Asian Americans and Identity

Data from the Pew Research Center demonstrate how different Asian American groups identify themselves.  Overall, 62% of all Asian Americans usually describe themselves by articulating their country of origin.  19% refer to themselves as Asians or Asian Americans, and 14% identify simply as Americans.  

Between Asian groups, however, there is some variation in the ways individuals identify.  About three quarters of both the Vietnamese and Korean populations identify with their country of origin.  Indian, Chinese, and Japanese Americans exhibit the smallest percentage of individuals who identify with their country of origin (six in ten).

Another way to look at the data is by distinguishing the foreign born population of Asian Americans from the native born population of Asian Americans.  Among the foreign born, seven in ten identify with their country of origin, while only four in ten in the native born population will do the same.  Conversely, a mere 9% of foreign born Asians describe themselves as American, but 28% of the native born call themselves as American.

Census Predicts Hispanic Population Within U.S. to Grow to 132.9 Million by 2050

Roberto Ramirez, Chief of the Ancestry and Ethnicity branch of the U.S. Census Bureau, appeared on C-SPAN to discuss the current and future Hispanic population in America.  Currently, 52 million Hispanics reside in America, accounting for 16.7% of the entire U.S. population.  In the past decade, the U.S. population added 30.1 million residents, 16.7 million (55.5%) of whom were Hispanic. 

Births within the U.S. contributed to almost two thirds of the growth within the Hispanic population, with migration accounting for the other third.  Additionally, Hispanics predominantly originate from Mexico, with more than 31 million hailing from the nation.  Mr. Ramirez projects the Hispanic population within the U.S. to swell to over 132 million, 30.2% of Americans, by 2050.

Population Growth in U.S. Slows

Mark Mather of the Population Reference Bureau, in a recent article, sought to answer the question, “What's driving the decline in U.S. population growth?”  While the U.S. added 2.9 million people from 2005 to 2006, the nation added only 2.3 million people from 2010 to 2011.  His findings pointed to a number of factors.  Firstly, the plunge in net immigration to the U.S. represents a major aspect of the decline.  Additionally, the U.S. has experienced a slower growth in Latino and Asian ethnicities.  At the turn of the century, percent annual change in U.S. population for Asian Americans and Latinos was over 4 percent, whereas today that rate is 2.5% and 2.2% respectively.  Mather also notes that the American population is aging.  While a decade ago, those under 18 contributed nearly 300,000 in population growth, but today, that age group fell by 190,000.  In combination with a rise in the over 65 age group, it is clear that the U.S. population is aging rapidly.  Finally, declining fertility rates are an incredibly important factor in the declining growth.  In 2005-2006, there were 4.2 million births, but today that figure stands at 4 million.  The total fertility rate (births per woman) was 2.1 in 2005-2006, and today it is 2.0.  However, recent statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics suggests that this rate could actually fall below 2.0.

Hispanics in America Divided on Identity

On April 4, the Pew Research Center released a survey conducted on Americans with roots in Spanish-speaking countries. The survey explored how Hispanic adults across three generations identify themselves. 51% of Hispanics most identify themselves by their family's country of origin, using terms such as Puerto Rican, Cuban, or Mexican. 24% refer to themselves as Hispanic or Latino, and only 21% use the term "American." However, breaking Hispanics apart by generation paints a different picture:

• 1^st generation - those who are foreign-born - 62% identify themselves by their country of origin, 28% choose "Hispanic" or "Latino," and just 8% choose American. 
• 2^nd generation - those who were born in America and have at least one 1^st generation parent - are much more divided on which term to use.  43% use their family's country of origin, 35% use American, while only 18% use Hispanic or Latino. 
• 3^rd generation - those born in the U.S., with both parents born in America as well - Hispanics were the only generation that favored the term "American" over their family's country of origin. 48% refer to themselves as "American," while 28% use their country of origin, and 21% identify themselves as "Latino" or "Hispanic."