Asian People in Dane County

by Neil J. Gleason, Dane County Department of Human Services, 2003

Population The growth of Dane County’s Asian In the 2000 Census, nearly 17,000 Dane population is the product of 4 forces: County residents reported Asian or Hawaiian/ ■ links to UW-Madison as students, faculty Pacific Island ancestry. (Note: 1 in 8 Asian and staff, people report multi-racial heritage.) ■ settlement as refugees following the U.S. war in Indochina (1964-75), Asian People in Dane County ■ large Hmong families, and 16,947 ■ employment in growing high technology industries. 7% During the past decade, all of Dane County’s 8,666 major Asian nationalities grew rapidly:

0% 1 rate wth Asians in Dane County: 1990 v 2000 3,310 gro ual ann 2,839 Chinese 4,656 1980 1990 2000 1,170 Indian 2,624 Source: U.S. Census Bureau Hmong 2,470 1990 In 1980, Asians comprised only 1% of the Korean 1,449 2000 population. By 1990, Asians had increased to 2,157 660 2.4% of the population and continued to 4% Japanese 1,124 by 2000. Vietnam 350 667 Dane County’s Asian population is multi- Source: U.S. Census Summary File 2 national: 27% Chinese, 26% Southeast Asian (Hmong, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Similarities and Differences Thailand), with significant numbers from A striking characteristic of Asian families, South Asia (India, Pakistan), Korea and Japan. irrespective of nationality, is family structure: 5 of every 6 children live with two parents. Asians by Nationality Asian Children 2000 Nationality Population Live w/2 Chinese 4,656 Ethnic Children parents Indian 2,624 Chinese 984 84% Hmong 2,470 Indian 599 84% Korean 2,157 Hmong 1,301 82% Japanese 1,124 Korean 650 84% Filipino 819 Japanese 232 84%

Vietnamese 667 Source: US Census Summary File 2 Laotian 587 Cambodian 418 Pre-existing cultural diversity, combined with Pacific Isle 408 different motives for settlement in Dane Thai 377 County, are evident in the social and economic Indonesian 253 difference among the Asian nationalities. Pakistani 157 Other 230 Chinese, Indian, Korean and Japanese Total 16,947 residents tend to have a link to UW-Madison, Source: US Census Summary File 2 which is reflected in high levels of education. On the other hand, their high level of post- Due to their youthfulness and large families, secondary enrollment constrains median the Hmong are experiencing rapid natural family income to the mid-to-high $40,000’s, growth (births > deaths). The closure of a well below the 1999 Dane County median of large Hmong refugee camp in northern $62,000 for families with minor children. Thailand recently brought a final group of new immigrants to Dane County. Southeast Asians People of Southeast Asian descent comprise ¼ Despite the difficult circumstances of their of all Asians in Dane County. Most emigrated arrival, Dane County’s Hmong community is to the U.S. during the late 1970’s as refugees doing well with a bright future. from the war in Indochina. Some came ■ Although their grandparents have little directly to Dane County, while others settled st in California, Minnesota or elsewhere in formal education, more than ½ of the 1 Wisconsin before resettling in Dane County. native-born generation has some post- secondary education. They came from rural backgrounds and tended to be less well-educated. The largest and Hmong 18-24 year-olds fastest growing Southeast Asian ethnic group Educ. Attainment % is the Hmong. Count of people 435 HS graduate 82% Hmong Enrolled, post-second 48% During the 25 years since their arrival, the Asso. or BA degree 14% Hmong have made remarkable strides in Source: US Census Summary File 4 mastering a new language and culture. The ■ Family income is steadily rising, but Hmong community is organized around remains quite modest: $37,609 in 1999 for an cohesive, multi-generational families. average family size of 5.66 people.

■ Fully 94% of Hmong people live in a family ■ Despite modest incomes, 35% of Hmong (a household with 2 or more related people). people own their own homes. Only 1.5% live alone; only .2% live in an institutional setting (e.g., a nursing home). CYF Caseloads Asian children and adolescents are under- ■ Hmong children tend to live in families represented on the CYF caseload. While with 2 (or more) adults present: Asians comprise about 5% of Dane County Hmong Children children, they contribute only 4% of juvenile

Living delinquents and 3% of out-of-home Situation % placements. 2 parents 82% Asian Children

1 parent 10% Statistic % Family 6% 2000 All Children 5.0% Other 2% 2003 Juv. Delinq. 3.9% Source: US Census Summary File 2 2003 Out-of-home

■ Nearly ½ of Hmong families contain 7 or Foster Care 2.5% more people. Group Home 10.3% CCI 0.4% Due to large family size, the Hmong are a Corrections 1.0% youthful group: Total 3.0%

■ Children comprise more than one-half Source: 2003 administrative data. (53%) of the Hmong population, compared to Note: DCDHS does not collect only 23% in the general population. information on specific nationality. - 2 -