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11/30/11 Silicon India: "Indian Americans Grow to 3.2 Million, Top in Income,"
    According to a new compilation of 2010 census data, Indian Americans made up 18 percent of the Asian American population in 2010, up from 16 percent in 2000. They led all Asian American households with highest median household income. According to 2007 to 2009 data, Indian Americans led all Asian American groups in the country in median household income at $86,660. Taiwanese households came second with $77,596.
    Taiwanese and Indians also led in per capita income among Asian American groups, with $38,312 and $36,533, respectively, followed by Malaysians ($33,264) and Sri Lankans ($32,480). Bangladeshi Americans had the biggest percentage increase over the decade, skyrocketing 157 percent, according to the study, "A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans in the United States, 2011," by the Asian Pacific American Legal Centre and the Asian American Justice Centre.
    The Pakistani population had the second highest population bump with a 100 percent rise. The Sri Lankan and Indian American populations increased 85 percent and 68 percent, respectively. Among the South Asian groups, Pakistanis had the highest rate of naturalization at 57 percent, while just 50 percent of Bangladeshi Americans, 47 percent of Indian Americans and 43 percent of Sri Lankan Americans were naturalized. About 200,000 Indian legal permanent residents were eligible to become citizens in 2008. The leading six Asian countries for immigrant visas issued from 2001-2010 were: Philippines, 350,694; China, 286,008; India, 267,403; Vietnam, 193,049; Bangladesh, 84,643; Pakistan, 69,202.
    Only 22 percent of Indian Americans five years of age and older from 2007-09 were limited English proficient, compared to 46 percent for Bangladeshis and 28 percent for Pakistanis. Taiwanese and Indian Americans led all Asian groups in higher educational attainment, with 73 percent to 68 percent, respectively, having a bachelor's degree or higher.


11/1/11 California Watch: "Among Asian Americans, educational achievements vary widely,"
by Joanna Lin
    Asian Americans overall obtain high levels of formal education, but an analysis of recent census data reveals large disparities between Asian American ethnic groups.
    The percentage of high school graduates is as high as 96 percent among Taiwanese Americans and as low as 61 percent among Hmong Americans, according to a report released last week by the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice.
    The rate of bachelor's degrees ranges from 12 percent among Laotians to 73 percent among Taiwanese.
    All together, 86 percent of Asian Americans have high school diplomas, and 49 percent have bachelor's degrees, the center's analysis of data from the 2007-09 American Community Survey found. Compared with other racial groups, Asian Americans have the highest rate of bachelor's degrees, but their high school graduation rate is second to that of whites (90 percent).
    The data include both American-born and immigrant Asians.
    The majority of Asian immigrants who became legal permanent residents in 2010 – 62 percent – entered as immediate relatives of U.S. citizens or under family-sponsored preferences. Twenty-three percent immigrated under employment-based preferences.
    For example, 52 percent of South Korean immigrants came to the U.S. under employment-based preferences. According to census data, 92 percent of Koreans hold high school diplomas and 52 percent have bachelor's degrees. On the other hand, just 1 percent of Vietnamese immigrants came to the U.S. under employment-based preferences. Vietnamese educational attainment was among the lowest of Asian Americans: 72 percent graduate from high school, and 27 percent finish college.
    The report also notes that many Asian Americans face language barriers. Nearly three out of four speak a language other than English at home, and about one-third are limited-English proficient.
    The report's findings are particularly significant in California, which has more Asian Americans and more English learners than any other state. Tens of thousands of students who speak Asian languages – the most common are Vietnamese, Filipino, Cantonese, Hmong, Korean and Mandarin – attend California public schools.
    Nationwide, 16 percent of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students are English learners.


10/26/11 Los Angeles Times: "Asian Americans now country's fastest growing racial group,"  
    Increased immigration from South Asia helped fuel the rapid growth in the number of Asian Americans over the last decade as well as an influx of Asians to states such as Nevada, Arizona, North Carolina and Georgia, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data “A Community of Contrasts” released Wednesday by the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice.
    While 23% of Pakistani and Bangladeshi Americans lack health insurance, only 8% of Japanese Americans do.
    And while 26% of Hmong Americans and 20% of Bangladeshi Americans live below the poverty line, only 6% of Filipinos and 8% of Indians do.
    According to the report, which used 2010 Census, American Community Survey and other government data, immigration, both legal and illegal, has fueled most of the population growth. Approximately 60% of Asian Americans are foreign-born and about 1 million are undocumented, according to the report.
    Among the undocumented, those from the Philippines, India, South Korea and China make up the largest numbers.
    Though California’s population of more than 5.5 million Asian Americans remained the country’s largest, several other states showed significant growth over the last decade. The population of Asian Americans in Nevada more than doubled, while in Arizona it almost doubled.
    Southern states, including Georgia, Arkansas and Alabama, also showed rapid growth. 
http://www.advancingjustice.org/pdf/Community_of_Contrast.pdf 


10/26/11 New America Media: "Asian Americans have a higher poverty rate than non-Hispanic Whites,"
By Andrew Lam  
Press release from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights on Asian American Poverty report 
    In 2010, Asian Americans have a higher poverty rate than non-Hispanic Whites. Almost 12 percent of Asian Americans live in poverty, higher than the 9.9 percent rate of poverty among non-Hispanic whites.
    Asian Americans as a group have lower-than-average poverty rates, but several Asian nationalities have higher than- average rates of poverty. The poverty rate among Hmongs is 37.8 percent, among Cambodians 29.3 percent, among Laotians 18.5 percent, and among Vietnamese 16.6 percent.
    Asian American seniors are especially affected by poverty. Asian American seniors age 65 and over suffer from a poverty rate of 12.3 percent. This is higher than the national average for seniors, which stands at 9.9 percent, and the rate for non-Hispanic whites, which stands at 7.8 percent.
    The Northeast and Great Lakes regions have especially high rates of Asian American poverty. New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania have some of the highest poverty rates among Asian Americans in the country, at 15.5 percent, 14.7 percent, and 14.8 percent, respectively. The Northeast is also home to some of the largest Asian American populations in the United States.
    In 2010, 15.6 percent of Asian American children under the age of 5 lived in poverty.  
    For more info go to: www.civilrights.org



UCLA AASC: 2011 Statistical Portrait of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Other Pacific Islanders 
http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/archives/stats2011.asp 
    The UCLA Asian American Studies Center, as an official U.S. Census Information Center (as a co-partner with National Coalition for Asian Pacific Community Development), is pleased to provide this 2011 statistical portrait of the Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations produced by the US Census Bureau for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, which will take place in May, 2011.     
    The portrait provides current census data, population projections, and internet links that should be useful for research, planning, writing and general educational purposes. Please see the "Editor's note" at the end of this announcement for more information.The first major section provides information on "Asians," while the second major part highlights "Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders".
Asians
16 million
The estimated number of U.S. residents of Asian descent in July 2009. This estimate includes those who said they were both Asian alone or Asian in combination with one or more other races.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
5.2 million
The Asian population in California; the state had the largest Asian population on July 1, 2009, followed by New York (1.5 million). Texas was next, reaching 1 million for the first time. In Hawaii, our nation's only majority-Asian state, Asians made up the highest proportion of the total population (53 percent). This includes both Asian alone or Asian in combination with one or more other races.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
2.6%
Percentage growth of the Asian population between 2008 and 2009, the second fastest-growing minority group (following the Hispanic population). This includes both Asian alone or Asian in combination with one or more other races.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
3.8 million
Number of Asians of Chinese descent in the U.S. in 2009. Chinese-Americans were the largest Asian group, followed by Filipinos (3.2 million), Asian Indians (2.8 million), Vietnamese (1.7 million), Koreans (1.6 million) and Japanese (1.3 million). These estimates represent the number of people who reported a specific Asian group alone, and people who reported that Asian group in combination with one or more other Asian groups or races.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
Income, Poverty and Health Insurance
$68,780
Median household income for single-race Asians in 2009.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
Median household income differed greatly by Asian group. For Asian Indians, for example, the median income in 2009 was $90,429; for Bangladeshi, it was $46,657. (These figures represent the single-race population.)
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
12.5%
The poverty rate for single-race Asians in 2009, not statistically different from the 2008 poverty rate. Between 2008 and 2009, the poverty rate increased for non-Hispanic whites (from 8.6 percent to 9.4 percent), for blacks (from 24.7 percent to 25.8 percent) and for Hispanics (from 23.2 percent to 25.3 percent).
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009 
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb10-144.html 
17.2%
Percentage of single-race Asians without health insurance coverage in 2009, not statistically different from 2008.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2009
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/income_wealth/cb10-144.html 
Education
50%
The percentage of single-race Asians 25 and older who had a bachelor's degree or higher level of education. This compared with 28 percent for all Americans 25 and older.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
85%
The percentage of single-race Asians 25 and older who had at least a high school diploma. This is not statistically different from the percentage for the total population or the percentage of Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander alone, 85 and 86 percent respectively.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
20%
The percentage of single-race Asians 25 and older who had a graduate (e.g., master's or doctorate) or professional degree. This compared with 10 percent for all Americans 25 and older.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
Voting
589,000
How many more single-race Asians voted in the 2008 presidential election than in the 2004 election. All in all, 48 percent of Asians turned out to vote in 2008 — up 4 percentage points from 2004. A total of 3.4 million Asians voted.
Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of November 2008 
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/voting/cb09-110.html 
Businesses
Source for the statements referenced in this section, unless otherwise indicated: 
Survey of Business Owners
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/economic_census/cb10-107.html 
1.6 million
Number of businesses owned by Asian-Americans in 2007, an increase of 40.7 percent from 2002.
$514 billion
Total receipts of businesses owned by Asian-Americans, up 57.3 percent from 2002.
In 2007, 32.3 percent of Asian-owned businesses were in repair and maintenance; personal and laundry services; and professional, scientific and technical services.
47.2%
Percentage of businesses in Hawaii owned by people of Asian descent. It was 14.9 percent in California and 10.1 percent in New York.
510,000
California had the most Asian-owned firms at 509,670 (32.8 percent of all such firms), with receipts of $182.7 billion (35.6 percent of all Asian-owned firm receipts). New York was second with 196,919 Asian-owned firms or 12.7 percent, with receipts of $50.8 billion or 9.9 percent. Texas was third in number of Asian-owned firms with 114,593 or 7.4 percent, with receipts of $42.4 billion or 8.3 percent. New Jersey accounted for 4.4 percent of all Asian-owned firms and 5.9 percent of receipts, while Florida accounted for 4.2 percent of all Asian-owned firms and 3.4 percent of receipts.
Languages
2.6 million
The number of people 5 and older who spoke Chinese at home in 2009. After Spanish, Chinese was the most widely spoken non-English language in the country. Tagalog, Vietnamese and Korean were each spoken at home by more than 1 million people.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
Serving Our Nation
258,183
The number of single-race Asian military veterans. About one in three veterans was 65 years and older.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
Jobs
49%
The proportion of civilian employed single-race Asians 16 and older who worked in management, professional and related occupations, such as financial managers, engineers, teachers and registered nurses. Additionally, 17 percent worked in service occupations, 22 percent in sales and office occupations and 10 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
Internet Use
80%
Percentage of Asians living in a household with Internet use — the highest rate among race and ethnic groups.
Source: Reported Internet Usage for Households, by selected Householder Characteristics; Current Population Survey: 2009 http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/computer/2009.html 
Counties
1.4 million
The number of Asians (self-identified as Asian alone or in combination with one or more other races) in Los Angeles County, Calif., in 2009, which topped the nation's counties.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
17,000
Gain in Santa Clara County, Calif.'s Asian population (self-identified as Asian alone or in combination with one or more other races) from 2008 to 2009, the largest in the nation.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
57%
Percent of the population of Honolulu County, Hawaii, that was Asian (self-identified as Asian alone or in combination with one or more other races) in 2009, which led the country. Honolulu was the only majority-Asian county in the nation.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
Age Distribution
35.3
Median age of the single-race Asian population in 2009. The corresponding figure was 36.8 years for the population as a whole.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
23.6%
Percent of the single-race Asian population that was under age 18 as of July 1, 2009 while 9.6 percent was 65 or older.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
The Future
40.6 million
The projected number of U.S. residents in 2050 who will identify themselves as Asian or Asian in combination with one or more other races. They would comprise 9 percent of the total population by that year.
Source: Population projections http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb08-123.html 
161%
The projected percentage increase between 2008 and 2050 in the population of people who identify themselves as Asian or Asian in combination with one or more other races. This compares with a 44 percent increase in the population as a whole over the same period of time.
Source: 2008 Population projections http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb08-123.html 
Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders
1.1 million
The estimated number of U.S. residents in July 2009 who said they were Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, either alone or in combination with one or more other races. This group comprised 0.4 percent of the total population.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/national/asrh/NC-EST2009-srh.html 
California had the largest population of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders (284,000), followed by Hawaii (280,000) and Washington (58,000). California had the largest numerical increase in this group between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2009 (6,000). In Hawaii, Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders comprised the largest proportion (22 percent) of the total population. This includes Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders alone and in combination with one or more other races.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
2.3%
Percentage growth of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population between 2008 and 2009 — third among race groups. This includes Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders alone and in combination with one or more other races.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
Income, Poverty and Health Insurance
$53,455
The median income of households headed by single-race Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
15.1%
The poverty rate for those who classified themselves as single-race Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. This is not significantly different from the 2008 poverty rate.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
17.3%
The percentage without health insurance for single-race Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
Education
14%
The percentage of single-race Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders 25 and older who had at least a bachelor's degree. This compared with 28 percent for the total population.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
86%
The percentage of single-race Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders 25 and older who had at least a high school diploma. This is not statistically different from either the percentage for the total population or the percentage of Asian alone, both 85 percent.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
4%
The percentage of single-race Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders 25 and older who had obtained a graduate or professional degree. This compared with 10 percent for the total population this age.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
Businesses
Source for the statements referenced in this section, unless otherwise indicated: 
2007 Survey of Business Owners 
http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/economic_census/cb10-107.html 
38,881
The number of Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned businesses in 2007, up 34.3 percent from 2002.
$7.0 billion
Total receipts of these businesses, up 62.9 percent from 2002.
26.9 %
The percent of all Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islander-owned businesses that were repair and maintenance, personal and laundry services, and construction.
9.4%
The percent of businesses in Hawaii owned by Native Hawaiian- and Other Pacific Islanders, highest among all states.
Serving Our Nation
30,110
The number of single-race Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander military veterans. About one in five veterans was 65 years and older.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
Jobs
24%
The proportion of civilian employed single-race Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders 16 and older who worked in management, professional and related occupations, such as financial managers, engineers, teachers and registered nurses. This is not significantly different from the 25 percent worked in service occupations, while 28 percent worked in sales and office occupations and 14 percent in production, transportation and material moving occupations.
Source: 2009 American Community Survey http://factfinder.census.gov 
Counties
176,000
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population (alone or in combination with one or more other races) in Honolulu County, Hawaii, in 2009, which led the nation. Among counties, Harris County, Texas had the largest numerical increase in this race since July 2008 — 722. Hawaii County, Hawaii, had the highest percentage of people of this race (30 percent).
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
Age Distribution
29.9
The median age of the single-race Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population in 2009. The median age was 36.8 for the population as a whole.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
34%
Percentage of the single-race Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population that was under age 18 as of July 1, 2009 while 6.3 percent was 65 or older.
Source: Population estimates http://www.census.gov/popest/estimates.html 
The Future
2.6 million
The projected number of U.S. residents in 2050 who will identify themselves as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander in combination with one or more other races. They would comprise 0.6 percent of the total population by that year.
Source: Population projections http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb08-123.html 
132%
The projected percentage increase between 2008 and 2050 in the population of people who identify themselves as Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander in combination with one or more other races. This compares with a 44 percent increase in the population as a whole over the same period of time.
Source: Population projections http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb08-123.html 
Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: PIO@census.gov



12/7/10 United Press International: "Study: Asian-American men in U.S. pay gap"
    Lawrence, Kansas -- U.S. employers don't pay Asian-American men as much as they pay similarly qualified white men, a University of Kansas study found.
    Researchers analyzed data from the 2003 National Survey of College Graduates to investigate earnings, a university release said Tuesday.
    "The most striking result is that native-born Asian Americans -- who were born in the U.S. and speak English perfectly -- their income is 8 percent lower than whites after controlling for their college majors, their places of residence and their level of education," ChangHwan Kim, assistant professor of sociology and study leader, said.
    The findings show the United States has a way to go toward the goal of becoming a colorblind society, Kim says.
    "As an individual, you can reach as high as president," he says. "But as an ethnic group, no group has reached full parity with whites. That's the current status of racial equality in the United States."
    Despite the disparity in income levels, Asian-American men fare better than they did before the Civil Rights era in the United States, Kim says.
    "The 8 percent difference is large, but it is small compared to previous Asian-American generations," Kim said. "Previous generations had income levels much lower, so in this sense we've made progress."
    The research appears in the December issue of the American Sociological Review.


9/20/10 Asianweek.com: "Asian-American Students Continue to Post Gains in SATs,"
    Asian-American students continue to outperform all other test takers, according 
to new numbers published by the College Board, the nonprofit organization that administers the SAT college entrance exam.
    Asian Americans posted a three-point gain in reading, a four-point jump in math, and a six-point jump in writing, compared to their numbers in 2009. The gains are the only highlight from an average score that has remained mostly unchanged for all other ethnicities.
    About 42 percent of test takers were minorities, the highest non-white percentage ever to sit for the exam. The SAT results suggested that students who took a core curriculum in high school—defined as four years of English and three years each of math, science, and history—scored an average of 151 points higher than those who did not take the curriculum.
    College Board attributes the uptick in scores of Asian-American students to their choice of courses in high school. More than two-thirds of Asian Americans took four years of science, versus 59 percent of test takers; 48 percent of Asian-American students took calculus, as opposed to only 28 percent of test takers.



8/11/10 Huffington Post: "White Men Still Better Off than Asian Americans in U.S. labor market,"
by Algernon Austin
    It is correct that Asian American men have the highest median wage. 
    But Asian Americans experience hidden disadvantages in the U.S. labor market.  In 2009, the annual unemployment rate for Asian Americans with a bachelor's degree was 6.7 percent. For whites with a bachelor's degree is was 2.1 percentage points lower at 4.6 percent. 
    A larger share of Asian Americans has a college degree than other groups, including whites. People with college degrees are more likely to be employed and, on average, have higher earnings than people without college degrees. The high educational attainment of Asian Americans means that their aggregate statistics, like the overall unemployment rate or the median income for the entire group, looks better than the aggregate statistics for whites. But the picture changes when one compares Asian Americans with whites of the same educational level. 
    The Census Bureau disaggregates the data by sex, race, and education level in its detailed income tables. We can compare white and Asian American full-time, year-round male workers with each other by education level. 
    The median income for non-Hispanic white male high school graduates in 2008 was $42,234. For Asian American male high school graduates it was 21 percent lower at $33,358. Comparing individuals with bachelor's degrees, white males earned $71,672 and Asian males $63,172, or 12 percent less. When one disaggregates by educational level, the apparent Asian American advantage turns to an Asian American disadvantage.
    If one assumes that Asian American men work the hardest, the disaggregated income data suggests that they are not being rewarded for their hard work. 
    

5/21/10 Los Angeles Times: "Booster Shots: Oddities, musings and news from the health world.  Asian Americans, alcohol use and what the numbers show (or don't show),"
by Tami Dennis
    Asian Americans drink less alcohol and binge on it less frequently, not to mention consume fewer illegal drugs, than other Americans. But the generalities stop there.
    A new analysis of Asian American subgroups, using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, has found that Korean Americans are the most likely to consume alcohol in a given month and that Indian Americans are the least likely. Here's a closer look at past-month alcohol use among the various groups identified in the survey:
    Korean Americans: 51.9%
    Japanese Americans: 48.3% 
    Chinese Americans: 41.3%
    Vietnamese Americans: 38.7%
    Filipino Americans: 38.1%
    Indian Americans: 32.1%
    The national average for all adults in the U.S. is 55.2%. The national average for Asian Americans is 39.8%.
    When it comes to binge drinking over the last month, the numbers shake out this way.
    Korean Americans: 25.9%
    Filipino Americans: 15%
    Japanese Americans: 14.5%
    Vietnamese Americans: 14%
    Indian Americans: 9.5%
    Chinese Americans: 8.4%
    Other ethnicity-related breakdowns by age, gender and insurance status ensue. Here's the full alcohol use report, as offered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 
    Those are the stats, in any case. The report doesn't paint a fuller picture.
    It does, however, explain the relevance of such breakdowns in this way:
    As the Federal Government and States move forward with the interrelated tasks of reducing disparities and reforming health care, it will be important to monitor data on substance use and treatment need among racial/ethnic minorities. The findings in this report highlight variations in substance use and treatment need between Asian adults and adults in the Nation as a whole and suggest subgroups that may benefit from increased attention from the prevention and treatment systems. 
    Wait. There is one more generality: Asian Americans born in the U.S. are more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs than are those born outside the U.S.



5/4/10 New York Times: "The Limits of Policy,"
by David Brooks, Op-Ed Columnist
    This is not to say that policy choices are meaningless. But we should be realistic about them. The influence of politics and policy is usually swamped by the influence of culture, ethnicity, psychology and a dozen other factors.
    You can observe the same phenomenon when looking within the U.S. Last week, the American Human Development Project came out with its “A Century Apart” survey of life in the United States. As you’d expect, ethnicity correlates to huge differences in how people live. Nationally, 50 percent of Asian-American adults have a college degree, compared with 31 percent of whites, 17 percent of African-Americans and 13 percent of Hispanics.
    Asian-Americans have a life expectancy of 87 years compared with 79 years for whites and 73 years for African-Americans.
    Even in struggling parts of the country, Asian-Americans do well. In Michigan, for example, the Asian-American life expectancy is 90, while for the average white person it’s 79 and for the average African-American it’s 73. Income and education levels are also much higher.
    The region you live in also makes a gigantic difference in how you will live. There are certain high-trust regions where highly educated people congregate, producing positive feedback loops of good culture and good human capital programs. This mostly happens in the northeastern states like New Jersey and Connecticut. There are other regions with low social trust, low education levels and negative feedback loops. This mostly happens in southern states like Arkansas and West Virginia.
    If you combine the influence of ethnicity and region, you get astounding lifestyle gaps. The average Asian-American in New Jersey lives an amazing 26 years longer and is 11 times more likely to have a graduate degree than the average American Indian in South Dakota.
    When you try to account for life outcome differences this gigantic, you find yourself beyond narrow economic incentives and in the murky world of social capital. What matters are historical experiences, cultural attitudes, child-rearing practices, family formation patterns, expectations about the future, work ethics and the quality of social bonds.



4/21/10 The Korea Times: "Asian American education achievements outstrip other racial groups,"
http://www.indypressny.org/nycma/voices/421/briefs/briefs_5/
By Jung-eun Lee, translated from Korean by Sun-Yong Reinish.
    On April 20, the U.S. Census released its analysis of data collected from the 2009 Current Population Survey. Between February 2009 and April 2009, 100,000 families were surveyed nationwide and asked for information, according to demographic and socioeconomic indicators, about age, sex, race, household relationships, marital status, and education level. The survey indicated, among other things, that 53 percent of Asians over 25-year-old hold a bachelor's degree, topping non-Hispanic whites, (33 percent), Blacks (19 percent), and Hispanics (13 percent).
    Within the 25- to 29-year-old age group, Asians have a high rate of education for both sexes. Indeed no noticeable statistical difference was found between men and women holding masters degrees (in law, or medicine), or doctoral degrees. Among whites, Blacks, and Hispanics in the same age group, women hold a three percent edge over men for such degrees (9 percent to 6 percent).
    There is a wider discrepancy between Asian women and men with bachelor degrees or higher – women surpass men by 8 percentage points (35 to 27 percent). This gap has increased over time; in 1999, it was only 3 percent, with women ahead of men (30 percent to 27 percent).
    The survey also found a high correlation between educational level and income.
In 2008, the average annual income for those with an advanced degree was $83,144, compared to an average annual income of $58,613 for those with a bachelor's degree. In the same year, the annual average income for high school degree diploma holders was $31,283.
    Marital status for 25-year-olds and above also had impact on the statistics for advanced degree holders: 66 percent of women and 76 percent of men with advanced degrees were married with a partner present. Of these, 65 percent of the women had bachelor's degrees compared to 71 percent for the men.
    These statistics clearly show a rise in the rate of college graduates among Asians in the past decade. In 1999, the number of those holding bachelor's degrees was 43,800,000. By 2009, this number had increased by 34 percent, reaching 58,600,000. The rate of high school diploma holders among those over 25 was 87 percent in 2009 of whom 30 percent hold at least a bachelor's degree.


4/17/10 Fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel: "Asian-Americans add to Florida's diversity,"
by Quan Cao
    According to 2000 U.S. Census data, we were the fastest growing minority group in Florida and what the Census defines as Asian-Americans and Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI).
    According to the 2000 Census, 35 percent of our citizens have a household income of $75,000 or more. Nationwide, we outspend the entire state of New Jersey — the seventh most populous state in America — in everyday expenses by $41 billion. Talk about serious buying power. Furthermore, 43 percent of our population has a college degree.
    Florida's 41,258 Asian-American and NHOPI owned businesses brought in $11.2 billion and employed more than 91,000 people in 2002. It's clear we're a growing economic powerhouse in the Sunshine State. Florida also ranks fourth among the top 10 states with the greatest number of Asian-American and NHOPI women-owned businesses, which account for $49.1 billion in nationwide sales.
    Quan Cao is a professor at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.



9/09 The Scientist: Asian American M.Ds. and Ph. Ds in life science are paid the lowest salaries when compared with all other races. http://www.the-scientist.com/salarysurvey/

3/27/09 The Straits Times (Singapore): "Asians least hit by crime in US"
   AFP (Washington) - Asian-Americans suffer less from violent crime than other racial groups in the United States, Justice Department figures have
shown.
    Some 11 out of 1,000 Asian-Americans aged 12 or older are the victims of non-fatal violent crimes each year, compared with 24 out of every 1,000 non-Asian Americans, according to statistics released on Wednesday.
    In 2006, 360 Asian-Americans were murdered. They were victims of two per cent of all US homicides, while accounting for about four per cent of the population, the study found.
    In one of the more striking differences among racial groups, strangers were responsible for most crime against Asian-Americans.
    Seventy-seven per cent of violent crimes against Asian-American men was committed by strangers, compared with 59 per cent for non-Asians.  Half of crimes against Asian-American women was by people they did not know, compared with 34 per cent for other women.
    The government study did not delve into analysis. It defined Asian-Americans as those tracing their ethnicity to the Far East or the Indian subcontinent, as well as Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.
    Some Asian-American leaders have cautioned against the 'model minority' image, noting that the community is diverse and some of its members are struggling.
    Asians-American tend to have higher education and income than the national average, according to the latest statistical profile by the Asian-American Studies Center at the University of California - Los Angeles (UCLA).
    The average Asian-American household earns US$66,103 (S$99,436) a year, against a national average of US$50,233, it said. But there were
major differences within the community, with Americans of Indian origin the wealthiest. -- AFP


1/26/09 Kansas City Infozine (www.infozine.com): “Chinese Americans Face Glass Ceiling,”
    Chinese Americans, one of the most highly educated groups in the nation, are confronted by a “glass ceiling,” unable to realize full occupational stature and success to match their efforts, concludes a study from the University of Maryland.
    Kansas City , MO - The returns on Chinese Americans’ investment in education and “sweat equity” are “generally lower than those in the general and non-Hispanic White population,” says the report, “A Chinese American Portrait.” It adds that, on average, Chinese American professionals in the legal and medical fields earn as much as 44 percent less than their White counterparts.
    Based on extensive U.S. Census data and independent interviews, the study offers the most comprehensive and current portrait of the highly diverse Chinese American population. The research was conducted by the University of Maryland’s Asian American Studies Program with support from OCA, a national community-based organization of Asian Pacific Americans. The data in the report go through 2006, the latest available.
    “Contrary to popular beliefs, Chinese Americans often face extra barriers to economic success, despite their educational achievements,” says principal investigator Larry H. Shinagawa, a demographer and Americans Studies professor who directs the University of Maryland Asian American Studies Program .
    “Time and hard work simply haven’t been enough for Chinese Americans to fully enter into mainstream social and professional circles,” Shinagawa adds. “I suspect there are many reasons such as language barriers or simply the difficulties that go along with being identified as an ‘outsider.’ In the long run, increasing mentoring efforts and leadership opportunities can enhance the Chinese American community. You need a pipeline, a network to help young professionals rise to their potential, and increase Chinese American participation in top positions. Success begets success.”
    An Extremely Diverse Chinese American Community
    Yet this is only half the story. As Shinagawa points out, the Chinese American community is characterized by extreme diversity. It is split nearly 50-50 between poorly educated recent immigrants from China and a more settled, acculturated, educated and prosperous group of older immigrants and second generation Americans. These earlier arrivals came mainly from Taiwan and Hong Kong .
    “It makes for a rather bi-polar picture of wealth and poverty, high and low education levels, white and blue collars,” Shinagawa says. “It’s a pattern you expect to see after a wave of immigration. But in this case, the long-term settled population has yet to achieve full equal treatment.”
    Among the Studies’ Findings:
    Fastest Growing Immigrant Group: Chinese Americans represent the fastest growing immigrant group in the nation (up 30 percent between
2000 and 2006, the most recent figures);
    Largest Asian Ethnic Group: Chinese Americans represent the largest ethnic group among Asian Americans (about 25 percent)
    Higher Education Clustering: Chinese Americans cluster in a small number of colleges and universities (roughly 85 percent of all Chinese Americans who got to colleges or universities attend just three percent of all higher education institutions);
    High Levels of Higher Education: Twice as many Chinese American adults have college degrees than the general population;
    Lacking High School Education: Conversely, recently arrived Chinese Americans represent the largest number of U.S. adults without the equivalent of a high school education;
    Occupations: Chinese Americans are more heavily represented in professional and managerial occupations than the general population (53 percent vs. 34 percent);
    Industries: Chinese Americans cluster in industries associated with healthcare, food services, manufacturing and professional/scientific fields;
    Pay Equity: Chinese American men earn less in salaries than majority Whites for the same level of education;
    Geographic Clustering: 60 percent of all Chinese Americans live in a handful of cities beginning with New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles , Chicago , Philadelphia , as well as the Washington , D.C. metropolitan area, the Boston metro area and the Dallas metro area.
    Suburban Migration: In the past 20 years, Chinese Americans have settled increasingly away from traditional ethnic enclaves characterized as Chinatowns . Many of the more affluent Chinese Americans now reside in suburban communities commonly known as “ethnoburbs” or mixed “Asiatowns;”
    Citizenship: Three out of four Chinese Americans are U.S. citizens and exhibit very high rates of naturalization. However, this is less true among the recent immigrants who have been slower to seek citizenship;
    Multiethnic/Multiracial: One in ten Chinese Americans are multiethnic and/or multiracial;
    Divorce: Once they marry, Chinese Americans tend to stay married – with a divorce rate less than half that of the general population (4.4 percent vs. 10 percent);
    Recommendation
    “This study marks the progress of Chinese Americans entering the mainstream fabric of American life as well as the challenges that remain,” Shinagawa says. “It surely demonstrates the need to stop treating Chinese Americans as a monolithic group. Different segments of the population have very different needs. ‘One size fits all’ simply won’t work. We hope recognition of this diversity will serve as a guide for policy makers so that their decisions will improve the lives of all Chinese Americans and Asian Americans.”
    Related links
    The full text of “A Portrait of Chinese Americans” (including a brief executive summary and conclusions) is available online as a downloadable pdf: www.aast.umd.edu/mapsportrait.html
    The Asian American Studies Program at the University of Maryland - www.aast.umd.edu/
    Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA) - www.ocanational.org/
    Source: University of Maryland , College Park

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