A report released in October 2011 suggests that the influence of Asian-Americans is expanding beyond traditional states and communities, and also spreading to new economic and political arenas.
The Asian-American population in the United States now numbers more than 17 million after growing 46% between 2000 and 2010. And 60% of Asian-Americans are foreign-born, the highest proportion of any U.S. racial group.
Decades ago, Asian influence was confined largely to coastal metropolitan areas: New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle. But according to the report, released by the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, Asian-Americans are prospering in new places.
The expansion of Asian immigrants from the coasts is really no different than the migration inland of large numbers of Irish, Italian and German immigrants 100 years ago. The search for economic opportunity has almost always been the main reason immigrant populations have moved within the country.
The Asian community grew 72% to more than 1.1 million in Texas, and the state now has more Asian-Americans than Hawaii. The report, based largely on U.S. Census data, says the politically important states of Nevada and Arizona also have seen large increases in their Asian populations.
Many Asians also have moved to high-tech hubs such as California’s Silicon Valley, Charlotte, N.C., and Austin, Texas.
The stereotypic view of Asian-Americans living only in big-city Chinatowns has never been farther from reality. Among the study’s other findings:
- Approximately 57 percent of Asian immigrants are U.S. citizens, an increase from 50% in 2000.
- While record numbers of Asian-Americans voted in the 2008 national election, only 68% of those old enough to vote are U.S. citizens, and only 55% of those who are eligible to vote have done so.
- The vast majority of Asian-Americans in the United States live in Hawaii (57.4%), followed by California (14.9%).
- Sixty percent of Asian-Americans are foreign-born, the highest foreign-born proportion of any racial group nationwide, and roughly one-third are limited in their English proficiency.
- About 1.6 million immigrants from Asian countries entered the United States in the last decade to work and reunite with family and some had to wait as long as 23 years.
- More than 15% of Asian-Americans are of mixed race, a much higher proportion than the general population.
- The buying power of Asian-Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders nearly doubled between 2000 and 2009, growing 89%, a rate surpassed only by that of Latinos.
- As with other immigrant groups, poverty is still a problem for Asians. Some Asian-American ethnic groups (including Hmong, Bangladeshi and Cambodian) rank among the nation’s poorest.
Census data shows that the Asian population doubled in Nevada and grew 95% in Arizona over the last decade. The 2012 election promises to also be a referendum on the political power of Asian-Americans in these two hotly contested states that could be decisive in the presidential race.
Researchers found that Asian immigrants already are making a mark in local politics and elections. As small communities grow and become more cohesive, over time they produce their own candidates for public office.
The report does not address how the nation’s recession has influenced the group, however. Because they are new arrivals, many Asian-Americans, like Hispanics, are particularly vulnerable to economic downturns.
Another significant finding the report was the large increase in the South Asian population. the Indian population grew by 68% to about 3.2 million and Indians now account for 18% of Asian-Americans, a 16% increase from a decade ago. The Bangladeshi population more than doubled to 147,000 and Pakistanis doubled to 409,000.
