Background
APAs are the fastest growing minority group in the country. In the last decade, the total population of APAs jumped to 12.8 million, a 48.4% increase from 7.3 million in 1990. They are a particularly significant presence in major metropolitan areas such as New York City and San Francisco, but they also have increasing numbers in other population growth centers such as Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Atlanta, and Northern Virginia.
APAs represent $94 billion in domestic consumer spending. Among racial groups, APAs have the highest rate of computer ownership (48%), followed by whites (36%). Of all persons ages 25 and over, APAs have the greatest proportion of college graduates (42%) of any ethnic group. APA households have the highest median income among racial groups.
Ongoing Issues
Despite these apparent successes high educational attainment, high median income Asian Pacific Americans continue to face serious problems including workplace discrimination, hate crimes, racial profiling, poverty, and barriers to health and other vital social services. For example:
- The 1999 Audit of Violence Against Asian Pacific American found that an alarming and increasing number of APAs are the victims of hate crimes, including the tragic murder of Joseph Ileto in Los Angeles and Won-Joon Yoon in Indiana by white supremacists.
- In 2000, Wen Ho Lee, a scientist at the Los Alamos Labs, was singled out for an intense, headline-grabbing federal espionage investigation because he is Asian American.
- A study released in April 2001 found that nearly three-quarters of Americans surveyed had a somewhat negative (43%) or very negative (25%) view of Chinese Americans.
- Thirteen percent of the APA population lives in poverty. Two million APAs lack health insurance, with Korean Americans having the highest rate among all ethnic groups (40%).
- Most recently, Congressman David Wu (D-OR) was refused entrance to the Department of Energy building, even after he showed proof of that he is a United States citizen and a Member of Congress. Ironically, Representative Wu was attending an Asian Pacific American heritage month celebration.
Continuing Under-representation
One of the most important contributors to these problems is that, both historically and currently, APAs have not participated actively in our democratic process. Voter turnout in our community lags behind whites and African-Americans. The Current Population Survey of 1994 shows the percentage of the Asian American population registered to vote remains among the lowest of all ethnic groups. Nationwide, half of eligible Asian Americans (53%) are registered to vote. Furthermore, there are a disproportionately small number of APA elected officials and candidates for political office.
Although APAs now number over 12 million and exceed four percent of the nation's population, we have only four members of Congress out of 535 (under one percent). This disproportionate under-representation is mirrored at the state level. In California, APAs have comprised ten percent or more of the population for years, but they have never had more than four members in the state legislature, out of 120 (3.3%).
Greater Political Participation
The APA community has few national and visible role models, spokespersons, and leaders who are known to mainstream Americans. The APA community's failure to participate in politics stems from a number of factors, including ignorance of the political process, and a fear of government and politics that is rooted in the un-democratic countries from which many APAs emigrated. However, as the fastest growing minority group in the United States, and as a group with an increasing number of community-specific social and political problems, it is increasingly important that APAs play an active role in American politics and government.
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