DOCSLIB.ORG

PERCEIVED RACISM AS a PREDICTOR of PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING in SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS a Dissertation Submitt

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
PERCEIVED RACISM AS a PREDICTOR of PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING in SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS a Dissertation Submitt PERCEIVED RACISM AS A PREDICTOR OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS A dissertation submitted to the Kent State University College of Education, Health, and Human Services in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Maiko Xiong May 2014 © Copyright, 2014 by Maiko Xiong All Rights Reserved ii A dissertation written by Maiko Xiong B.S., University of California, Davis, 2003 M.S., California State University, Sacramento, 2006 Ph.D., Kent State University, 2014 Approved by _________________________________, Co-director, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Lynne Guillot Miller _________________________________, Co-director, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Betsy Page _________________________________, Member, Doctoral Dissertation Committee Jason Schenker Accepted by _________________________________, Director, School of Lifespan Mary Dellman-Jenkins Development and Educational Services _________________________________, Dean, College and Graduate School of Daniel F. Mahony Education, Health, and Human Services iii XIONG, MAIKO, Ph.D., May 2014 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES PERCEIVED RACISM AS A PREDICTOR OF PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING AMOUNT SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICAN COLLEGE STUDENTS (150 pp.) Co-Directors of Dissertation: Lynne Guillot-Miller, Ph.D. Betsy Page, Ed.D. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between perceived racism and psychological well-being among Southeast Asian American college students. In specific, the relationships between the frequency of racism experiences and how much the racism experiences bothered the participants, and demographic factors including gender, generational status, and college grade level were investigated. A total of 201 self-identified Southeast Asian Americans were included in the final analysis. These subjects completed two instruments, the Daily Life Experience subscale that measured perceived racism and the Depression-Happiness Scale that measured both positive and negative cognitions and affect. Subjects also provided responses about their generational status, gender, and college level status. The instrument data were analyzed using correlation analysis and multiple linear regressions. Regression analyses revealed that perceived racism and the demographic factors differentially predicted psychological well-being. By examining variations in participants’ experiences of racism and how much they attribute the racism experience as bothersome, this study highlights individual differences within this group and provides evidence that racism is a complex process for Southeast Asian Americans. These results are discussed in detail herein. Implications of the findings along with the limitations of the study are presented. Recommendations of future research are also described. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This journey has not been without its challenges. The completion of my dissertation is one aspect of my journey during the course of my doctoral studies. Thus, I must acknowledge both those individuals who directly assisted with the completion of my dissertation and those who supported me over the course of my studies. I start by acknowledging my parents who have been nothing but excited, curious, and positive as they supported me through my struggles to be away from home and from my family. Txiv, your stories of how you struggled to be educated were a continuous reminder of my privilege to be in this position. You asked the hard questions and aided me in contemplating the difficult challenges. So, this one is for you. Niam, koj yog ib tug niam zoo heev. There have been several hardships in my life these past few years. Your words of encouragement, understanding, and acceptance have taught me to be a better daughter and a better friend. My ten siblings (Koua, Ka, My Ying, Birdie, Yer, Annie, Patag, Joua, Jamie, and Luana) and my brother-in-law (Mike) have provided one of the strongest foundations in sustaining me throughout this process. Your texts, phone calls, shared passwords of accounts, and gifts were a source of love that aspired me to achieve because even as I struggled, I knew y’all had my back. It has been a difficult four years, for all of us, and I want to thank you for the sacrifices you endured to make this dream come true. Your encouragement and the strength of our relationships kept me grounded, humbled, and hopeful. iv Wayne, homie, thank you. Those words are too simple to express my love and gratitude for your friendship, your unconditional support, and your unwavering belief that I could do this, and do it well. Anna Yam, I could go on forever sharing how much I appreciate the way you have cared for me. Your love and support have been tremendous. I am so glad we got stuck together in that car ride to Tahoe. My dissertation advisors, Dr. Lynne Guillot Miller and Dr. Betsy Page were integral to this process. You provided me with ideas, fostered my scholarly identity, and encouraged me to explore unanswered questions. I am deeply grateful for your willingness to teach me during this journey. My outside member Dr. Jason Schenker provided me with support and tutoring about quantitative statistics. Thank you for helping me believe in myself as a quantitative researcher. The Hmong community in Akron, Ohio has been a wonderful retreat from work, and an even more delightful reminder that makes me proud to be a Hmong woman. You provided me a home away from home and helped me feel a sense of security that was missing. It took me awhile to find y’all, and when I did, you welcomed me as a daughter, sister, and friend with only one question, “you’ve been here for four years?!?” I am honored to have experienced your kindness and support. Thank you for embracing me and inviting me into your homes. There are so many phenomenal colleagues and friends who have assisted be in different ways. I truly cannot express how deeply I appreciate the alternative ideas, the day drinking enlightenment, or the resounding reinforcement for the work I was doing. I v am grateful for your help for providing feedback, listening, and encouraging me to trust the process. Thank you: • Eric Baltrinic • Edward Bolan • Dr. Jane Cox • Matthew Branfield • Robert Gilbert • Deborah Duenyas • Mitzi Hutchins • Jessica Headley • Dr. Marty Jencius • Gordon Lim • Dr. Jason Miller • Dr. Jeff Mostade • Julien Moua • Madee Moua • Steve Moua • Dr. Steve Rainey • Heather Smith • Cathy Thao • Edmond Wong • Lu Xiong Finally, I would like to thank the Southeast Asian American college students who took the time to participate in my dissertation. I appreciate the risk you took. As a Southeast Asian American woman, I wanted to shed light on our unique issues and hoped that I have adequately honored your efforts through this work. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................... 1 Purpose and Rationale ............................................................................................. 2 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................... 3 Research Questions ................................................................................................. 3 Definitions ............................................................................................................... 4 Review of the Literature ......................................................................................... 6 The Culture of Southeast Asian Americans ..................................................... 6 Cambodian Americans ........................................................................... 9 Hmong Americans ............................................................................... 10 Laotian Americans ............................................................................... 12 Vietnamese Americans ......................................................................... 13 Similarities and differences .................................................................. 14 Mental Health Concerns of Southeast Asian Americans ............................... 16 Racism ........................................................................................................... 18 Racism and Asian American ................................................................ 23 Racism and psychological well-being .................................................. 27 Racism and college students ................................................................ 28 Southeast Asian American College Students ................................................ 36 Achievement patterns ........................................................................... 38 Mental health needs .............................................................................. 39 Need for the Study ................................................................................................ 41 Summary ............................................................................................................... 42 II. METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................... 44 Participants ...........................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • UTSA Plans Child Care Facility L\/Linority Scholarshiips Challenged in Court
    «• Get a job! Phantom strikes again March into sports! Career Services helps students with The Phantom of the Opera comes to the We've got you covered from the court to interviews and resumes Municipal Auditorium the links to the diamond • Features, page 5 Ails & Enteitainment, page 7 Sports, page 8 ^^^•"\ V FebruaiPAi^An7 28,1995 Volume 18O, Number 7 SERVING THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT »'«WEiK.tl1f»ailfH,: UTSA plans child care facility By Cherie Rhoad Tlie university currently has issued a Regulatory Services requires that the Managing Editor Request For Proposal (RFT") to local center maintain a clean safe environ­ private daycare providers. The RFP ment. The state also sets up the training Earlier this month the UT Board of states the basic requirements the center standards for staff members ofthe facil­ Regents gave UTSA permission lo make must meet in order to be awarded the ity and defines the nutritional require­ plans to build a daycare center on two ground lease. The property on the cor­ ments for the children. acresof university property at the corner ner of UTSA Boulevard and Babcock The National Association for the Edu­ of UTSA Bouldc vard and Babc(Kk Road. will be leased for $100 per year to the cation of Young Children, (NAEYC) is Because of its convenienl location, thc provider. Tlie center will be built by the. accrediting association that sets up the daycare center will allow students, fac­ provider; no university funds will be standards for accreditation. ulty and staff to drop their children off used to build the facility.
    [Show full text]
  • Asian Americans
    Researching LIBRARY Asian Americans REFERENCE BOOKS: Reference Books are useful for overviews of a topic. The information is concise and often highlights specific aspects of a subject. Reference books must be used in the library; plan to take notes or photocopy the information. Be sure to use the indexes to locate specific names or topics. American Immigrant Culture Ref E 184.A1 A63448 1997 Encyclopedia of Multicultural America Ref E 184.A1 G141995 Refugees in America in the 1990’s Ref E 184.A1 R431996 Atlas of Asian American History Ref E 184.A75 A89 2002 Encyclopedia of Asian American Issues Ref E 184.A75 E53 2010 Encyclopedia of Japanese American History Ref E 184.J3 E53 2001 CIRCULATING BOOKS Circulating books can be checked out. They are found in the library’s book stacks. Books develop a topic in detail. You can search the Library Catalog to find books on your subject. Try some of these words and phrases by doing a Keyword search or a Subject search: Asian Americans Japanese Americans South Asia Americans Korean Americans East Indian Americans Southeast Asian Americans Pakistani Americans Vietnamese Americans Bangladeshi Americans Cambodian Americans Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Tibetan Americans Hmong Americans Pacific Islander Americans Thai Americans United States Emigration and Immigration Asian Americans Cultural Assimilation Asian Americans Ethnic Identity Asian American History E-BOOKS: Use the E-Book Collection tab on the Library’s Database page. Gale Virtual Reference Library is an excellent resource for finding thousands of full-text articles from electronic reference books such as Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Dictionary of American History, and American Decades and more.
    [Show full text]
  • Remarks in Bangkok August 7, 2008
    1104 Aug. 6 / Administration of George W. Bush, 2008 looking forward to hearing her report from Royal Thai Armed Forces have stood united the trip. from Korea and Vietnam to Afghanistan and So, Mr. Prime Minister, I want to thank Iraq. Our free market economies have surged you very much for your hospitality. I want forward on a rising tide of trade and invest- to thank you for feeding my delegation. ment. Tourism has boomed as more people We’re looking forward to eating some good have discovered this beautiful and ancient Thai food, which is very famous throughout land. And some 200,000 Thai Americans now the world. Please give my very best regards enrich my nation with their enterprise and to His Majesty and Her Majesty. their culture and their faith. Prime Minister Samak. I will. On this historic anniversary of our alliance, President Bush. And thank you very America looks to Thailand as a leader in the much for being so gracious. region and a partner around the world. I was Prime Minister Samak. All right. Thank proud to designate Thailand a major non- you. NATO ally of the United States. I salute the NOTE: The President spoke at 7:51 p.m. at the Thai people on the restoration of democracy, Government House. In his remarks, the President which has proved that liberty and law reign referred to King Phumiphon Adunyadet and here in the ‘‘land of the free.’’ In many ways, Queen Sirikit of Thailand. the story of Thailand is the story of this re- gion.
    [Show full text]
  • Languages of New York State Is Designed As a Resource for All Education Professionals, but with Particular Consideration to Those Who Work with Bilingual1 Students
    TTHE LLANGUAGES OF NNEW YYORK SSTATE:: A CUNY-NYSIEB GUIDE FOR EDUCATORS LUISANGELYN MOLINA, GRADE 9 ALEXANDER FFUNK This guide was developed by CUNY-NYSIEB, a collaborative project of the Research Institute for the Study of Language in Urban Society (RISLUS) and the Ph.D. Program in Urban Education at the Graduate Center, The City University of New York, and funded by the New York State Education Department. The guide was written under the direction of CUNY-NYSIEB's Project Director, Nelson Flores, and the Principal Investigators of the project: Ricardo Otheguy, Ofelia García and Kate Menken. For more information about CUNY-NYSIEB, visit www.cuny-nysieb.org. Published in 2012 by CUNY-NYSIEB, The Graduate Center, The City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 10016. [email protected]. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alexander Funk has a Bachelor of Arts in music and English from Yale University, and is a doctoral student in linguistics at the CUNY Graduate Center, where his theoretical research focuses on the semantics and syntax of a phenomenon known as ‘non-intersective modification.’ He has taught for several years in the Department of English at Hunter College and the Department of Linguistics and Communications Disorders at Queens College, and has served on the research staff for the Long-Term English Language Learner Project headed by Kate Menken, as well as on the development team for CUNY’s nascent Institute for Language Education in Transcultural Context. Prior to his graduate studies, Mr. Funk worked for nearly a decade in education: as an ESL instructor and teacher trainer in New York City, and as a gym, math and English teacher in Barcelona.
    [Show full text]
  • Performing Thai and Indigenous Igorot American Folklore and Identities: Ethnic and Cultural Politics Revealed
    Jati, Volume 18, December 2013, pp185-205 PERFORMING THAI AND INDIGENOUS IGOROT AMERICAN FOLKLORE AND IDENTITIES: ETHNIC AND CULTURAL POLITICS REVEALED Jonathan H. X. Lee and Mark S. Leo San Francisco State University ([email protected]) Abstract In this paper, we explore the interplay of performing ethnic culture through folklore, the politics of identity formations, and subjectivities of minoritized Asian Americans and their communities. In Asian American Studies, cultural performance and its relation to identity formation have commonly been viewed as lineal, and positive phenomena, especially among the youth. As marginalized Asian Americans — Thai and indigenous Igorot American folkloric performances reveal conflicts and tensions that question the notion of Asian American pan- ethnic solidarity. These can be situated externally (i.e., inter-ethnic conflicts and tensions between two ethnic groups), as well as internally (intra-ethnic conflicts within one ethnic group).1 They demonstrate how cultural and folkloric performances can be employed as both a strategy and mechanism for ethnic and cultural hegemony (as in the case of Filipino/Filipino American misappropriation of Igorot/Igorot American folklore and performances), and as a counter narrative to the dominant Asian American narrative of exceptionalism (i.e., the Model Minority). Thai and indigenous Igorot American youths challenge hegemonic cultural groups in their quests for social justice. Thai American Buddhists perform Thai religious identity and rituals to question the misinterpretation of Thai Buddhism by non-Asian Buddhists. Indigenous Igorot Americans challenge mainstream Filipino/Filipino American cultural and narrative hegemony by acting and performing their folklore and customs in their own space as a critique of an invisible interethnic cultural and subversive domination.
    [Show full text]
  • Asset Mapping for an Asian American Community: Informal And
    Psychosocial Intervention 25 (2016) 55–62 Psychosocial Intervention www.elsevier.es/psi Asset mapping for an Asian American community: Informal and formal resources for community building Suzie S. Weng University of North Florida, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Social Work, 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville, FL 32224, United States a b s t r a c t a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: With the growth of the Asian American population in the Southern region of the United States, main- Received 28 June 2015 stream and Asian American community must be aware of both informal and formal supports that Accepted 24 July 2015 are available for the population in order to effectively address needs and allocate resources. This Available online 19 September 2015 community-based project identified informal and mainstream support that is available to an Asian Amer- ican community using asset mapping. The asset-based community development framework was used in Keywords: which the capacities of the local people and their associations are recognized to be essential in building Social network analysis a more powerful community, to helping a community be more self-sustaining, and to developing bet- Network interventions ter relationships among entities. This study provides an inventory of community assets that otherwise Social support may have been ignored and thus has the potential to contribute to a better functioning Asian American community in Jacksonville, Florida. 719 assets were identified as available potential resources for mem- bers of the Asian American community with a majority as formal resources. Of the informal assets, a majority are organizations.
    [Show full text]
  • Ethnic Groups and Library of Congress Subject Headings
    Ethnic Groups and Library of Congress Subject Headings Jeffre INTRODUCTION tricks for success in doing African studies research3. One of the challenges of studying ethnic Several sections of the article touch on subject head- groups is the abundant and changing terminology as- ings related to African studies. sociated with these groups and their study. This arti- Sanford Berman authored at least two works cle explains the Library of Congress subject headings about Library of Congress subject headings for ethnic (LCSH) that relate to ethnic groups, ethnology, and groups. His contentious 1991 article Things are ethnic diversity and how they are used in libraries. A seldom what they seem: Finding multicultural materi- database that uses a controlled vocabulary, such as als in library catalogs4 describes what he viewed as LCSH, can be invaluable when doing research on LCSH shortcomings at that time that related to ethnic ethnic groups, because it can help searchers conduct groups and to other aspects of multiculturalism. searches that are precise and comprehensive. Interestingly, this article notes an inequity in the use Keyword searching is an ineffective way of of the term God in subject headings. When referring conducting ethnic studies research because so many to the Christian God, there was no qualification by individual ethnic groups are known by so many differ- religion after the term. but for other religions there ent names. Take the Mohawk lndians for example. was. For example the heading God-History of They are also known as the Canienga Indians, the doctrines is a heading for Christian works, and God Caughnawaga Indians, the Kaniakehaka Indians, (Judaism)-History of doctrines for works on Juda- the Mohaqu Indians, the Saint Regis Indians, and ism.
    [Show full text]
  • A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians And
    2015 A COMMUNITY OF CONTRASTS Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the West ARIZONA HAWAI‘I LAS VEGAS OREGON SEATTLE CONTENTS Welcome 1 OREGON 46 Introduction 2 Demographics 47 Executive Summary Economic Contributions3 49 Civic Engagement 50 WEST REGION Immigration 5 51 Demographics 6 Language 52 ARIZONA 10 Education 53 Demographics 11 Income 54 Economic Contributions 13 Employment 55 Civic Engagement 14 Housing 56 Immigration 15 Health 57 Language 16 SEATTLE METRO AREA 58 Education 17 Demographics 59 Income 18 Economic Contributions 61 Employment 19 Civic Engagement 62 Housing 20 Immigration 63 Health 21 Language 64 HAWAI‘I 22 Education 65 Demographics 23 Income 66 Economic Contributions 25 Employment 67 Civic Engagement 26 Housing 68 Immigration 27 Health 69 Language 28 Policy Recommendations 70 Education 29 Glossary 73 Income 30 Appendix A: Population, Population Growth 74 Employment 31 Appendix B: Selected Population Characteristics 80 Housing 32 Technical Notes 85 Health 33 LAS VEGAS 34 METRO AREA Demographics 35 Economic Contributions 37 Civic Engagement 38 Immigration 39 Asian Americans Advancing Justice Language 40 Asian Americans Advancing Justice is a national affiliation of five leading organizations advocating for the civil and Education 41 human rights of Asian Americans and other underserved Income 42 communities to promote a fair and equitable society for all. Employment 43 Housing 44 Advancing Justice | AAJC (Washington, DC) Health 45 Advancing Justice | Asian Law Caucus (San Francisco) Advancing Justice | Atlanta Advancing Justice | Chicago Advancing Justice | Los Angeles All photos in this report were taken by M. Jamie Watson unless otherwise noted. Data design and layout were provided by GRAPHEK.
    [Show full text]
  • Asian Americans
    Researching LIBRARY Asian Americans REFERENCE BOOKS: Reference Books are useful for overviews of a topic. The information is concise and often highlights specific aspects of a subject. Reference books must be used in the library; plan to take notes or photocopy the information. Be sure to use the indexes to locate specific names or topics. Note that other related books will have a similar call number, be located in the book stacks, and can be checked out. Encyclopedia of Asian American Issues Ref E 184.A75 E53 2010 CIRCULATING BOOKS Circulating books can be checked out. They are found in the library’s book stacks. Books develop a topic in detail. You can search the Library Catalog to find books on your subject. Try some of these words and phrases by doing a Keyword search or a Subject search: Asian Americans Japanese Americans South Asia Americans Korean Americans East Indian Americans Southeast Asian Americans Pakistani Americans Vietnamese Americans Bangladeshi Americans Cambodian Americans Chinese Americans Filipino Americans Tibetan Americans Hmong Americans Pacific Islander Americans Thai Americans United States Emigration and Immigration Asian Americans Cultural Assimilation Asian Americans Ethnic Identity Asian American History E-BOOKS: Use the E-Book Collection tab on the Library’s Database page. Gale Virtual Reference Library is an excellent resource for finding thousands of full-text articles from electronic reference books such as Encyclopedia of Race and Racism, Encyclopedia of World Cultures, Dictionary of American History, and American Decades and more. DATABASES: Magazine, newspaper and journal articles provide current information on your topic. From the Library Homepage click on the icon to “Find Articles” to the list of Databases by Subject.
    [Show full text]
  • The United States of Asian America
    THE UNITED STATES OF ASIAN AMERICA A visual landscape of Asian American cultural influences in mainstream America. 8. HMONG PRIDE By Lisa Yong and Wai-Loong Lim Minneapolis and its twin city, St. Paul, have an esti- mated 35,000 Hmong residents, the highest urban population of Hmongs in the United States. What is the New Asian American Story? And where are the new pockets of influences coming from? In 2002, Mee Moua became the first Hmong American In California, Asian American-owned companies have transformed the economic landscape and are emblematic to become a state legislator. Now serving her second of a new breed of Asians on the move: highly educated and savvy entrepreneurs who have created multimillion-dollar AK ASIANS, ASIANS EVERYWHERE term as Minnesota state sentator, she chairs the ju- 4.4 businesses. Asian American investments have also kept the economy buoyant in many other parts of America. But it’s State population percentages of Asian-only US Census category diciary committee and holds the highest office of any the Tibetans in Colorado and Laotians in Louisiana that are making a splash. Hmong American politician. This visual mapping explores the cultural landscape of Asian American settlement and communities across the 42.8% (HI) 5.0 to 9.9% Less than 1.0% Movement : Mature United States, focusing on patterns since the late 1990s and how they propagate new influences in mainstream American culture. 12.1% (CA) 1.0 to 4.9% 9. MYANMAR RELOCATION Within the context of this article, Asian Americans are defined as ethnic groups from East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
    [Show full text]
  • Celebration of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month
    Celebration of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month Annotated Book Bibliography Theme: History, Trends and Anti-Violence against AAPI Prepared by Drs. Xue-Ming Bao and Alan Delozier Seton Hall University Libraries May 2021 Adams, Maurianne. 2000. Readings for Diversity and Social Justice. New York; Routledge. This work covers the scope of oppressions in America. It contains a mix of short personal and theoretical essays and should be designed as an introduction to the topics at hand. Altschiller, Donald. 1999. Hate Crimes: A Reference Handbook. 1 online resource (xi, 204 pages). vols. Contemporary World Issues. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. This book offers a historical look at the targets of hate crimes in America, offers a chronology of some crimes committed against them, and includes a look at individuals who are combating violent extremist activities. Arar Han and John Hsu. 2004. Asian American X: An Intersection of Twenty-First Century Asian American Voices. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. The essays highlight the vast cultural diversity within the category of Asian American, yet ultimately reveal how these young people are truly American in their ideals and dreams. Asian American X is more than a book on identity; it is required reading both for young Asian Americans who seek to understand themselves and their social group, and for all who are interested in keeping abreast of the changing American social terrain. Clara C. Park. 2007. Asian American Education: Acculturation, Literacy Development, and Learning. Research on the Education of Asian and Pacific Americans. Charlotte, N.C.: Information Age Publishing. This series explores and explains the lived experiences of Asian and Americans as they acculturate to American schools, develop literacy, and claim their place in U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • The Impact of Immigration on the Demography of Asian Pacific Americans
    The Impact of Immigration on the Demography of Asian Pacific Americans by Larry Hajime Shinagawa' This article focuses on social and demographic characteristics of Asian Pacific Americans and discusses the impact of immigration on the demog­ raphy of Asian Pacific Americans. The study is divided into five sections. The first section describes the data sources and the methodology used in collecting information about the immigration and demography of Asian Pacific Americans and other groups. The second section examines the growth of the Asian Pacific American population and discusses the racial composi­ tion of the United States and the ethnic composition of Asian Pacific Ameri­ cans. The third section provides an historical overview of Asian Pacific Ameri­ can immigration. The fourth section provides demographic information about general patterns of immigration to the United States, the past and current composition of Asian ethnic immigrant groups, and their regional dispersion and occupational distribution. The fifth section paints a portrait of the social demography of Asian Pacific Americans, with an emphasis on immigrants where information is available. An overview of the following characteristics is provided: age and gender composition, regional dispersion, educational attainment, house­ hold and family structure related to income, income distribution, occupa­ tional profile, workforce participation, percentage in poverty, relative rates of crime perpetration, and language usage within households. Methodology Data for this study are based on information gathered by the U.S. Im­ migration and Naturalization Service (INS) and the U.S. Bureau of the Census and were analyzed according to standard statistical procedures.! Most of the analysis for the 1990s is conducted for the aggregate Asian Pacific American population, since information about specific ethnic groups is either unavailable or is statistically unreliable.
    [Show full text]