomplish this by

supporting eorts to provide health services in a linguistically and cul-

turally appropriate manner and by removing barriers to enrollment.

The ederal government should ully und or expand programs such

as Medicaid and the Childrens Health Insurance Program to ensure

Asian Americans with low incomes are able to access basic health-

care services, providing a vital lieline or the most vulnerable mem-

bers o our communities.

dAtA collection And reSeArcHSocially and economically diverse and growing dramatically, Asian

American communities are complicated to understand and serve. Data

collection and research play a critical role in providing policy makers

and service providers the inormation they need to identiy community

needs and target programs in the most cost-eective manner pos-

sible. While the Census Bureau has provided a wealth o disaggregated

data on Asian American communities, ew other ederal, state, or local

agencies collect or disseminate disaggregated data, address language

barriers in the Asian American communitys ability to participate in

research eorts, or reach sucient sample size in surveys o smaller

ethnic groups to provide meaningul ndings.

Data and research produced by both governmental and nongovern-

mental entities must include data on Asian Americans, disaggregated

by ethnic group where possible. Researchers should work to improve

the quantity and quality o survey data on Asian Americans by con-

ducting outreach, translating and administering survey instruments,

and providing assistance to respondents in Asian languages and

oversampling Asian American ethnic groups.

Federal, state, and local governments and private oundations should

re-examine whether adequate resources are being directed to study-

ing and serving the needs o Asian American communities, particular-ly Southeast Asians. Government can draw upon the knowledge and

experience o community members through the ormation o Asian

American advisory groups. In many areas, government programs

and social service agencies are aced with having to serve greater

numbers even as unding is cut. In some areas, Asian American

populations may be without linguistically and culturally appropriate

programs altogether. It is critical that sucient unding is directed to

meet the needs o diverse Asian American communities.



cHineSe AmericAnS

Chinese Americans are the largest Asian American ethnic group nation-

wide. Approximately 61% are oreign-born. One o the oldest Asian

American ethnic groups, Chinese immigrants continue to arrive on

American shores at a steady pace, with 29% entering between 2000

and 2010. The majority o Chinese American legal permanent residents

(53%) obtained immigrant visas as the immediate relatives o a U.S.

citizen or under amily-sponsored preerences, while 25% obtained

employment-based visas. Chinese Americans are nearly twice as likely

as the total population to live in overcrowded housing. Forty-two

percent o Chinese Americans are limited-English procient, and 29%

are linguistically isolated.

FiliPino AmericAnS

Filipino Americans are the second largest Asian American ethnic group

nationwide. Approximately 53% o the population is oreign-born.Twenty-seven percent o the oreign-born Filipino American population

entered the United States between 2000 and 2010. The vast major-

ity o Filipino American legal permanent residents (89%) immigrated

as the immediate relatives o U.S. citizens or under amily-sponsored

preerences. The remaining 11% entered the United States under

employment-based preerences. Filipino Americans are nearly three

times as likely to live in overcrowded housing than the total U.S.

population. Nearly one in ve are limited-English procient.

indiAn AmericAnS

Indian Americans are the third largest and ourth astest growing Asian

American ethnic group, having grown by 68% between 2000 and 2010.

Approximately 70% o Indian Americans are oreign-born, and 40% o

the oreign-born population entered the United States between 2000

and 2010. Approximately 45% o Indian American legal permanent

residents immigrated to the United States under employment-based

preerences, and 53% came as the immediate relatives o U.S. citi-

zens or under amily-sponsored preerences. Indian Americans have

generally achieved proessional and economic success. The majority

(64%) works in a management or proessional occupation and their

household, median, and per capita income exceeds those o the total

population. Despite their material success, over one in ve Indian

Americans is limited-English procient.

vietnAmeSe AmericAnS

Vietnamese Americans are the ourth largest Asian American ethnic

group. Approximately 64% are oreign-born, and 19% entered the

United States between 2000 and 2010. While the largest number

entered beore 1990, Vietnam remains the ourth largest sender o

immigrants among Asian countries. The vast majority o Vietnamese

American legal permanent residents (95%) entered the United States


toP Five lArGeSt GrouPS



bAnGlAdeSHi AmericAnS

Bangladeshi Americans are the astest growing Asian American ethnic

group over the past decade, having grown 157% rom 2000 to 2010.

Approximately 73% are oreign-born, and 41% o the oreign-born popu-

lation entered the United States between 2000 and 2010. Nearly three

out o our Bangladeshi American legal permanent residents entered


preerences. A large minority (19%) entered through the Diversity

Visa program. Language barriers pose a signicant problem to many

Bangladeshi Americans. Nearly hal (46%) are limited-English procient,

and one-quarter live in linguistically isolated households. Among Asian

American ethnic groups, Bangladeshi Americans are least likely to own

their own home. Nearly one in our are without health insurance.

PAkiStAni AmericAnS

Having doubled in size rom 2000 to 2010, Pakistani Americans are the

second astest growing and seventh largest Asian American ethnic

toP Five FASteSt GrowinG GrouPS

preerences. Only 6% entered under employment-based preerences.

Nearly three out o our Vietnamese American immigrants have

become U.S. citizens, highest among Asian American ethnic groups.

Approximately 8% live in overcrowded housing, making them twice

as likely as the total population to do so. Over hal o Vietnamese

Americans are limited-English procient and over one in three are lin-

guistically isolated, both highest among Asian American ethnic groups.

koreAn AmericAnS

Korean Americans are the th largest Asian American ethnic group.

Approximately 65% are oreign-born, and 29% o the oreign-born

population entered between 2000 and 2010. The majority (52%) entered

under employment-based preerences, while 48% entered as the imme-

diate relatives o U.S. citizens or under amily-sponsored preerences.

Approximately 71% o Korean Americans speak a language other than

English at home, 41% are limited-English procient, and 31% live in lin-guistically isolated households. Over one in ve Korean Americans are

without health insurance.



group. Approximately 65% are oreign-born, and 34% o the oreign-

born population entered between 2000 and 2010. Roughly 81% o

Pakistani American legal permanent residents entered the country as

the immediate relatives o U.S. citizens or under amily-sponsored

preerences. A substantial minority (19%) entered under the Diversity

Visa program, and 16% entered under employment-based preerences.

Approximately 14% o Pakistani Americans live in overcrowded housing,

making them over our times as likely as the general population to

do so. Roughly one-third is limited-English procient.

Sri lAnkAn AmericAnS

Sri Lankan Americans were the third astest growing Asian American

ethnic group between 2000 and 2010, having grown 85% over the

decade. Approximately 76% are oreign-born, and 42% o the oreign-

born population entered the United States between 2000 and 2010.

Approximately 42% o Sri Lankan American legal permanent resi-dents immigrated as the immediate relatives o U.S. citizens or under

amily-sponsor preerences, 26% entered under employment-based pre-

erences, and the remaining 33% entered under diversity, reugee, and

asylee preerences. Sri Lankan Americans are three times as likely as

the average American to hold an advanced degree and almost twice as

likely to work in a management or proessional occupation. Sri Lankan

Americans are one o the ew Asian American ethnic groups whose

household, median, and per capita incomes exceed those o the average

American. Despite their origins in a ormer British commonwealth, 72%

o Sri Lankan Americans report speaking a language other than English

at home, and more than one in ve is limited-English procient.

indiAn AmericAnS

See page 55.

tAiwAneSe AmericAnS

Taiwanese Americans were the th astest growing Asian American

ethnic group between 2000 and 2010. Approximately 68% are oreign-

born, and 25% o the oreign-born population entered between 2000

and 2010. Sixty-six percent arrived as the immediate relatives arrived


preerences. Thirty-one percent arrived under employment-based pre-

erences. Among Asian American ethnic groups, Taiwanese Americanshave the highest educational attainment, with 96% holding a high

school degree and 72% holding a bachelors degree. They have the

highest rates o homeownership and are the least likely to live in over-

crowded housing. Language access remains a pressing issue, however,

as 43% are limited-English procient.



GloSSAry

Asa s:Dened by the U.S. Department o HomelandSecurity as including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma,Cambodia, China, East Timor, Hong Kong, India,

Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mal-dives, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan,Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka,Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

g pThe total personal income o residents that isavailable, ater taxes, or spending on virtuallyeverything that they buy, but it does not includedollars that are borrowed or that were saved inprevious years. (Humphreys, 2009)

ds sa (dv)

Type o visa drawn rom countries with low rateso immigration to the United States. Unlike otherimmigrant types, Diversity visas do not requirea U.S. sponsor, and thereore a petition is notneeded.

a-sps psType o visa based on amily relationships. Familypreerence categories include sons and daughters(over the age o 21) o U.S. citizens, the spousesand children o legal permanent residents (LPRs),and the siblings o U.S. citizens.

g-People not born in the United States, Puerto Rico,or the U.S. Island Areas (such as Guam, the U.S.Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands).

ia ras u.S. czsType o visa based on a close amily relationshipwith a U.S. citizen. Immediate relative is denedas being a spouse, an unmarried child under 21years o age, an adopted orphan, or parent o aU.S. citizen.

-egsh pPersons who speak English less than very well.

gsa sa hshsHouseholds in which all members 14 years o ageand older speak English less than very well.

a hsh A measurement o income that divides theincome distribution o households (all personsliving in the same residence) into two equal parts,hal alling below and hal above the medianhousehold income.

aazaReers to the process through which a oreign-born individual becomes a citizen o a new coun-try; in this report we reer only to oreign-born

individuals who have obtained citizenship in theUnited States.

hsgHaving more than one person per room.

p apa The mean income computed or every man, wom-an, and child in a particular group. It is derived bydividing the total income o a particular groupby the total population o that group.

p

A measure o income relative to the ederal pov-erty threshold (the poverty line). Adjusted or am-ily size, the 2009 Census Bureau poverty thresh-old was $21,954 annually or a amily o our.

p asssa Income that includes general assistance andTemporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).Separate payments received or hospital or othermedical care (vendor payments) are excluded.This does not include Supplemental SecurityIncome (SSI) or noncash benets such as oodstamps. The terms public assistance income

and cash public assistance are used inter-changeably in the 2009 American CommunitySurvey (ACS) data products.

gs a assPersons who moved to the United States toescape persecution in their country o origin.Reugees are those who applied or admissionwhile living outside the United States; asyleesare those who applied at either a port o entry orwhile residing in the United States.

aThe expulsion o an unauthorized immigrant romthe United States either because o inadmissibil-ity or deportability.

sVoluntary returns, voluntary departures and with-drawals under docket control.


61/68

APPendix A: rAce And etHnicity

ra a Hspa og2000 2010 % Gh

2000 2010n % ta n % ta

White, Non-Hispanic 194,552,774 69% 196,817,552 64% 1%

Hispanic 35,305,818 13% 50,477,594 16% 43%

Arican American 36,419,434 13% 42,020,743 14% 15%

Asian American 11,898,828 4% 17,320,856 6% 46%

American Indian Alaskan Native 4,119,301 1% 5,220,579 2% 27%

Native Hawaiian Pacic Islander 874,414 0% 1,225,195 0.4% 40%

ta 281,421,906 100% 308,745,538 100% 10%

Asa Aa eh Gps2000 2010 % Gh

2000 2010n % AA ta n % AA ta

Chinese (except Taiwanese) 2,734,841 23% 3,794,673 22% 39%

Filipino 2,364,815 20% 3,416,840 20% 44%

Indian 1,899,599 16% 3,183,063 18% 68%

Vietnamese 1,223,736 10% 1,737,433 10% 42%

Korean 1,228,427 10% 1,706,822 10% 39%

Japanese 1,148,932 10% 1,304,286 8% 14%

Pakistani 204,309 2% 409,163 2% 100%

Cambodian 206,052 2% 276,667 2% 34%

Hmong 186,310 2% 260,073 2% 40%

Thai 150,283 1% 237,583 1% 58%

Laotian 198,203 2% 232,130 1% 17%

Taiwanese 144,795 1% 230,382 1% 59%

Bangladeshi 57,412 0% 147,300 1% 157%

Burmese NR NR 100,200 1% NR

Indonesian 63,073 1% 95,270 1% 51%

Nepalese NR NR 59,490 0.34% NR

Sri Lankan 24,587 0.2% 45,381 0.26% 85%

Malaysian 18,566 0.2% 26,179 0.15% 41%

Bhutanese NR NR 19,439 0.11% NR

Asa Aa ta 11,898,828 100% 17,320,856 100% 46%


62/68

APPendix b: AA PoPulAtion by StAte

States

2000 2010 %Growth2000 to

2010

AAPopulation

% ofTotal

AAPopula-

tion

% ofTotal

California 4,155,685 12% 5,556,592 15% 34%

New York 1,169,200 6% 1,579,494 8% 33%

Texas 644,193 3% 1,110,666 4% 72%

New Jersey 524,356 6% 795,163 9% 52%

Hawaii 703,232 58% 780,968 57% 11%

Illinois 473,649 4% 668,694 5% 41%

Washington 395,741 7% 604,251 9% 53%

Florida 333,013 2% 573,083 3% 72%

Virginia 304,559 4% 522,199 7% 71%

Pennsylvania 248,601 2% 402,587 3% 62%

Massachusetts 264,814 4% 394,211 6% 49%

Maryland 238,408 5% 370,

apalc community of contrast

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