Feature: Growing Desi population in America

UN: India has the largest number of persons born in the country who are now living outside its borders

US Census: Growing population of South Asian and Indians in the US

A number of groups have been analyzing data from the 2010 Census. Last month the Asian Pacific American Legal Center released their latest report “A Community of Contrasts; Asian Americans in the United States: 2011″ (download PDF here) which has a comprehensive national community analysis. 

A few highlights from the report

• One of the largest findings is that South Asians are the fastest growing Asian American community; the Indian population is at 3,183,063; the Pakistani population is at 409,163; Bangladeshi population at 147,300; Nepalese population at 59,490; Sri Lankan population at 45,381; and Bhutanese population at 19,439. That brings the South Asian American population close to 4 million with an exact total of 3,863,836 people. 
• The country's fastest growing Asian American ethnic groups were South Asian. Bangladeshi and Pakistani American populations doubled in size between 2000 and 2010.
• Fewer than 5% of Burmese, Nepalese, Bangladeshi, Hmong, and Bhutanese Americans are of mixed race. Among larger ethnic groups, only 6% of Vietnamese and 8% of Indians are multiracial. 
• As Asian American communities grow, so too have their contributions to the American economy. Asian Americans are an emerging consumer power whose market share is growing dramatically. Asian Americans also own a disproportionate number of businesses, employing a large number of workers and generating significant revenue.
  Asian American and NHPI* growth in buying power surpassed that of non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans, and Native Americans over the same period.
• Asian Americans are becoming a powerful political voice. They are becoming citizens, registering to vote, and voicing their concerns at the ballot box. Despite this, language and cost barriers to citizenship remain significant hurdles to full civic engagement. Language barriers and voter identification requirements also affect voter registration and access to the polls.
• More than three out of four Sri Lankan Americans are foreign-born, the highest rate among Asian American ethnic groups. Roughly 7 in 10 Malaysian, Bangladeshi, Indian, and Taiwanese Americans were born abroad.
• Among Asian countries, the Philippines, China, and India sent the most immigrants to the United States over the past decade.
  While Asian American ethnic groups with the lowest poverty rates (Filipino, Indian, and Japanese Americans) are concentrated in management and other professional occupations, those with the highest poverty rates (Bangladeshi, Cambodian, and Hmong Americans) tend to work in production, transportation, and material moving occupations.

 Interesting media and blog responses on the report

• It's Confirmed – Desis Are Growing - SepiaMutiny
• Indian Americans grow to 3.2 mn, top in income - Hindustan Times
• Indian Americans grow  - Times Of India
• A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans in the United States 2011 - Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans
• Asian American Center for Advancing Justice to Release Groundbreaking Demographic Research - CAA
• Indian Americans grow to 3.2 mn, top in income - India Forums

Population of Indian Americans

Asian Indian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,678,765
Bangladeshi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41,280
Bhutanese. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Burmese . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,159
Nepalese. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,858
Pakistani . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153,533
Sri Lankan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,145

Indians lead the pack in America's ethnic mix

WASHINGTON: Indians are the best-educated and highest-earning people among all major ethnic groups in the United States, including native-born Americans. They are also the youngest and most likely to be white collar professionals.

These are among the bragging rights conferred in a new study "We The People: Asian Americans in the United States" released on Wednesday by the US Census Bureau. Based on the year 2000 census, the report provides a handsome snapshot of the fastest growing immigrant community in the United States.

According to the study, Asian Indians (so termed to distinguish them from American Indians) numbered 1.65 million in the 2000 census when counted alone, and 1.85 million in combination with other races (say mixed with Americans or Africans).

About 75 per cent of Indians are foreign-born and 24.6 per cent are US-born. In comparison, and reflecting their older immigrant status, nearly 60 per cent of Japanese in America are US born. Around 54 per cent of Indians entered the US after 1990, marking the '90s as the boom decade for Indian immigration.

Asian-Indians had among the lowest median age (30.3) compared to the national median of 35 and Asian median of 33. They also had among the least number of people in the over-65 age category (3.8 per cent) compared to the national average of 12.4 per cent.
But it is in the area of education and professional achievement that the Indians are a class apart. According to the study, 63.9 per cent of Indians have a Bachelor's degree or more, compared to 44 per cent for Asians and a nationwide 24.4 per cent who have a Bachelor's degree or more.

Indians were also most likely to be employed - 79.1 per cent Indian men and 54 per cent Indian women were part of the US labor force. Indians had the highest percentage of people (60 per cent) in management, professional and related services compared to 44 per cent overall for Asians and 34 per cent nationwide.

The study also bears out the oft-repeated claim of Indians being among the highest earners. Indian men had the highest year round full-time median earnings ($51,900) eclipsing the Japanese ($50,900) and well ahead of the national average ($37,057) and the Asian average ($40,650).

Separately, Indian women were only marginally behind Japanese women in median earnings ($35,998 vs $35,173). Overall, the Japanese had the highest median family income ($70,849) followed closely by Indians ($70,708). Both were way ahead of the national average of $50,046.

However, perhaps because they have been in the US longer, Japanese, Filipinos and Chinese were more likely to be home owners (around 60 per cent) than Indians (46.9 per cent) who, reflecting their more recent immigrant status, are more likely to be renters (53.1 per cent).

The study also provides a brief social and family portrait. Indians are most likely to be married (67.4 per cent are married) and among the least likely to be divorced (2.4 per cent).

In what is perhaps a tribute to their Macaulayite education, Indians are also the most fluent and comfortable English speakers, with 10.3 per cent saying they spoke only English at home, and 57.6 per cent saying they spoke English very well even if they spoke other languages at home. Only 23.1 per cent said they did not speak English well.

Indians are the third-most populous Asian ethnic group in the US after the Chinese and the Filipinos, and more numerous now than Koreans and Vietnamese.

These five groups each number a million or more and make up 80 per cent of the Asian population. Six other detailed Asian groups listed in the census - Japanese, Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Pakistani and Thai - made up 15 per cent of the Asian population.

Surprisingly, the Census Report put the Pakistani population at only 155,000. Pakistanis often boast of being at least 500,000 strong in the US.


CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA in Times of India

Note: Page last updated: Jan 2018