11: Asian Americans: Growth and Change in the 1970s

Abstract

Asian Americans make up a small but growing percentage of the US population. This chapter uses census data and other sources to highlight recent growth and change and the resulting heterogeneity in the Asian American population. The great watershed occurred in the late 1960s and afterward when the effects of the new immigration law began to be felt. Filipino and Chinese numbers began to rise rapidly. This rise continued through the 1970s and the Koreans enumerated again in 1970 joined in. The Japanese alone of the major Asian groups were not immigrating in especially large numbers and showed only slight rates of increase. By 1980 the Chinese who had ranked 1st in 1900 but never again since then once more had become the most numerous Asian American group followed closely by the rapidly growing Filipinos and the slowly growing Japanese. Asian Indians and Koreans came next followed by the Vietnamese. Both the long-time Asian American groups and the newer groups are now composed mostly of immigrants. Although the total US population grew at an annual rate of 1.1% during 1970-1980 the Asian American population grew by more than 6% during the decade. The percentage of Asian Americans living in the West fell from 70.4% in 1970 to 63.6% in 1980. Most Asian Americans fare relatively well in economic and social terms but it is important to recognize that the various groups differ a great deal. Asian Americans also vary considerably in their living arrangements. A greater share of the children in each Asian American community live with both ther parents than is true for Hispanics blacks or even whites. Perhaps the most remarkable--and the most publicized--characteristics of Asian Americans is their exceptional performance in school. Asian men participate in the labor force about as much as white Americans or more so (except for the Vietnamese); Asian women participate in the labor force as much or more than white women do. Very low proportions of Asian households have no earned income or receive public assistance.