Understanding Asian Pacific Americans

By Donna Ray, Asian Pacific American Islander Emphasis Program Manager

Their are over 10 million Asian and Pacific Islanders in the U.S.  They comprise 3.8 percent of the total U.S. population.

May was National Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and I would like to share some information with you that may shed a little light on this interesting, yet relatively unknown heterogeneous group. Asians and Pacific Islanders differ in language, culture, and in immigration history. Several Asian groups such as Chinese and Japanese have been in this country for generations and Pacific Islanders have been coming to the United States for more than a century. In fact, relatively few Pacific Islanders are foreign-born. Immigration is a major factor in the growth of the Asian and Pacific Islander population as a whole, with large numbers coming to the United States following the adoption of the Immigration Act of 1965. Asians include Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Asian Indian, Korean, Vietnamese, Laotian, Thai, Cambodian, Pakistani, Indonesian, and Hmong. Pacific Islanders include Polynesian (Hawaiian, Samoan, and Tongan), Micronesian (Guamanian), and Melanesian (Fijian).

The number of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States was 1.5 million in 1970, 3.5 million in 1980, 7.3 million in 1990, 9.6 million in 1996, and in February 1998 there were an estimated 10.2 million Asian and Pacific Islanders, comprising 3.8 percent of the total U.S. population. In addition to immigration and natural increase, part of the growth of Asian and Pacific Islanders between 1970 and 1990 reflects changes in the race question on the census form. In the 1990 census the race question was revised to include more groups of people. Collection and processing procedures were also improved.

Because of the shorter migration route and in many instances similar climate to the homeland, it is no surprise that the majority of Asian and Pacific Islanders reside in the western portion of the United States _ mainly California. In 1996, fifty-five percent of Asian and Pacific Islanders lived in the West, compared with 58 percent in 1980. States with the highest concentrations of Asian
and Pacific Islanders are California and Hawaii (75 percent collectively). Other states with high populations are New York, Texas and Illinois. Many Asian and Pacific Islanders have come to America in pursuit of higher education. As a racial group, education is highly valued in the community, however, educational attainment of different Asian and Pacific Islander groups varies widely. The 1990 census showed that among Asians, only 31 percent of Hmongs had graduated from high school compared with 88 percent of Japanese. For Pacific Islanders, those with at least a high school diploma ranged from 64 percent for Tongans to 80 percent for Hawaiians. There were 2.1 million Asian and Pacific Islander families in the U.S. in March 1996. Eighty percent were married couple families, 12 percent had female householders, no spouse present, and the remaining 8 percent consisted of male householders, no spouse present. Asian and Pacific Islander families are large. About one-fourth of these families are made up of five or more persons. Asian and Pacific Islander families are often larger partly because many maintain traditions of strong and cohesive extended families.

There is still much to be learned as we work with Asian and Pacific Islanders. As with all cultures and ethnic groups, awareness and understanding can be a key that unlocks the door to a productive relationship between NRCS and the diverse public we serve.

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alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.