Asian American Center for Advancing Justice A Community of Contrasts Asian Americans in the United States: 2011 Cyrus Chung Ying Tang Foundation Principal Researcher and Co-author Co-author REVISED This report was made possible by the following sponsors: the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation, Cyrus Chung Ying Tang Foundation, and Bank of America. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the authors. Welcome 1 ORDER FORM Introduction 2 Publications are available in print or on the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice website Executive Summary 3 (www.aajc.advancingjustice.org) where they can be downloaded or printed free of charge. All orders for paid copies must be prepaid. Sorry, but we cannot process orders or invoice for future payments. For questions Population 6 about ordering reports, please call (202) 296-2300. Economic Contributions 11 Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, 1140 Connecticut Ave., Suite 1200, NW, Washington, DC 20036 Civic Engagement 13 ASIAN AMERICAN CENTER community through advocacy, ORDER INFORMATION FOR ADVANCING JUSTICE research, education, and coali- Amount Immigration 17 tion building. ALC is the oldest Title Ordered Quantity Cost Postage Enclosed The Asian American Center for legal organization in the country A Community of Contrasts Age 23 Advancing Justice (Advancing defending the civil rights of Asian Asian American in the United States: 2011 $10 ea. $4 ea. $ Justice) is a leading Asian American and NHPI communi- Language 24 American civil rights and social ties and focuses on the needs justice organization comprising of low-income, immigrant, and Donation: Education 30 four equal and independent underserved communities. q affiliates: the Asian American included with credit card billing Income 33 Justice Center (AAJC) , Asian While well known in their indi- q check included Pacific American Legal Center vidual spheres for their work Employment 39 (APALC), Asian American Institute and expertise, the affiliates of Total $ (AAI), and Asian Law Caucus Advancing Justice have come Housing 43 (ALC). Its mission is to promote a together to build a stronger, more fair and equitable society for all by cohesive regional and national Health 46 working for civil and human rights civil and human rights infra- Name: and empowering Asian Americans structure for the Asian American Policy Recommendations 50 and Native Hawaiians and Pacific community. We use our resources Organization: Islanders (NHPIs) and other under- to provide valuable information to Address: Ethnic Group Highlights 55 served communities. the community, work to address more issues in more places, City: State: ZIP: Glossary 58 Each affiliate’s staff has valuable impact a greater number of public Phone Number: E-mail: expertise and deep experience. debates, and help the voices of Appendix A: AAJC is one of the nation’s Asian Americans, NHPIs, and FedEx Number (if applicable): Race & Ethnicity 59 leading experts on issues of other marginalized and under- importance to the Asian American served communities be heard. Appendix B: community and has enacted a Asian Americans by State 60 sweeping range of programs on Please email any questions Please select method of payment (prepayment is required for all orders): critical national concerns. APALC regarding the report to: Appendix C: q Check enclosed, payable to: Asian American Justice Center Asian Americans by County 61 is the nation’s largest legal organ- publications@advancingequality. ization addressing the needs of org. q Bill my credit card: q Visa q MasterCard Appendix D: Asian Americans and NHPIs by Credit Card Number: Socioeconomic Status 62 advocating for civil rights, provid- ing legal services and education, Name Technical Notes 64 and building coalitions. AAI is Expiration Date Amount $ the Midwest’s leading pan- Order Form 65 Asian organization dedicated to empowering the Asian American WELCOME For decades, Asian Americans form the Asian American Center and another on the economic have been among the fastest for Advancing Justice. As inde- contributions of Asian Americans growing racial groups in the pendent organizations under and NHPIs. United States. The Asian one umbrella, we will continue American population is larger to advance the goals we have We would like to thank the today than it has ever been in our always worked toward—promot- sponsors who made this report nation’s history, growing both in ing a fair and equitable society possible, including the Wallace places like California and New for all, strengthening civil and H. Coulter Foundation, the Cyrus York, where large Asian American human rights, and empowering Chung Ying Tang Foundation, communities have existed for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Bank of America. decades, and in parts of the coun- and Pacific Islander (NHPI), and try like the South, where smaller other vulnerable communities. We would also like to thank communities have more recently those who contributed to grown to a critical mass. A publication of the Asian this report, including staff at American Center for Advancing the Asian Pacific American As our communities grow, Justice, A Community of Legal Center (Deisy Del Real, Asian Americans are making Contrasts: Asian Americans in Victoria Wilson, Dan Ichinose, significant contributions to the United States 2011 draws and Karin Wang) and Asian the economy and developing upon data from the 2010 Census, American Justice Center (Marita greater political power. At the American Community Survey, Etcubañez, Terry Ao-Minnis, and same time, our population is and other sources to provide Olivia Chow). Special thanks to incredibly diverse. With parts of a detailed portrait of the Asian the National Coalition of Asian the community thriving, those American community in the Pacific Americans (NCAPA) and who struggle seem invisible. United States. The report also our colleagues in Congress and Many Asian Americans con- includes a number of policy philanthropy, who provided criti- tinue to face language barriers recommendations based on the cal guidance on the content and and struggle economically. The data that address critical con- structure of this report. current recession poses even cerns facing Asian Americans greater challenges to this vulner- throughout the country. able population. This national report is the Karen K. Narasaki At this time of both challenge second in a series and will be President and Executive Director and opportunity, four organi- followed by regional reports on AAJC zations—the Asian American Asian American and NHPI com- Institute, Asian American Justice munities in California, the West, Center, Asian Law Caucus, and the Midwest, the South, and the Asian Pacific American Legal Northeast. Additional reports Stewart Kwoh Center—have deepened their are also planned, including one President and Executive Director affiliation and come together to focused on the NHPI community APALC INTRODUCTION Asian Americans come from all It not only includes data on more manageable and likely to walks of life. Some are doc- population, but key socioeco- be used. tors or lawyers; others work nomic characteristics such as in restaurants or nail salons. age, immigration, language, The report draws these data from Many were born in the United education, income, employ- numerous sources. While data States; most are immigrants. ment, housing, and health. from the U.S. Census Bureau, Our ancestors hail from many In gathering these data at the including the 2010 Census, countries, including Bangladesh, national level, this report has American Community Survey, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, two main goals. Survey of Business Owners, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Current Population Survey, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, the First, it works to provide dis- and American Housing Survey, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, aggregated data on discrete provide a wealth of information Thailand, and Vietnam. We Asian American ethnic groups. on Asian American communi- are Americans. Given the social and economic ties, they are not comprehensive. diversity within Asian American This report supplements Census Asian Americans have been communities, these data are criti- Bureau data with data from among our nation’s fastest cal to understanding and serving other sources, including the growing racial groups since dis- a population that includes both Centers for Disease Control and criminatory immigration quotas affluent, third-generation English Prevention, U.S. Department of were eliminated in 1965 and now speakers and low-income refu- Education, U.S. Department of make up 6% of the country’s total gees, many among the poorest Homeland Security, and U.S. population. This rapid growth, in our nation. Department of State. coupled with significant social and economic diversity, make Second, it presents these data Together, these data paint a Asian Americans a complicated in a way that is accessible to fuller, more nuanced picture group to understand and serve. community organizations, of one of our country’s most elected and appointed officials, diverse and rapidly changing A Community of Contrasts: government agencies, founda- racial groups. They will help Asian Americans in the United tions, and corporations looking stakeholders across the nation States 2011 is the second in to better understand and serve better respond to and serve our an ongoing series of reports Asian American communities. community of contrasts. that attempt to promote a bet- Because quantitative data on ter understanding