Chinese, Indian and Japanese immigrants showed high achievement in many of the areas while Cambodians, Laotians and Hmong struggle with poverty and low levels of English proficiency.
APAs (44 percent) have at least a bachelor's degree compared with the general population (24 percent).
More APAs (45 percent) work in management or professional positions compared with the general population (34 percent). Among Asians, sixty percent of Indians and 52 percent of Chinese are in management or professional positions. Only 13 percent of Laotians are. More than 35 percent of Cambodians, Hmong and Laotians are in production and transportation positions.
The average income of APA men in 1999 was 9 percent higher than that of all men; the average income of APA women was 14 percent higher than that of all women.
Approximately 80 percent of APAs spoke a language other than English at home while close to 60 percent spoke English very well. Over 75 percent of Indians and Filipinos speak English "very well." Vietnamese had the lowest percentage (37 percent) in the same category.
The statistical information is based on the report, We the People: Asians in the United States, released last December which is available at www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/censr-17.pdf. (Source: Eugenia Chien, AsianWeek, Jan 06, 2005).