DOCUMENT RESUME ED 343 979 UD 028 599 AUTHOR Chun, Ki-Taek; Zalokar, Nadja TITLE Civil Rights Issues Facing Asian Americans in the 1990s. IYSTITUTION Commission on Civil Rights, Washington, D.C. PUB DATE Feb 92 NOTE 245p. PUB TYPE Reports - Evaluative/Feasibility (142) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC10 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Access to Education; *Asian Americans; *Civil Rights; Educational Discrimination; Elementary Secondary Education; Equal Educetion; *Equal Opportunities (Jobs); Ethnic Discrimination; Higher Education; Immigrants; Minority Groups; *Policy Formation; Public Policy; Racial Bias; *Racial Discrimination; Violence IDENTIFIERS *Commission on Civil Rights ABSTRACT In 1989, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held a series of roundtable conferences to learn about the civil rights concerns of Asian Americans within their communities. Using information gathered at these conferences as a point of departure, the Commission undertook this study of the wide-ranging civil rights issues facing Asian Americans in the 1990s. Asian American groups considered in the report are persons having origins in the Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. This report presents the results of that investigation. Evidence is presented that Asian Americans face widespread prejudice, discrimination, and barriers to equal opportunity. The following chapters highlight specificareas: (1) "Introduction," an overview of the problems;(2) "Bigotry and Violence Against Asian Americans"; (3) "Police Community Relations"; (4) "Access to Educational Opportunity: Asian American Immigrant Children in Primary and Secondary Schools";(5) "Access to Educational Opportunity: Higher Education"; (6) "Employment Discrimination";(7) "Other Civil Rights Issues Confronting Asian AmericansH; and (8) "Conclusions and Recommendations." More than 40 recommendations for legislative, programmatic, and administrative efforts are made. Many of these suggestions would benefit all minority groups in the United States. Four tables present statistical findings, and an appendix contains supplemental correspondence and fact sheets. (SLD) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) (Ohm document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it O Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this doCu ment do not necessarily repiesent Official OER position or policy A Report of the Civil Rights Issues Facing Ss. 1 United States Commission on Civil Rights Asian ericans in the 1990s I k February 1992 BEST COPYAVAILABLE 2 SESItri U.S. COMMISSION ON CIVIL RIGHTS The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights isan independent, bipartisan agency first established by Congress in 1957 and reestablished in 1983. It is directedto: Investigate complaints alleging that citizensare being deprived of their right to vote by reason of their race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin,or by reason of fraudulent practices; Study and collect information concerning legal developmentsconstitu 'ng discrimination or a denial of equal protection of the laws under the Constitution becauseo 'race, color, mligion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin, or in the administration of justice; Appraise Federal laws and policies with respectto discrimination or denial of equal protection of the laws becanse ofrace, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national oriel, or in the administration of justice; Serve as a national ekaringhouse for information in respectto discrimination or denial of equal protection of the laws because ofrace, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, Cet national origin; Submit reports, findings, and recommendationsto the President and Congress. MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION Arthur A. Fletcher, Chairperson Charles Pei Wang, Vice Chairperson William B. Allen Carl A. Anderson Mary Frances Berry Esther GonzalezArroyo Buckley Blandina Cardenas Ramirez Russell G. Redenbaugh Wilfredo J. Gonzalez, Staff Director Civil Rights Issues Facing Asian Americans in the 1990s A Report of the United States Commission on Civil Rights February 1992 Letter of Transmittal THE PRESIDENT THE PRESIDENT OF THESENNTE ME SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Sirs: The United States Commission on Civil Rights transmits this report,Civil Rights Issues Facing Asian Americans in the 1990s, to you pursuant to Public Law 98-183, asamended. This report was prompted by a series of three roundtableconferences held by the Commission in 1989. At these conferences local representatives of theAsian American communities were asked to inform the Commission about civil rights concerns within theircommunities. The clear and unambiguous message we received was that AsianAmericans face serious civil rights problems that touch both U.S.- and foreign-born Asian Americans,and exist at all social and economic levels and in virtually all walks of life. The record of theseroundtable conferences was published as Voices AcrossAmerica: Rothatable Discussions of Asian Civil Rights Issues. The research and field investigations conducted for this reportestablish these concerns as national problems. Asian Americans suffer widely the pain andhumiliation of bigotry and acts of violence. They also confront institutional discrimination in numerousdomains, such as places of work and schools, in accessing public services, and in theadministration of justice. Although Asian Americans face prejudice and discrimination as a racialminority in this country, their experiences are also shaped by the unique history of persons of Asiandescent in America and by the fact that many Asian Americans are immigrants andlanguage minorities. The more than 40 recommendations contained in this report, although not atotal solution to the civil rights problems facing Asian Americans, prescribe actionsthat must be taken if progress is to be made. Central to the Commission's recommendations arespecific legislative, program- matic and administrative efforts that the Federal, State and local governments, mustundertake. The Commission looks to Congress and the President, in theircrucial leadership roles in advancing civil rights, to move aggressively to adopt the Commission'srecommendations and to encourage action by State and local governments andthe private sector. Respectfully, For the Commissioners, Arthur A. Fletcher Chairperson Preface In the summer of 1989 the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights held a series of three Roundtable Conferences across the country to hear about the civil rights concerns of the Asian American community. Roundtable conferences were held in Houston, Texas, on May 27; in New York, New York, nn June 23; and in San Francisco, California, on July 29. Participants at the Roundtable Conferences addressed a wide variety of civil rights issues facing today's Asian American community. An accompanying volumel contains transcripts of the Asian Roundtable Conferences. Using the information gathered at these conferences as a point of departure, Commission staff undertook a study of the wide-ranging civil rights issues facing Asian Ameri- cans in the 1990s. This report presents the results of thatinvestigation.2 The purrose of this report is to investigate and heighten public awareness of the broad range of serious civil rights issues facing Asian Americans today and to make recommendations for enhancing civil rights protections for Asian Americans. It should be recognized at the outset that many of the civil rights problems confronting Asian Americans also confront other minority groups, and many of the recommendations made in this report for enhancing Asian Americans' civil rights protections could equally well be made for other minority groups. The report reflects the continuing concern of the Commission for the civo rights advance- ment of Asian and Pacific Americans. It adds to the list of Commission reports on Asian and Pacific Americans, that includes: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, The Economic Status of Americans of Asian Descent: An Exploratory Investigation, Clearinghouse Publication 95, October 1988; U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Recent Activities Against Citizens and Residents of Asian Descent, Clearinghouse Publication 88, 1986; U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Success of Asian Americans: Fact or Fiction?, 1980; U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, The Tarnished Golden Door: Civil Rights Issues in Immigra- tion, September 1980; U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Civil Rights Issues of Asian and Pacific Americans: Myths and Realities, A Consultation, May 8-9, 1979, Washington, DC; U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Civil Rights Digest, [issue on Asian Americans] vol.9, no. 1 (Fall 1976); 1 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Voices Across America: Rounchabk Mcussions of Asian Civil Rights Issues (1991). 2 Asian American groups considered in this report are persons having origins in the Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. At times, the report also includes information abou± Pacific Islanders, but limited resources precluded a systematic investigation of the civil rights issues facing Pacific Islanders. New York State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civi! Rights,Asian Americans: An Agenda for Action, February 1980; Hawaii