Asian American
Notable Asian Americans: Elaine Chao · Kalpana Chawla · Antonio Taguba Eugene Trinh · Norman Mineta
Total population
Asian Americans 15. This page is a list of Asian Americans Politics 1956 - Dalip Singh Saund became the first Asian immigrant elected to the U Elaine Lan Chao ( born March 26, 1953) currently serves as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor in the Cabinet of President Kalpana Chawla (कल्‍पना चावला (ਕਲਪਨਾ ਚਾਵਲਾ ( 17 March 1962 – 1 February 2003) was an Indian-American Antonio Mario Taguba (born October 31 1950 is a retired major general in the United States Army. Eugene Huu-Chau "Gene" Trinh (born on September 14, 1950, in Saigon, South Vietnam) is the first Vietnamese-American born November 12, 1931) is a United States politician of the Democratic Party. 2 million[1] 5. 1% of the US population
Regions with significant populations
predominantly Hawaii, West Coast, Northeast, Chicago
Languages
predominantly American English, along with Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Hindi, Hmong, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Laotian, Malay, Nepali, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese, other Indian languages and others
Religions
Buddhism, Christianity, East Asian religions, Hinduism, other Indian religions, Islam, others

Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the The " West Coast " " Western Seaboard " or " Pacific Seaboard " are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States The Northeast is a region of the United States. As defined by the U Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Phonology North American English regional phonology In many ways compared to English English, North American English is conservative in its Phonology. Gujarati (ગુજરાતી Gujǎrātī ? Hindi ( Devanāgarī: hi [[wiktहिन्दी हिन्दी]] or hi [[wiktहिंदी हिंदी]] IAST:, IPA:) is Hmong ( RPA: Hmoob) or Mong ( RPA: Moob) is the common name for a group of dialects of the West Hmongic (Chuanqiandian branch Indonesian or Bahasa Indonesia, based on the Riau version of Malay language, was declared the official language with the declaration of is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities Khmer (ភាសាខ្មែរ or Cambodian, is the language of the Khmer people and the official language of Cambodia. This article is mainly about the spoken Korean language See Hangul for details on the native Korean writing system Lao or Laotian (BGN/PCGN phasa lao IPA: pʰaːsaː laːw is a Tonal Language of the Tai-Kadai language family The Malay language ( ISO 639-1 code MS is an Austronesian language spoken by the Malay people and people of other ethnic groups who reside in the Nepali is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal, Bhutan, and some parts of India and Myanmar (Burma Tagalog is one of the major languages used in the Philippines. Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and Urdu ( ur '''{{Nastaliq اردو}}''' trans Urdū, historically spelled Ordu) is a Central Indo-Aryan language Urdu is a standardised Vietnamese ( tiếng Việt, or less commonly Việt ngữ) formerly known under French colonization as Annamese ( see Annam) Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings In the study of Comparative religion, the East Asian religions (also known as Far Eastern religions, Chinese religions, or Taoic religions) form Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Indian religions, also called Dharmic religions, are the related religious traditions that originated in the Indian subcontinent, namely Hinduism, For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Asian or Asiatic is a Demonym for people from Asia. However the use of the term varies by country and person often referring to people from a particular They include sub-ethnic groups such as Chinese Americans, Filipino Americans, Indian Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Korean Americans, Japanese Americans and others whose national origin is from the Asian continent (exactly from the countries in Far East Asia, Southeast Asia and Indian subcontinent. Chinese Americans ( Chinese: 华裔美国人 are Americans of Chinese descent Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. Indian Americans are Americans who are of Indian ancestry The U A Vietnamese American (người Mỹ gốc Việt is a resident of the United States who is of Vietnamese heritage Korean Americans ( Korean: ko 한국계 미국인 Hanja: ko 韓國系美國人 hangukgye migugin) are Americans of Korean origin are Americans of Japanese heritage Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia. Read Asian people in the USA for more details). Asian or Asiatic is a Demonym for people from Asia. However the use of the term varies by country and person often referring to people from a particular The term Asian American was used informally by activists in the 1960s who sought an alternative to the term Oriental, arguing that the latter was derogatory and colonialist. The Orient is a term which simply means the " East " It originated in Western Asia to describe that part of the world See Colony and Colonization for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism Formal usage was introduced by academics in the early 1970s, notably by historian Yuji Ichioka, who is credited with popularizing the term. Yuji Ichioka ( June 23, 1936 &ndash September 1, 2002) was an American historian best known for his work in Ethnic studies ^[2] Today, Asian American is the accepted term for most formal purposes, such as government and academic research, although it is often shortened to Asian in common usage. The Oxford English Dictionary, states that Asian is used in North America to refer to people ethnically from East Asia like China, Japan, Korea, etc. The Oxford English Dictionary ( OED) published by the Oxford University Press (OUP is a comprehensive Dictionary of the English China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. This lags behind the US government definition and general usage in many parts of the US. ^[3][4] The US Census Bureau definition includes people from Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. This article deals with the geophysical region in Asia For geopolitical treatments see South Asia.

As with other racial and ethnic names, formal and common usage have changed markedly through the short history of this term. The term race or racial group usually refers to the concept of categorizing Humans into Populations or groups on the basis of various sets An ethnonym ( Gk έθνος ethnos, 'tribe' + όνομα onoma, 'name' is the name applied to a given Ethnic group. The most significant change occurred when the Hart-Celler Act of 1965 eliminated highly restrictive "national origins" quotas, designed, among other things, to restrict immigration of those of Asian racial background. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 ( Hart-Celler Act, INS Act of 1965,) abolished the national-origin Quotas that had been in place in the ^[5] The new system, based on skills and family connections to U. S. residents, enabled significant immigration from every nation in Asia, which led to dramatic and ongoing changes in the Asian American population. As a result of these population changes, the formal and common understandings of what defines Asian American have expanded to include more of the peoples with ancestry from various parts of Asia. Because of their more recent immigration, new Asian immigrants also have had different educational, economic and other characteristics than early 20th century immigrants. They also tend to have different employment and settlement patterns in the United States.

History

See also: Asian American history

Early History

In 1763, Filipinos established the small settlement of Saint Malo in the bayous of current-day Louisiana, after fleeing mistreatment aboard Spanish ships. Asian American history is the history of an ethnic and racial groups in the United States who are immigrants or descendants of persons from the continent of Asia Filipinos or the Filipino people are the citizens of the Philippines. Saint Malo was a small fishing village that existed in St Bernard Parish Louisiana on the shore of Lake Borgne from the mid 18th century into the early 20th century Since there were no Filipino women with them, the Manilamen, as they were known, married Cajun and Native American women. Saint Malo was a small fishing village that existed in St Bernard Parish Louisiana on the shore of Lake Borgne from the mid 18th century into the early 20th century ^[6]

Chinese sailors first came to Hawaii in 1778, the same year that Captain James Cook came upon the island. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the Many settled and married Hawaiian women. Some Island-born Chinese can claim to be 7th generation. Most Chinese, Korean and Japanese immigrants in Hawaii arrived in the 19th century as laborers to work on sugar plantations. Later, Filipinos also came to work as laborers, attracted by the job opportunities, although they were limited.

Numerous Chinese and Japanese began immigrating to the U. S. in the mid-19th century for work, because of poor economic conditions in their home nations. Many of the immigrants worked as laborers on the transcontinental railroad. This article refers to a railroad built in the United States between Omaha and Sacramento completed in 1869 Although the absolute numbers of Asian immigrants in the late 19th century were small compared to that from other regions, much of it was concentrated in the West, and the increase caused some Americans to fear the change represented by the growing number of Asians. This fear was referred to as the "yellow peril. Yellow Peril (sometimes Yellow Terror) was a color metaphor for race that originated in the late nineteenth century with Immigration of Chinese " The United States passed laws such as Asian Exclusion Act and Chinese Exclusion Act to sharply restrict Asian immigration. The Immigration Act of 1924, or Johnson-Reed Act, including the National Origins Act, Asian Exclusion Act, (43 Statutes-at-Large 153 was a United The Chinese Exclusion Act was a United States federal law passed on May 6 1882 following revisions made in 1880 to the Burlingame Treaty of 1868 ^[7]

Effects of World War II

See also: Japanese American internment

During World War II, the United States government declared Japanese Americans a risk to national security and undertook the Japanese American Internment, authorized by President Franklin Roosevelt with United States Executive Order 9066. Japanese American internment refers to the forcible relocation and Internment of approximately 110000 Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans to housing World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including are Americans of Japanese heritage Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group Japanese American internment refers to the forcible relocation and Internment of approximately 110000 Japanese nationals and Japanese Americans to housing United States Executive Order 9066 was a presidential executive order issued during World War II by U This controversial action forced the relocation of approximately 112,000 to 120,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans, taking them from the west coast of the United States to hastily constructed War Relocation Centers in remote portions of the nation's interior. This shameful chapter in US history was a result of war hysteria, racial discrimination, and economic competition. Sixty-two percent of those forced to relocate were United States citizens. Starting in 1990, the government paid some reparations to the surviving internees in recognition of the harm it had caused them and their families.

Despite the internment, many Japanese American men served in World War II in the American forces. The 442nd Regimental Combat Team/100th Infantry Battalion, composed of Japanese Americans, is the most highly decorated unit in U. The 442nd Infantry, formerly the 442nd Regimental Combat Team of the United States Army, was an Asian American unit composed of mostly Japanese S. military history. The 442nd/100th fought valiantly in the European Theater even as many of their families remained in the detention camps stateside. The European Theatre of Operations ( ETO) was an area of heavy fighting across Europe during World War II, from Nazi Germany's Invasion of Poland The 100th was one of the first units to liberate the Nazi extermination camp at Dachau. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Dachau was a Nazi German Concentration camp, and the first one opened in Germany located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions Factory near the

Terminology

The most commonly used definition of Asian American is the US Census Bureau definition of Asian,^[8] chiefly because the Census definitions determine many government classifications, notably for equal opportunity programs and measurements. People with origins in the Far East, Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent are included in the Census definition of Asia. ^[9] The use of a separate "Asian" category in the Census is a recent addition, beginning in 1990. Since then, the Census definitions have varied. The 2000 census divided the Asian/Pacific Islander group and created Pacific Islander ethnicities as a separate category.

Before 1980, Census forms listed particular Asian ancestries as separate groups, along with White and Black or Negro. ^[10] Asian Americans had also been classified as "other". ^[11] The 1980 census marked the first classification of Asians as a large group, combining several individual ancestry groups into "Asian or Pacific Islander. " By the 1990 census, Asian or Pacific Islander (API) was included as an explicit category, although respondents had to select one particular ancestry. ^[12][13] In the 2000 census, people reporting Middle Eastern ancestry but not reporting race are presumed to be in the white race category rather than Asian. ^[9]

Finally, the definition of Asian American has variations that derive from the use of the word American in different contexts. Use of the word American in the English language differs according to the historic geographic and political context in which it is used Immigration status, citizenship, acculturation, and language ability are some variables that are used to define American for various purposes and may vary in formal and everyday usage. ^[14] For example, restricting American to include only U. S. citizens conflicts with discussions of Asian American businesses, which generally refer both to citizen and non-citizen owners. ^[15]

In a recent PBS interview, a panel of Asian American writers discussed how some groups include people from the Middle East in the Asian American category. ^[16] Asian American author Stewart Ikeda has noted, "The definition of “Asian American” also frequently depends on who’s asking, who’s defining, in what context, and why. . . the possible definitions of "Asian-Pacific American" are many, complex, and shifting. . . some scholars in Asian American Studies conferences suggest that Russians, Iranians, and Israelis all might fit the field’s subject of study. "^[17]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Asian Americans

The demographics of Asian Americans describe a heterogeneous group of people in the United States who can trace their ancestry to one or more countries in Asia. Because Asian Americans total less than 5% of the entire U. S. population, the diversity of the group is often disregarded in media and news discussions of "Asians" or of "Asian Americans. " While there are some commonalities across ethnic sub-groups, there are significant differences among different Asian ethnicities that are related to each group's history.

The 2000 U.S. census recorded 11. 9 million people who reported themselves as having either full or partial Asian heritage, 4. 2% of the U. S. population. The largest ethnic subgroups are Chinese (2. Chinese Americans ( Chinese: 华裔美国人 are Americans of Chinese descent 7M), Filipinos (2. Filipino Americans are Americans of Philippine ancestry which trace back to the Philippines, an archipelagic nation in Southeast Asia. 4 million), Asian Indians (1. Indian Americans are Americans who are of Indian ancestry The U 9M), Vietnamese (1. A Vietnamese American (người Mỹ gốc Việt is a resident of the United States who is of Vietnamese heritage 5M), Koreans (1. Korean Americans ( Korean: ko 한국계 미국인 Hanja: ko 韓國系美國人 hangukgye migugin) are Americans of Korean origin 2M) , and Japanese (1. are Americans of Japanese heritage Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group 1M). Other sizable groups are Cambodians (206,000), Pakistanis (204,000), Laotians (198,000), Hmong (186,000), and Thais (150,000). A Cambodian American is an American who is of ethnic Khmer descent or more broadly having ancestors from Cambodia. A Pakistani American is someone who trace their roots to Pakistan A Laotian American is a resident of the United States who was originally from Laos or whose parents were A Hmong American is a resident of the United States who is of ethnic Hmong descent A Thai American is an American of Thai descent History in US The first people from Thailand who immigrated to the United States were In ^[18]

The Asian American population is heavily urbanized, with nearly three-quarters of Asian Americans living in metropolitan areas with population greater than 2. Urbanizationn (also spelled urbanisation) is the physical growth of Urban areas into rural or natural land as a result of population in-migration to an existing 5 million. Asian Americans are concentrated in the largest U. S. cities, with 40% of all Asian Americans living in the metropolitan areas around Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York City. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The City of New York Half of all Asian Americans (5. 4M) live in Hawaii or the West Coast, mostly in California (4. The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the The " West Coast " " Western Seaboard " or " Pacific Seaboard " are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the Western United States California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. 2M). Census data shows that Asian American populations are developing in major metropolitan areas away from the West Coast, with visible communities in areas such as Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area and Greater Houston, to name the largest examples. The Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area is a consolidated Metropolitan area consisting of the overlapping labor market region of the cities of Washington Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown is a 10-county Metropolitan area defined by the Office of Management and Budget.

In regions with large numbers of Asian Americans, suburban communities have developed that are heavily or predominantly Asian. The schools in these areas may offer languages such as Mandarin as a second language. Standard Mandarin, also known as Standard Spoken Chinese, is the official modern Chinese spoken language used in mainland China and Taiwan Since the 1970s, in addition to Chinatowns, "Little Manila", "Koreatowns" and "Little Saigons" have appeared in several cities. A Chinatown is a section of an urban area with a large number of Chinese outside the majority-Chinese countries of Greater China. Little Manila (also known as Manilatowns or Filipinotowns) is term that refers to a community with a large Filipino expatriate and descendant population Koreatown ( Korean: 코리아타운 is a term to describe the Korean ethnic enclave within a City or Metropolitan area. This article deals exclusively with the Vietnamese communities within the United States of America; for other communities outside Vietnam refer to the Overseas Vietnamese Large Japantowns once existed up and down the West Coast because of extensive Japanese immigration. For historical Japanese communities in early modern Southeast and East Asia see Nihonmachi. The ones that remain are vestiges of once vibrant pre-World War II communities whose members, like other Americans, moved out into the suburbs and larger communities. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Asian Americans are visible and growing. They are "underrepresented" (against the national aggregate) in several of the largest areas, including Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and Dallas-Fort Worth, although sizable concentrations (double the national percentage) can be found in some urban neighborhoods, such as Albany Park in Chicago and Olney in Philadelphia. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington metropolitan area, a title designated by the U Korean commercial district The neighborhood has been the " Koreatown " of Chicago since the 1980s Olney is a neighborhood in the North Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Additionally, similar Asian populations are found in suburbs of these cities such as Naperville and Evanston near Chicago; Millbourne, King of Prussia, and Cherry Hill near Philadelphia; Lowell and Lexington near Boston and Las Vegas. Naperville ( is an affluent city in the Chicago metropolitan area in Illinois in the United States, voted the second and third best place to live Evanston Illinois is an affluent suburban Chicago Municipality on Lake Michigan on the North Shore in Cook County, Illinois directly Millbourne (ˈmɪlbɚn is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. King of Prussia is an Unincorporated community in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Cherry Hill Township is a township in Camden County, New Jersey, in the United States. Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. As of the 2000 census the city had a total population of 105167 Lexington is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Las Vegas ( Spanish: "The Meadows" is the most populous City in the state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally This pattern reflects their later arrival and response to changing economic conditions in some cities.

According to the 2005 Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement, Asian American households had the highest median income at $57,518. ^[19] However 11. 8 percent of Asians were in poverty in 2003, higher than the 8. 2 percent rate for non-Hispanic whites, and much higher for some southeast Asian ethnic groups. ^[20] Much of this poverty is concentrated in ethnic enclaves such as Chinatowns in the cities^[21] Census figures also show that a white male with a college diploma earns in excess of $66,000 a year, far more than similarly educated Asian men who earned more than $52,000 a year. ^[22]

Immigration trends

General (ret. ) Eric Shinseki of the United States Army

Immigration trends of recent decades have dramatically altered the statistical composition and popular understanding of who is an Asian American. General Eric Ken Shinseki (born November 28, 1942) was the 34th Chief of Staff of the United States Army (1999 - 2003 The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. This transformation of Asian America, and of America itself, is the result of legislation such as the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952 and the Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments of 1965. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA of 1952 (Also known as the McCarran-Walter Act) restricted immigration into the U The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 ( Hart-Celler Act, INS Act of 1965,) abolished the national-origin Quotas that had been in place in the The McCarran-Walter Act repealed the remnants of "free white persons" restriction of the Naturalization Act of 1790, but it retained the quota system that effectively banned nearly all immigration from Asia (for example, its annual quota of Chinese was only fifty). The original United States Naturalization Law of March 26 1790 ( provided the first rules to be followed by the United States in the granting of national Citizenship Asian immigration increased significantly after the 1965 Immigration Act altered the quota system. The preference for relatives, initially designed to reduce the number of Asian immigrants, eventually acted to accelerate their numbers.

Historically, before 1965, Asian Americans were chiefly perceived as members of the two most numerous Asian ethnic groups, specifically Chinese and Japanese. Han Chinese ( are an Ethnic group native to China and by most modern definitions the largest single Ethnic group in the world. The are the dominant Ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent of these approximately 127 million are residents of Japan Filipinos were increasingly numerous in the US, having become colonial subjects in 1898 due to the Spanish-American War (also see Philippine-American War). The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP

After the enactment of the 1965 Immigration Act, Asian American demographics changed rapidly. This act replaced exclusionary immigration rules of the Chinese Exclusion Act and its successors, such as the 1924 Immigration Act, which effectively excluded "undesirable" immigrants, including Asians. The Chinese Exclusion Act was a United States federal law passed on May 6 1882 following revisions made in 1880 to the Burlingame Treaty of 1868 The Immigration Act of 1924, or Johnson-Reed Act, including the National Origins Act, Asian Exclusion Act, (43 Statutes-at-Large 153 was a United The 1965 rules set across-the-board immigration quotas for each country. It opened US borders to immigration from Asia for the first time in nearly half a century.

Immigration of Asian Americans were also affected by U. S. war involvement from the 1940s to the 1970s. In the wake of World War II, immigration preferences favored family reunification. This may have helped attract highly skilled workers to meet American workforce deficiencies. Another instance related to World War II was the Luce-Celler Act of 1946, which helped immigrants from India and the Philippines. The Luce-Celler Act of 1946 was proposed by Republican Clare Booth Luce and Democrat Emanuel Celler in 1943 and signed into being by President Harry India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP

The end of the Korean War and Vietnam War and the so-called "Secret Wars" in Southeast Asia brought a new wave of Asian American immigration, as people from Korea, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia arrived. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. Vietnam (ˌviːɛtˈnɑːm Việt Nam) officially Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma The Kingdom of Cambodia ( formerly known as Kampuchea (, transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East Some of the new immigrants were war brides, who were soon joined by their families. Others, like the Southeast Asians, were either highly skilled and educated, or part of subsequent waves of refugees seeking asylum. Some factors contributing to the growth of sub-groups such as South Asians and mainland Chinese were higher family sizes, higher use of family-reunification visas, and higher numbers of technically skilled workers entering on H-1 and H-1b visas.

The contrasts between Japanese Americans and South Asian Americans are emblematic of the dramatic changes since the immigration reforms of the mid-20th century. Japanese Americans are among the most widely recognized of Asian American sub-groups. In 1970, there were nearly 600,000 Japanese Americans, making it the largest sub-group, but historically the greatest period of immigration was generations past. Today, given relatively low rates of births and immigration, Japanese Americans are only the sixth-largest Asian American group. In 2000, there were between 800,000 and 1. 2 million Japanese Americans (depending on whether multi-ethnic responses are included). The Japanese Americans have the highest rates of native-born, citizenship, and assimilation into American values and customs.

In 1990, there were slightly fewer South Asians in the U. S. than Japanese Americans. By 2000, Indian Americans nearly doubled in population to become the third largest group of Asian Americans, with increasing visibility in high-tech communities such as the Silicon Valley and the Seattle area. Indian Americans are Americans who are of Indian ancestry The U Indian Americans have some of the highest rates of academic achievement among American ethnic groups. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Most immigrants speak English and are highly educated. South Asians are increasingly accepted by most Asian organizations as another significant Asian group.

Some assert that high rates of immigration from some parts of Asia -especially those countries with poor economic bases- will make Asian Americans increasingly representative of some portion of the continent itself.

Notable contributions

Main article: List of Asian Americans

Government

With a majority Asian-Pacific American population for most of its history, Hawaii has a long history of Asian political participation at all levels of government, and its Congressional delegation has been held by Asian Americans for most of its history. This page is a list of Asian Americans Politics 1956 - Dalip Singh Saund became the first Asian immigrant elected to the U The State of Hawaii ( or həˈwaɪʔiː Hawaiian: Mokuāina o Hawaii) is a state in the United States located on an Archipelago in the However, the first Asian American elected to the United States House of Representatives was Dalip Singh Saund, from Imperial County, California. The United States House of Representatives is one of the two chambers of the United States Congress; the other is the Senate. Dalip Singh Saund ( September 20, 1899 – April 22, 1973) was a member of the United States House of Representatives. Imperial County is a County located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U Saund served as chair of the local Democratic party and Justice of the Peace before winning the House election in 1956. A Justice of the Peace ( JP) is a Puisne Judicial officer appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace In 1976, the academic S.I. Hayakawa was elected to the Senate from California. Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa ( July 18 1906 &ndash February 27 1992) was a Canadian -born American academic and political Mainland U. S. politicians such as Mike Honda began their political careers in local offices and developed organizations that eventually supported their election to Congress, while Norman Mineta went on to become Secretary of Transportation between 2001 and 2006. Michael Makoto Honda ( Japanese: 本田 実 born June 27 1941) is an American Democratic politician born November 12, 1931) is a United States politician of the Democratic Party. The United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation. Elaine Chao was selected as a White House Fellow, and then served in a series of appointed posts prior to becoming the Secretary of Labor. Elaine Lan Chao ( born March 26, 1953) currently serves as the 24th United States Secretary of Labor in the Cabinet of President The White House Fellows program was established by President of the United States Lyndon B "Secretary of Labor" redirects here See also Secretary of Labor (Mexico. Similarly, Bobby Jindal served in various executive positions in Louisiana and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services before being elected to the Congress in 2004, and finally winning the Louisiana gubernatorial elections in 2007 (thereby becoming the first non-white governor of Louisiana since Reconstruction). Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (born June 10 1971 is the current Republican governor of the U The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The United States Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS) is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting In 1996 Gary Locke was elected governor of the state of Washington, becoming the first Chinese American to be elected governor in the United States. Gary Locke may be Gary Locke (politician, a Chinese American politician and former Governor of Washington Gary Locke (Scottish footballer Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Rachel Paulose was a counselor in the Office of Legal Policy of the United States Department of Justice. Rachel Kunjummen Paulose (born March 12, 1973, Kerala, India) is a counselor in the Office of Legal Policy of the United States She is the former U. S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota. She was the first Indian American woman, the youngest attorney, and the first woman in Minnesota to hold this post. Robert C. Scott, the congressman from Louisiana's 3rd District, has filipino ancestry. Robert Cortez "Bobby" Scott (born April 30, 1947) is a Democratic Politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia, currently The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America

Business

When Asians were largely excluded from labor markets in the 19th century, they started their own businesses. Some started laundries, which are now rare. Others started Chinese restaurants, which still can be found across the USA. Since the mid-20th century, Asians have expanded their involvement across the American economy.

Compared to their population base, Asian Americans today are well represented in the professional sector and tend to earn higher wages, especially in technology and business. Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt A business (also called firm or an enterprise) is a legally recognized organizational entity designed to provide goods and/or services to ^[23] However, much has been written about the glass ceiling in regards to Asians, for they have been far less represented in higher levels of management compared with other ethnic groups. The term glass ceiling' refers to situations where the advancement of a qualified person within the hierarchy of an organization is stopped at a lower level because of some form of

Some Asian Americans have made major contributions to the American economy. An Wang founded Wang Laboratories in June 1951. Dr An Wang ( February 7, 1920 &ndash March 24, 1990) was a Chinese American computer engineer and inventor and co-founder of computer Wang Laboratories was a computer company founded in 1951 by Dr Amar Bose founded the Bose Corporation in 1964. Amar Gopal Bose ( Bengali: অমর গোপাল বসু Amar Gopal Boshu) (born November 2, 1929) is the chairman and founder of Bose Jen-Hsun Huang co-founded the NVIDIA corporation in 1993. Jen-Hsun "Jensen" Huang ((born February 17, 1963) is a Taiwanese-American entrepreneur and businessman The multinational NVIDIA Corporation ( (ɪnˈvɪdiə specializes in the manufacture of graphics-processor technologies for Workstations Jerry Yang co-founded Yahoo! Inc. Jerry Yang ( born November 6 1968) is an American entrepreneur and the Co-founder, CEO and Chief Yahoo! of Yahoo! Inc in 1994. Andrea Jung serves as Chairman and CEO of Avon Products. Andrea Jung (鍾彬嫻 Pinyin: Zhōng Bīnxián (born 1958 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is one of America's iconic business leaders Avon Products Inc is a US Cosmetics, Perfume and Toy seller with markets in over 135 countries across the world and sales of $9 Vinod Khosla was a founding CEO of Sun Microsystems and is a general partner of the prominent venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Vinod Khosla (born January 28, 1955 in Pune, India) is an Indian-American Venture capitalist. Sun Microsystems Inc ( is a multinational vendor of Computers computer components Computer software, and Information technology services Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB is a Venture capital firm located on Sand Hill Road in Silicon Valley. Sabeer Bhatia co-founded Hotmail, which was acquired by Microsoft. Sabeer Bhatia (सबीर भाटिया (born 1968 is the co-founder of Hotmail and an Entrepreneur. Windows Live Hotmail, formerly known as MSN Hotmail and commonly referred to simply as Hotmail, is a free Webmail service of the Windows Live Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer Steve Chen and Jawed Karim were co-creators of YouTube, and were beneficiaries of Google's $1. Steve Chen may refer to Steve Chen (computer engineer, designer of the Cray X-MP computer Steve Chen (YouTube Steve Jawed Karim (জাওয়েদ করিম is a co-founder of the popular video sharing website YouTube. YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload view and share Video clips YouTube was created in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees Google Inc is an American public corporation, earning revenue from advertising related to its Internet search, e-mail, online 65 billion acquisition of that company in 2006. Asian Americans made considerable contributions in technology such as software and semiconductors in the United States, particularly in the West Coast like Silicon Valley, San Francisco, etc. Technology is a broad concept that deals with a Species ' usage and knowledge of Tools and Crafts and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt where most of the IT companies are based.

Sports

See also: Category:Asian American sportspeople

Wataru Misaka broke the NBA color barrier when he played for the New York Knicks in the 1947–48 season. Wataru "Wat" Misaka ( Japanese: 三阪 亙 Misaka Wataru) (born December 21, 1923 in Ogden, Utah, U

Asian Americans first made an impact in Olympic sports in the late 1940s and in the 1950s. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Sammy Lee became the first Asian American to earn an Olympic Gold Medal, winning in platform diving in both 1948 and 1952. Dr Samuel ("Sammy" Lee (born August 1, 1920 in Fresno California; of Korean descent is the first Asian American to win Amy Chow was a member of the gold medal women's gymnastics team at the 1996 Olympics; she also won an individual silver medal on the uneven bars. Amy Yuen Yee Chow ( Chinese: 周[[wikt 婉|婉]] 儀; Pinyin: Zhōu Wǎnyí Jyutping: zau1 jyun2 ji4 born May 15, The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, were an International Gymnast Mohini Bhardwaj won a team silver medal in the 2004 Olympics. Mohini Bhardwaj ( मोहिनी भारद्वाज) (born September 29 1978 is a retired American Gymnast who competed at the 1997 and 2001 World The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated

Since Tiffany Chin won the women's US Figure Skating Championship in 1985, Asian Americans have been prominent in that sport. Tiffany Chin ( Traditional Chinese: 陳[[wikt 婷|婷]] 婷, Simplified Chinese: 陈[[wikt 婷|婷]] Kristi Yamaguchi won three national championships, two world titles, and the 1992 Olympic Gold medal. Kristine Tsuya "Kristi" Yamaguchi- Hedican (born July 12 1971) is an American figure skater and the 1992 Olympic Champion Michelle Kwan has won nine national championships and five world titles, as well as two Olympic medals (silver in 1998, bronze in 2002). Michelle Wingshan Kwan (born July 7, 1980) is an American figure skater.

In football, Asian Americans' contributions are also gaining notice. Norm Chow is offensive coordinator for an NFL team, after 23 years coaching college teams, including four successful years as offensive coordinator at USC. Norman Chow ( born in Honolulu Hawai{{okina}}i) is the Offensive coordinator for the UCLA Bruins. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly Dat Nguyen was an NFL middle linebacker who was an all-pro selection in 2003. Dat Tan Nguyen (WIN ( Vietnamese: Nguyễn Tấn Đạt, born on September 25, 1975 in Fort Chaffee, Arkansas) is the In 1998, he was named an All-American and won the Bednarik Award as well as the Lombardi Award, while playing for Texas A&M. The Chuck Bednarik Award is presented annually to the defensive collegiate football player adjudged by the Maxwell Football Club to be the best The Rotary Lombardi Award is awarded annually to the best College football lineman or linebacker Texas A&M University, often called A&M or TAMU, is a Coeducational public Research University located in College Station Hines Ward is an NFL wide receiver who was the MVP of Super Bowl XL. Hines E Ward Jr ( Korean: /Kim Hyun-ae (born March 8, 1976 in Seoul, South Korea) is a multiracial (African American & Korean Super Bowl XL featured the American Football Conference (AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference (NFC champion Seattle Michael Chang was a top-ranked tennis player for most of his career. Michael Te-Pei Chang ( Chinese: 張[[wikt 德|德]] 培; Pinyin: Zhāng Dépéi born February 22, 1972, in Hoboken He won the French Open in 1989.

Erik Spoelstra is a Filipino-Dutch-Irish who became the youngest coach ever in NBA history. Erik Celino Spoelstra (born November 1, 1970 in Evanston Illinois) is the Head coach of the NBA 's Miami Heat. He is currently the head coach of Miami Heat. The Miami Heat (often referred to simply as the Heat, including in some official team publications with HEAT in all capital letters are a professional Basketball ^[24]

Arts and entertainment

Main article: Asian Americans in arts and entertainment

Brenda Song, lead actress in The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior

Vanessa Hudgens , lead actress in the High School Musical series. Asian Americans have been involved in the Entertainment industry since the first half of the 19th century when Chang and Eng Bunker (the original "Siamese Twins" Brenda Song (born March 27 1988 is an American actress model The shows ratings were the highest for a Disney The Suite Life of Zack & Cody was an American Disney Channel Original Series created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan Wendy Wu Homecoming Warrior is a Disney Channel Original Movie starring Brenda Song from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Shin Vanessa Anne Hudgens (born December 14 1988 is an American actress and singer. High School Musical is an Emmy Award -winning American Television film.

Asian Americans have been involved in the entertainment industry since the first half of the 19th century, when Chang and Eng Bunker (the original "Siamese Twins") became naturalized citizens. Acting roles in television, cinema, and theater have been relatively few, and many available roles are for narrow, stereotypical characters. Early Asian American actors such as Sessue Hayakawa, Anna May Wong, and Bruce Lee encountered a movie-making culture that wanted to typecast them. was an Academy Award-nominated Japanese and American Issei (Japanese immigrant actor who starred in American, Japanese, French, Anna May Wong (or Wong Liu Tsong,, January 3 1905 – February 2 1961 was an American actress, the first Chinese American movie star and the first Bruce Lee ( November 27 1940 – July 20 1973 was an American-born Martial artist, Philosopher, instructor, Martial arts actor and the Lee abandoned Hollywood and achieved world-wide fame in Hong Kong. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders In 1965, a group of actors formed East West Players (EWP), to provide Asian American actors greater opportunity to perform in leading roles. East West Players is an Asian American theatre organization in Los Angeles founded in 1965. Several other Asian American theater companies were formed in other cities, providing similar outlets there.

George Takei and Pat Morita became well-known from supporting roles in Star Trek and Happy Days, two of the best-known series of the 1960s and 1970s. George Hosato Takei (born April 20, 1937) is an American actor of Japanese descent best known for his role in the TV series Star Trek Noriyuki "Pat" Morita Morita Noriyuki)--> ( Happy Days is an American Television sitcom that originally aired from 1974 to 1984 on ABC. Miyoshi Umeki won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1957 for Sayonara. was a naturalized American actress and standards Singer. She was best known for her roles as Katsumi the wife of Joe Kelly ( Red Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS Sayonara ( 1957) is a Film which tells the story of an American Air Force flier who was a fighter "Ace" during the Haing Ngor won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1985 for The Killing Fields. Dr Haing S Ngor ( Traditional Chinese: 吳漢 March 22, 1940 &ndash February 25, 1996) was a Cambodian Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts The Killing Fields is a 1984 British film drama about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia. Margaret Cho won the American Comedy Award for Best Female Comedian in 1994. Margaret Cho born Moran Cho She has won awards for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of women Asians and the LGBT community The American Comedy Awards were a group of awards presented annually in the United States from 1987 to 2001 recognizing performances and performers in the field of Comedy, with

Wah Chang was the designer for many of the props on the Star Trek series as well as The Time Machine, which received an Academy Award for special effects. Wah Ming Chang ( August 2, 1917 &ndash December 22, 2003) was a Chinese The Time Machine is a novella by H G Wells, first published in 1895 and later directly adapted into at least two Feature films of the same name as "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Many Asian Americans have also penetrated in the fashion world with Monique Lhuillier's dresses parading on the Hollywood red carpet and Chloe Dao winning Project Runway. Diane Monique Lhuillier (born 1971 in Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines) is a Filipino Fashion designer based in the United States Chloe Dao (born June 15, 1972) is an American Fashion designer of Vietnamese ancestry who lives and works in Houston Texas. Project Runway is a Peabody Award -winning American Reality television series on the Bravo network which focuses on Fashion design. Vera Wang and Anna Sui have been highly accomplished and rewarded fashion designers for years. Vera Wang ( born June 27, 1949) is an American Fashion designer based in New York. Anna Sui ( Chinese: 蕭志美 Pinyin: Xiao Zhimei (born in 1964 Other designers include Phillip Lim, 2006 CFDA Emerging Talent Award Winner Doo-Ri Chung, and 2005 Winner Derek Lam. Doo-Ri Chung (born 1973 is a Korean-American fashion designer Derek Lam is a Fashion designer from San Francisco California and is of Chinese parentage

In literature, Asia American writers have received numerous awards. Maxine Hong Kingston won the National Book Critics Circle award in 1976 for her memoir Woman Warrior. Maxine Hong Kingston (湯婷婷 born October 27 1940) is an American Professor Emeritus at the University of California Berkeley Bharati Mukherjee won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1988 for her short story collection The Middleman and Other Stories. Chang-Rae-Lee received the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for his novel Native Speaker(1995). He has since written "A Gesture Life" and "Aloft. " Amy Tan has received popular acclaim for her work. Amy Tan (Chinese 譚恩美 pinyin Tán Enmei (born February 19, 1952) is an American Writer of Chinese descent whose works Jhumpa Lahiri won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her short story collection The Interpreter of Maladies. Jhumpa Lahiri ( IPA: /ˈdʒuːmpʌ lʌˈhɪəriː/ (born Nilanjana Sudeshna on 11 July 1967) ( Bengali: ঝুম্পা লাহিড়ী The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction has been awarded since 1948 for distinguished fiction by an American author preferably dealing with American life Kiran Desai won the Man Booker Prize (2006) and National Book Critics Circle Award (2006) for her second novel The Inheritance of Loss. Her mother Anita Desai was nominated for major awards for her novels. Naomi Hirahara won a 2007 Edgar Award for her novel Snakeskin Shamisen. The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (popularly called the Edgars) named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America.

Jim Lee is considered to be one of the most popular comic book artists and is one of the founders of Image Comics. Jim Lee (born August 11, 1964) is a Korean-American Comic book Artist, Creator and Publisher. A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative Image Comics is an American Comic book publisher It was founded in 1992 by seven high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their Adrian Tomine's cartoons are featured in The New Yorker. Adrian Tomine (born May 31, 1974) a popular contemporary cartoonist is best known for his ongoing graphic novel series Optic Nerve and his The New Yorker is an American Magazine that publishes reportage commentary criticism essays fiction satire cartoons and poetry

Asian Americans have designed notable works of architecture, such as the Louvre Pyramid and East Wing of the National Gallery, designed by I. M. Pei, the World Trade Center, designed by Minoru Yamasaki, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Civil Rights Memorial (1989) designed by Maya Lin. The Louvre Pyramid is a large Glass and metal Pyramid, surrounded by three smaller ones in the courtyard of the Louvre Museum ( Musée du Louvre Ieoh Ming Pei ( (b April 26, 1917) commonly known by his initials I The World Trade Center in New York City, United States (sometimes informally the WTC or Twin Towers) was a complex of seven buildings in Lower Manhattan was an American Architect best known for his design of the twin towers of the World Trade Center buildings 1 and 2 The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is a national War memorial located in Washington D Maya Ying Lin ( born October 5, 1959) is an American Artist who has become known for her work in Sculpture and Landscape art In commercial architecture, Gyo Obata, a founding partner of HOK, designed the National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. and the Taipei World Trade Center. Gyo Obata (born 1923 is a significant American architect the son of renowned painter Chiura Obata. HOK (formerly Hellmuth Obata + Kassabaum) is a global Architecture, interiors engineering planning and consulting firm The National Air and Space Museum (NASM of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington D Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D Taipei World Trade Center, TWTC was started in January 1986 by Taiwan 's foremost trade promotion organization the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA

Genres of music

Cellist Yo-Yo Ma has performed internationally and made new recordings of world music, as in The Silk Road Project. This is an Anglicized version of the Chinese name "Ma Yo-yo" the family name is " Ma " The composer Bright Chang has received extensive recognition for his work, including being invited to be composer-in-residence at the New York City Ballet.

In popular music, Amerie is a notable R&B singer. Amerie Mi Marie Rogers (born January 12 1978) better known as Amerie, is a grammy nominated multiracial ( African-American & Korean James Iha is best-known as guitarist with The Smashing Pumpkins. James Yoshinobu Iha ( Japanese 井葉吉伸 Iha Yoshinobu or ジェームス・イハ Jēmusu Iha) born March 26, 1968 in The Smashing Pumpkins are an American Alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988 Mike Shinoda and Joseph Hahn are members of the rap rock band Linkin Park. Michael Kenji Shinoda (born February 11 1977 is an American Musician, record producer and Artist from Agoura Hills California. Joseph Hahn, better known as Mr Hahn, (born March 15, 1977 in Dallas Texas) is a Korean American turntablist and Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. In hip-hop, Apl.de.ap is a filipino member of The Black Eyed Peas. Filipinos or the Filipino people are the citizens of the Philippines. The Black Eyed Peas is an American hip hop group from Los Angeles. A colorful video by rapper Jin spiraled him to fame in 2003. Jin Au-Yeung ( also known as Jin Jin tha MC The Emcee and 100 Grand Jin is an American rapper born on June 4 1982 Asian American jazz is a musical movement in the United States begun in the 20th century by Asian American jazz musicians. Asian American jazz is a musical movement in the United States begun in the 20th century by Asian American Jazz musicians Leehom Wang, a popular Hong Kong singer, played a part in Ang Lee's 2007 piece Lust, Caution. Lee-Hom Wang is a four-time Golden Melody Award -winning Taiwanese-American Singer-songwriter and Actor who has achieved highly recognized

Theater

Main article: Asian American theatre

Flower Drum Song is based on the San Francisco nightclub Forbidden City. Background Asian American theatre emerged in the 1960s and the 1970s with the foundation of four theatre companies East West Players in Los Angeles Asian American Flower Drum Song is a musical written by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein, based on the 1957 novel of the same name by Chinese American The Forbidden City was a Chinese-themed nightclub and cabaret in business from the late 1930s to the late 1950s at 363 Sutter Street (the former space is now renumbered 369 Sutter Street Rodgers and Hammerstein adapted it into a musical that was produced on Broadway in 1958 and on film in 1961. Richard Rodgers (1902 &ndash 1979 and Oscar Hammerstein II (1895 &ndash 1960 were a well-known American songwriting duo Largely remembered for the hit song "I Enjoy Being A Girl", it would not be produced with an all-Asian cast until a 2002 Broadway revival.

In 1988, Playwright David Henry Hwang's Broadway hit M. Butterfly won a Tony Award for Best Play, among other awards. David Henry Hwang (黃哲倫 Pinyin: Huáng Zhìlún (born August 11, 1957) is a contemporary American Playwright who has risen to M Butterfly is a 1988 play by David Henry Hwang loosely based on the relationship between French diplomat Bernard Boursicot and Shi Pei-Pu a male

Movie

M. Night Shyamalan is an Indian-American director. Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan (ˈʃaməˈlan ( Malayalam: മനോജ് നെല്ലിയട്ടു ശ്യാമളന്‍ Tamil: மனோஜ் நெல்லியட்டு He has directed a number of movies, including Signs, The Village, Unbreakable, and the Academy Award-nominated The Sixth Sense. Signs is a 2002 Science fiction Thriller film written produced and directed by M The Village is a 2004 film written and directed by M Night Shyamalan that explores the dynamics of an insular turn-of-the-20th-century Village and Unbreakable is a 2000 film written produced and directed by M "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. The Sixth Sense is a 1999 Psychological horror film written and directed by M

In addition, Ang Lee is the world-renown director of the critically acclaimed Brokeback Mountain, Eat Drink Man Woman, Sense and Sensibility, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Ang Lee ( (born October 23, 1954) is an Academy Award -winning Film director from Taiwan. Brokeback Mountain ( 2005) is a romantic - Drama film that depicts the complex romantic and sexual relationship between two men in the Eat Drink Man Woman ( is a Taiwanese film directed by Ang Lee and stars Sihung Lung, Yu-wen Wang, Chien-lien Wu, Sense and Sensibility is a Novel by the English novelist Jane Austen. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon ( is a Chinese-language Film in the Wuxia ( chivalric and martial arts) style The Incredible Hulk was one of his early films, which became successful at the box office. This article is about the comic book character and series For all other media appearances see Hulk in other media. "Lust, Caution" is a film he produced independently and released in February of 2008. The film (NC-17) received great critical approval.

Major films have been based on Asian American novels, such as Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake (2007) and Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club. Others have been created on stories about Asian American communities.

Television

Margaret Cho, stand-up comedian and actress, had a leading role in her own TV comedy series All American Girl in the 1990's, reputably the first Asian-American themed sitcom. Margaret Cho born Moran Cho She has won awards for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of women Asians and the LGBT community American Girl is a line of Dolls and accessories based on pre-teen-girl characters from various periods of American history. Her character was a Korean-American (as Cho is), who struggled with her family and cultural issues in San Francisco. The show included other Asian-American actors such as Amy Hill, who starred in TV and movie roles throughout her life. Amy Hill (born May 9, 1953) is an American Actress. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Mrs Hill played Cho's grandmother. Despite being a breakthrough in prime-time television, All American Girl show was cancelled in two seasons due to low ratings. American Girl is a line of Dolls and accessories based on pre-teen-girl characters from various periods of American history.

Lucy Liu had a big part in the Ally McBeal TV show from 1998 to 2002 before going on to lead roles in feature films. Lucy Alexis Liu ( born December 2, 1968) is an American actress. Ally McBeal is an American Television series which ran on the FOX network from 1997 to 2002 Daniel Dae Kim and Sendhil Ramamurthy have achieved some recognition as sex symbols from their respective roles on Lost and Heroes; B. D. Wong currently stars on Law & Order: SVU after being featured in the critically acclaimed series Oz. Daniel Dae Kim (born August 4, 1968) is an American Actor, perhaps best known for playing Jin-Soo Kwon on the television series Sendhil Ramamurthy (born May 17, 1974) is an American Actor, born in Chicago, Illinois but raised in San Antonio Lost is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American serial drama television series. Heroes is an American Science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring, which premiered on NBC on September Bradley Darryl “BD” Wong (born October 24, 1960) is an American Tony Award -winning Actor, best-known for his role in the Broadway Law & Order Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order SVU or simply SVU) is an American Drama Oz is an American Television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes

Brenda Song is a Thai-Hmong American actress. Brenda Song (born March 27 1988 is an American actress model The shows ratings were the highest for a Disney She currently stars in Disney Channel's The Suite Life Of Zack and Cody, and also starred in Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior 1 and 2, to be released. For the Disney Channel in other countries see Disney Channel around the world. The Suite Life of Zack & Cody was an American Disney Channel Original Series created by Danny Kallis and Jim Geoghan Wendy Wu Homecoming Warrior is a Disney Channel Original Movie starring Brenda Song from The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Shin

Vanessa Hudgens is one of the lead actors in Disney Channel's High School Musical series. Vanessa Anne Hudgens (born December 14 1988 is an American actress and singer. For the Disney Channel in other countries see Disney Channel around the world. High School Musical is an Emmy Award -winning American Television film. Lalaine is another Disney star who has appeared in Lizzie McGuire. Lalaine Ann Vergara-Paras (born June 3, 1987 in Burbank, California) also known as Lalaine, is an American actress For the title character see Lizzie McGuire (character. Lizzie McGuire is a Disney Channel Original Series that aired

Parminder Nagra is one of the lead actress in the medical drama TV series ER; preceded on the series by Ming-Na. Parminder Kaur Nagra DLitt (ਪਰਮਿੰਦਰ ਕੌਰ ਨਾਗਰਾ (born October 5, 1975 in Leicester, England) is an ER is an Emmy Award -winning American Medical drama series created by Novelist Michael Crichton and airing on Ming-Na Wen ( born November 20, 1963) is a Chinese -born American Actress.

Kal Penn is one of the lead actors in medical drama House. Kalpen Suresh Modi (born April 23, 1977) known by his Stage name Kal Penn is an American Actor, producer, and political House, also known as House MD, is an American Medical drama, which debuted on the FOX network on November 16 2004 He is one Dr. House's four fellows.

Recently the hit U. S. TV series Survivor created teams along racial lines during Survivor: Cook Islands. Survivor is an American version of the Survivor Reality television Game show based on the Swedish television Survivor Cook Islands is the thirteenth season of the reality series Survivor. People of East and South East Asian ancestry composed the Asian tribe. ^[25]

Science and technology

Tsung-Dao Lee, Nobel laureate in physics

Asian Americans have made notable contributions to science and technology. Tsung-Dao Lee ( TD Lee,) (born November 24, 1926) is a Chinese -born American Physicist, well known for his work The Nobel Prize (Nobelpriset (Nobelprisen is a Swedish prize established in the 1895 will of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel; it was first awarded in Peace, Literature Physics (Greek Physis - φύσις in everyday terms is the Science of Matter and its motion. Chien-Shiung Wu was known to many scientists as the "First Lady of Physics". Chien-Shiung Wu ( May 13, 1912 – February 16, 1997) was a Chinese -born American Physicist with an expertise Tsung-Dao Lee and Chen Ning Yang received the 1957 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in particle physics. Tsung-Dao Lee ( TD Lee,) (born November 24, 1926) is a Chinese -born American Physicist, well known for his work Chen-Ning Franklin Yang ( (born October 1, 1922) is a Chinese -born American Physicist who worked on Statistical mechanics The Nobel Prize in Physics (Nobelpriset i fysik is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Particle physics is a branch of Physics that studies the elementary constituents of Matter and Radiation, and the interactions between them Har Gobind Khorana shared the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in genetics and protein synthesis. Har Gobind Khorana, or Hargobind Khorana (born January 9, 1922) is an Indian-American molecular biologist The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (Nobelpriset i fysiologi eller medicin is awarded once a year by the Swedish Karolinska Institute. Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar shared the 1983 Nobel Prize in Physics and had the Chandra X-ray Observatory named after him. Padma Vibhushan Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, FRS ( Tamil: சுப்பிரமணியன் சந்திரசேகர் English ˌtʃʌndrəˈʃeɪkɑr( The Nobel Prize in Physics (Nobelpriset i fysik is awarded once a year by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. The Chandra X-ray Observatory is a Satellite launched on STS-93 by NASA on July 23, 1999. In 1984, Dr. David D. Ho first reported the "healthy carrier state" of HIV infection, which identified HIV-positive individuals who showed no physical signs of AIDS. David Da-i Ho ( born November 3, 1952) is a Taiwanese American AIDS researcher famous for pioneering the use of Protease inhibitors Human immunodeficiency virus ( HIV) is a Lentivirus (a member of the Retrovirus family that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome Steven Chu shared the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physics for his research in cooling and trapping atoms using laser light. Steven Chu ( Chinese: 朱棣文 Pinyin: Zhū Dìwén (b February 28[[ 948]] St Daniel Tsui shared the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physics in 1998 for helping discover the fractional Quantum Hall effect. Daniel Chee Tsui ( born February 28, 1939, Henan Province, China) is a Chinese -born American Physicist whose The quantum Hall effect (or integer quantum Hall effect) is a quantum-mechanical version of the Hall effect, observed in two-dimensional electron systems Tsien Hsue-shen co-founded the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Journalism

Connie Chung was one of the first Asian-American national correspondents for a major TV news network, reporting for CBS in 1971. Tsien Hsue-shen ( born December 11, 1911) is a Scientist who was a major figure in the Missile and space programs of both the United States Constance Yu-Hwa "Connie" Chung Povich ( born August 20, 1946) is an American journalist who has been an anchor and reporter She later co-anchored the CBS Evening News from 1993 to 1995. At ABC, Ken Kashiwahara began reporting nationally in 1974. Ann Curry joined NBC News as a reporter in 1990, later becoming prominently associated with The Today Show in 1997. Ann Curry (born November 19 1956) is an American Television news Journalist and news anchor on NBC's morning television Carol Lin is perhaps best known for being the first to break the news of 9-11 on CNN. Carol Lin is an American journalist who founded CarolLinReporting Recently, Juju Chang, James Hatori, John Yang and Julie Chen have become familiar faces on television news. John Yang (born February 10, 1958) is an American Peabody Award -winning television News correspondent, Commentator Julie Suzanne Chen (born January 6, 1970) is an American Television personality, news anchor Journalist, and producer

Cultural influence

Health and Medicine

Traditional Asian concepts and practices in health and medicine have attracted greater acceptance and are more widely adopted by American doctors. For instance, in the early 1970s the US medical establishment did not believe in the usefulness of meditation or acupuncture. Since then US studies have proven the efficacy of acupuncture for different applications, especially for treatment of chronic pain. It is now covered by many health insurance plans.

Meditation and mindfulness practices are taught in mainstream medical schools and hospitals. Increasingly they are seen as part of a holistic approach to health. Doctors and hospitals treating diseases such as heart disease and cancer have adopted meditation as a practice recommended for patients.

Meditation, yoga and other mindfulness practices have also been widely adopted by health spas, and spiritual retreats of many religious bases. They are part of the spiritual practice of the many Americans who are not affiliated with a mainline religious group.

Religious Trends

Some scholars see a movement of religions, as Buddhism has moved into American culture, and Christianity has been adopted by more East Asians. Many South Koreans, especially, are already Christian when they immigrate to the US.

Beats on the West Coast were among those attracted to Buddhism in the 1950s. American Buddhist groups established then and in the 1970s have built temples, ordained numerous American Buddhist monks, and taught generations of new practitioners. Buddhist concepts and practices such as mindfulness have penetrated mainstream culture.

While much West Coast practice was first influenced by Japanese Zen Buddhists, more recent generations throughout the country have been influenced also by Vietnamese and Tibetan Buddhist monks who have lived and taught in the West.

There has also been strong influence by American adoption of yoga and related spiritual practices of India, as well as vegetarianism.

Cultural issues

Main article: Stereotypes of East and Southeast Asians

Main article: Stereotypes of South Asians

Until the late 20th century, the term "Asian American" was adopted mostly by activists, while the average person of Asian ancestries identified with his specific ethnicity. Stereotypes of East and Southeast Asians are Ethnic stereotypes that are found in many Western societies. Stereotypes of South Asians are oversimplified ethnic stereotypes of South Asian people and are found in many Western societies. ^[26] The murder of Vincent Chin in 1982 was a pivotal civil rights case, and it marked the emergence of Asian Americans as a distinct group in United States. Vincent Jen Chin ( 1955 &ndash June 23, 1982) was a Chinese American beaten to death in June 1982 in the United States, in the Detroit ^[27][26]

Study has indicated that most non-Asian Americans do not generally differentiate between Asian Americans and Chinese Americans. Stereotypes of both groups are nearly identical. A stereotype (from Greek: stereo + týpos = "solid impression" is a generalized perception of first impressions behaviors presumed by a group ^[28] A 2002 survey of Americans' attitudes toward Asian Americans and Chinese Americans indicated that 24% of the respondents disapprove of intermarriage with an Asian American, second only to African Americans; 23% would be uncomfortable supporting an Asian-American presidential candidate, compared to 15% for an African American, 14% for a woman and 11% for a Jew; 17% would be upset if a substantial number of Asian Americans moved into their neighborhood; 68% had somewhat or very negative attitude toward Chinese Americans in general. Interracial marriage occurs when two people of differing racial groups marry, often creating Multiracial children African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa ^[29] The study did find several positive perceptions of Chinese Americans: strong family values (91%); honesty as business people (77%); high value on education (67%). ^[28]

There is a widespread perception that Asian Americans are not "American" but are instead "perpetual foreigners". ^[29][30] Asian Americans often report being asked the question, "Where are you really from?" by other Americans, regardless of how long they or their ancestors have lived in United States. Many are asked if they are Chinese or Japanese, an assumption based on major groups of past immigrants. ^[30][31]

Model minority

Main article: Model minority

Some refer to Asian Americans as a model minority because the Asian American culture contains a high work ethic, respect for elders, high degree of professional and academic success, high valuation of family and education and religion, especially with Asian Americans from China to Korea. Model minority refers to a Minority Ethnic, racial, or religious group whose members achieve a higher degree of Success Model minority refers to a Minority Ethnic, racial, or religious group whose members achieve a higher degree of Success Statistics such as high household income and low incarceration rate^[32], low rates of many diseases and higher than average life expectancy^[33] are also discussed as positive aspects of Asian Americans.

This concept appears to elevate Asian Americans by portraying them as an elite group of successful, highly educated, highly intelligent, and wealthy individuals, but it can also be considered an overly narrow and overly one-dimensional portrayal of Asian Americans, leaving out other human qualities such as vocal leadership, negative emotions, risk taking, ability to learn from mistakes, and desire for creative expression. Furthermore, Asian Americans who do not fit into the model minority mold can face challenges when people's expectations based on the model minority myth do not match with reality. Traits outside of the model minority mold can be seen as negative character flaws for Asian Americans despite those very same traits being positive for the general American majority (e. g. , risk taking, confidence, empowered). For this reason, some believe Asian Americans encounter a "bamboo ceiling," the Asian American equivalent of the glass ceiling in the workplace.

The model minority concept can also affect Asians' public education. By comparison with other minorities, Asians often achieve higher test scores and grades compared to other Americans. ^[34] Stereotyping Asian American as over-achievers can lead to harm if school officials or peers expect all to perform higher than average. ^[35]

Furthermore, the model minority concept can even be emotionally damaging to Asian Americans, particularly since they are expected to live up to their peers who are part of the model minority. Studies have shown that Asian Americans suffer from higher rates of stress, depression, mental illnesses, and suicide attempts in comparison to other races. ^[36] The pressures to achieve and live up to the model minority image have taken a mental and psychological toll on Asian Americans. ^[37]

See also

References

Further reading

Books

• Helen Zia Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2000. Helen Zia ( 謝[[wikt 漢|漢]] 蘭; Pinyin: Xiè Hànlán (born 1952 is an American journalist and scholar who has covered Asian American ISBN 0-374-52736-9.
• Sucheng Chan Asian Americans : an interpretive history Boston : Twayne, c1991. ISBN 978-0805784374
• Gabriel J. Chin, Ed. , U.S. Commission on Civil Rights: Reports on Asian Pacific Americans (2005) ISBN 978-0837731056
• Pyong Gap Min Asian Americans: Contemporary Trends and Issues Thousand Oaks, Ca. : Pine Science Press, 2005. ISBN 1-4129-0556-7
• Frank H. Wu Yellow: Race in American Beyond Black and White New York: Basic Books, 2002. Frank H Wu is the author of Yellow Race in America Beyond Black and White' which argues for a new paradigm of civil rights that includes people of all backgrounds rather than ISBN 0-465-00639-6
• Ronald Takaki Strangers from a Different Shore: A History of Asian Americans New York: Little, Brown, 1998. Ronald Takaki (born 1939 in Oahu, Hawai'i) is an Ethnic studies historian ISBN 0-316-83130-1
• Lisa Lowe Immigrant Acts: On Asian American Cultural Politics Durham: Duke University Press, 1996. Lisa Lowe is a professor of Comparative literature at the University of California -San Diego and a noted scholar in the fields of comparative literature American ISBN 978-0822318644

Journal

• Journal of Asian American Studies
• Kartika Review

External links

• 2007 Statistical Abstract of the United States — Population tables
• UCLA Asian American Studies Center
• Asians in America - National organizations directory, job posts and news