ASA2 Section A01
Reflection Number 1
Response to "Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Census 2010"
In this reading, we are shown the census of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the US during 2010. There is data on a variety of factors ranging from amount, income, poverty, health insurance, education, voting, business, language, jobs, military, etc. The data is specific and is meant to give us a general idea of how Asians and Pacific Islanders stand in the US.
Although there were a variety of factors, the few factors that really stood out to me was the amount of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the US, their education compared to Americans, jobs/businesses, and the future. At first, when I read the article, I was surprised to find out there were only 17.3 million Asian Americans, or 5.6% of the population, in the US. Growing up in a mainly Asian American community, I believed that there were many Asian Americans in the US. I naively believed that America consisted of about at least 25% Asian Americans, a fourth of the population. It was quite shocking to see that we only took up 5.6%! However, the article also gave me new insight on Asians in the US. The stats on education showed that 50% of Asian Americans aged 25 or older had a bachelors degree, as compared to 25% of Americans, and 20% had a graduate/specialized degree as compared to 10% of America. When I was in grade school, I was taught the stereotype that Asians were simply the smartest race. Although now that I am older and now know that isn't completely true, the data showing that Asian Americans had more people completing college than Americans makes me doubt that stereotype a bit. It is true that we are only 5.6% of the population; however, the fact that Asians complete college more frequently than Americans show our drive and tenacity. With a college degree, one will find it relatively easier to find a job. If you had to choose between an Asian American who had a college degree and an American who only had a high school degree, the Asian American would be the obvious choice. This leads to the growth of Asian American businesses and a spike in Asian American jobs. As shown in the article, there were 1.5 million Asian American owned businesses in the US. If the data stays consistent, the number will keep rising through the years.
This is the part that interests me; in the next 40 years, the population will increase to roughly 40.6 million Asian Americans. One of the few discrepencies that I notice about this is although it tells us how many Asian Americans there will be, what about their success? I strongly believe that with Asian Americans getting college degrees and starting their own business, as they slowly assimilate even further in the US, they will begin to get closer to standing on top. In a country where freedom and equality is emphasized, Asian Americans do not have much holding them back from rising to the top. Their success has begun to grow and raise to unfathomable amounts and although the data says that in 2050, there will be 40.6 million Asian Americans, I believe that this number is incorrect. The number will be higher and by 2050, Asian Americans will have an ever larger prominent position in the US. The data clearly proves the truth behind the model minority; although we are a minority, we are perceived to acheieve a higher success than others. By 2050, the model minority will be the standard.
Questions:
Is there anything holding Asian Americans back from rising to the top?
Are there other factors that contribute to why Asian Americans are more successful?
Even though being labeled a model minority, how do Asian Americans continue to be successful?
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