Asian population grows 35.5%, fastest rising group according to US Census

August 16, 2021

The Asian population in the U.S. rose by 35.5% in the past decade, registering the fastest growth among ethnic groups in the country, recent figures from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed.

Fastest growth in the U.S.: According to the new data released Thursday, people identifying as “Asian” and those who ticked boxes as “Asian” along with another race group now account for 7.2 % of the total U.S. population, NBC News reports.

Those who identified as “Native Hawaiian” and “Other Pacific Islander” alone, or combined with another race group, represent 0.5% of the population.
Amherst College sociologist and a professor of American studies Pawan Dhingra attributed the rise to the continued movement of Asian immigrants to the U.S.
“As more Asians live in the United States, it attracts more Asians who want to reunite with family and see the country as a place to settle down,” he was quoted as saying.
Experts also cited the increased participation of community members in the census as a contributing factor to the rise in figures.

Fastest growth in California: The data, which will be the basis for redrawing 429 U.S. House districts in 44 states, also revealed that there are now over 6 million people of Asian descent in California, reported the Associated Press.

California’s Asian population saw a 25% rise between 2010 and 2020, while the white population dropped 24% in the same period.
Along with New Mexico and Hawaii, the state is now among three states where the white population is not the largest racial group.
Hispanics, which grew by 11% to 15.5 million people, remain California’s largest ethnic group after surpassing white people in 2014. The Hispanic population now makes up nearly 40% of California’s almost 40 million residents.
Two out of California’s 58 counties, Alameda County and Silicon Valley, now count Asians as their largest ethnic group.

The report comes just a month after California’s attorney general revealed the Asian community in California experienced a 107% increase in hate crime attacks last year, NextShark previously reported.

Featured Image via THE TABLE

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