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Asian Americans
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Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The term ‘Asian American’ was coined in the 1960s along with the creation of Ethnic Studies as a field and the emergence of the Asian American movement. The term indicates a certain political and historical sensibility. Asian Americans come from many different Asian ethnic backgrounds, of course, but the term suggests that these groups share certain things, including both cultural patterns and particular histories in the U.S. Self-identification as ‘Asian American’ is a matter of personal choice. Not all Americans of Asian descent identify themselves as Asian American; some immigrants choose to self-identify in this way to indicate their ties to other Asians in the U.S. and Americans of Asian descent.
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Asian Americans are a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population that is expected to triple to reach 40 million by the year 2050. Approximately 80% of Vietnamese Americans are foreign born and have the least likelihood of all Asian Americans to speak English at home. In fact, about 70% speak their native language exclusively.
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The growing population of Asian Americans has significantly influenced American society. Many Americans enjoy a variety of Asian cuisine. Along with well-known Chinese dishes, such Asian foods as Japanese sushi, Asian Indian curries, Vietnamese pho noodles, and Thai coffee have become common in many parts of the country. Asian religions, such as Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and Shamanism have many followers in the United States. Asian American community celebrations feature a rich variety of Asian art forms, such as Filipino tinikling dances and escrima martial arts, Vietnamese lion dances, and Japanese taiko drumming and karaoke singing.
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Asian Americans have the lowest smoking prevalence rates among adults of all racial/ethnic groups. In 2005, 13.3 percent of Asians smoked compared to 32.0 percent of American Indians/Alaskan Natives, 21.9 percent of non-Hispanic whites, 21.5 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 16.2 percent of Hispanics.1
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Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) come from nearly 50 countries and ethnic groups, each with distinct cultures, traditions and histories. AAPIs speak over one hundred Asian and Pacific Islander languages and dialects. Asian Americans are persons having origins from East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Today, there are approximately 12 million AAPIs living in the United States, or about 5% of the total population. By 2020, the AAPI population is projected to reach 20 million, and by 2050, approximately one out of every 10 Americans will be of Asian or Pacific Islander descent. Pacific Islanders are people having origins in Hawaii, Guam, Samoa or other Pacific Islands.
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Asian Americans are not homogeneous. Rather, they are diverse ethnic groups originating from approximately 52 different Asian countries from the Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. Among all Asian Americans there are common traits, such as strong family values, emphasis on education, preserving traditions, and valuing personal relationships. However, there are many differences in language and culture among Asian American groups as well. In fact, there are more than 800 spoken languages and dialects among the Asian population. Approximately 75% of Asian Americans speak a language other than English.
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Asian Americans