U.S. Census Bureau News -- Profile America Facts for Features: Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month: May 2013

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, completed May 10, 1869. In 1992, Congress expanded the observance to a monthlong celebration. Per a 1997 Office of Management and Budget directive, the Asian or Pacific Islander racial category was separated into two categories: one being Asian and the other Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. Thus, this Facts for Features contains a section for each.

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Asians
18.2 million
The estimated number of U.S. residents in 2011 who were Asian, either alone or in combination with one or more additional races. Source: 2011 Population Estimates Table 3 <www.census.gov/popest/data/index.html>. For additional information, see <www.census.gov/popest/data/national/asrh/2011/index.html>.

5.8 million
The Asian alone or in combination population in California in 2011. The state had the largest Asian population, followed by New York (1.7 million). The Asian alone-or-in-combination population represented 57 percent of the total population in Hawaii. Source: 2011 Population Estimates Table 5 <www.census.gov/popest/data/index.html>. For additional information, see <www.census.gov/popest/data/state/asrh/2011/index.html>.

46% 
Percentage growth of the Asian alone or in combination population between the 2000 and 2010 censuses, which was more than any other major race group. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Custom Table 3, <www.census.gov/2010census/news/xls/cb11cn123_us_2010redistr.xls>. For additional details, see Hoeffel, E., S. Rastogi, M. Kim, and H. Shahid. 2011. The Asian Population: 2010, U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Briefs, C2010BR-11, available at
<www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-11.pdf>.

4 million
Number of Asians of Chinese, except Taiwanese, descent in the U.S. in 2011. The Chinese (except Taiwanese) population was the largest Asian group, followed by Filipinos (3.4 million), Asian Indians (3.2 million), Vietnamese (1.9 million), Koreans (1.7 million) and Japanese (1.3 million). These estimates represent the number of people who reported a specific detailed Asian group alone, as well as people who reported that detailed Asian group in combination with one or more other detailed Asian groups or another race(s). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, Table B02018
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B02018>

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance

$67,885
Median household income for the Asian alone population in 2011.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, Table S0201,
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~031>

Median household income differed greatly by Asian group. For Asian Indians, for example, the median income in 2011 was $92,418; for Bangladeshi, it was $45,185. (These figures represent the Asian alone population.) Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, Table S0201,
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~013> and
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~014>

12.8%
The poverty rate for the Asian alone population in 2011.  
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, Table S1701
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_11_1YR_S1701>

15.4
Percentage of single-race Asians without health insurance coverage in 2011.  
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, Table S0201
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~012>

Education

50%
The percentage of the Asian alone population 25 and older who had a bachelor's degree or higher level of education. This compared with 28.5 percent for all Americans 25 and older. 
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, Table S0201,                                  
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~012> and <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201>

For more facts on the Asian Population <click here>.

Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders

1.4 million
The estimated number of U.S. residents in 2011 who were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, either alone or in combination with one or more additional races. 
Source: 2011 Population Estimates Table 3 <www.census.gov/popest/data/index.html>.
For additional information, see <www.census.gov/popest/data/national/asrh/2011/index.html>.

359,000
Hawaii had the largest population of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders among the alone or in combination population with 359,000, followed by California (329,000) in 2011. Hawaii had the largest proportion of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders (26 percent). 
Source: 2011 Population Estimates Table 4 <www.census.gov/popest/data/index.html>. For additional information, see <www.census.gov/popest/data/state/asrh/2011/index.html>.

40%
Percentage growth of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination population between the 2000 and 2010 censuses.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, Custom Table 3, <www.census.gov/2010census/news/xls/cb11cn123_us_2010redistr.xls>. For additional details, see Hixson, L., B. Hepler, and M. Kim. 2011. The Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Population: 2010, U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census Briefs, C2010BR-12, available at <http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-12.pdf>.

518,000
Number of Native Hawaiians in the U.S. in 2011. The Native Hawaiian population was the largest detailed Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders (NHPI) group, followed by Samoan (174,000) and Guamanian or Chamorro (108,000).  These estimates represent the number of people who reported a specific detailed NHPI group alone, as well as people who reported that detailed NHPI group in combination with one or more other detailed NHPI groups or another race(s). Source: U.S. Census. Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, Table B02019 <http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/B02019>

Income, Poverty and Health Insurance

$49,378
The median income of households headed by the Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders alone in 2011.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, Table S0201
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~050>

21.5%
The poverty rate in 2011 Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders alone population.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, Table S0201,
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~050>

18.5%
The percentage without health insurance in 2011 for single-race Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, Table S0201,
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~050>

Education

14.5%
The percentage of the Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders alone 25 and older who had a bachelor's degree or higher in 2011. This compared with 28.5 percent for the total population.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011 American Community Survey, Tables S0201
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201//popgroup~050> and
<http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_1YR/S0201>

For more facts on the Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders <click here>.

Contact: Public Information Office
301-763-3030

SOURCE U.S. Census Bureau