ABSTRACT
A FAST-GROWING MINORITY POPULATION The term “Asian American” refers to having origins in persons who came to the United States from the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent (Office of Management and Budget, 1997). Asian groups are not limited to nationalities, but include ethnic grouping as well. Since the U. S. Census Bureau identified six Asian categories (Asian Indians, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese) in 1980, Asian Americans have been one of the fastest-growing groups in the United States. In 2010, there were more than 14.6 million Asian Americans (4.8 percent of the total population). This number represents an increase of 48 percent between 1990 and 2000, and 43.3 percent between 2000 and 2010 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). By 2050, the Asian American population is expected to increase to 40.6 million which will constitute 9.2 percent of the population. This tremendous growth is due in large part to continuing immigration. According to the data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (1991-2010), persons from Asia account for nearly 30 percent of the total number of immigrants who obtained permanent residence or naturalized citizen status in the last two decades.
