Asian Americans remain the highest contributor to USA household income, most educated, and top in SAT scores
Asians were once low-wage earners. Most were farm laborers and less educated, escaping the war-torn and impoverished Asia in the 1900s.
Today, Asians are America’s highest contributor to household income and inarguably more accomplished, on median average, than white, Hispanic, or black Americans.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Asian Americans’ disposable income was up 314%. The study included Asians with ethnic origins from Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. [CNN]
HISTORY OF FILIPINO IMMIGRANTS.
The economic power of Asian Americans
The median household income in 2010 was $49,800 for the general US Population. Asian Americans had a $66,000 average then. The trend remains the same in 2021, notably because most Asians work in healthcare services.
More than 40% of newcomers to Forbes’ world’s billionaires list hail from Asian nations.
Income inequality in the U.S. is greatest among Asians
While Asians overall rank as the highest-earning racial and ethnic group in the U.S., it is not a status shared by all Asians. Wealth remains held by older and likely white Americans.
The ‘Crazy Rich’ Asians have led to the largest income gap in the U.S., as New York Times puts it.
Asians have The largest income gap in the U.S.
Median household income by race, 2019
Since 2010, Asian salaries and business revenue have been rising steadily. It continues to surpass the average incomes of whites and other minorities in America.
All Races – $68,703 per year
Asian – $97,150
White – $76,057
Hispanic – $56,113
Black – $46,073
* Indians and Filipinos are mostly in healthcare services.
* Sources: US Census, Statista
Median household income by Asian ethnicity, 2019
The median household income for Filipinos is $90,400*, which is .6 percent, slightly higher than the $85,800 national average.
Indian – $119,120
Taiwanese – $100,149
Filipino – $94,961
Sri Lankan – $85,000
Japanese – $81,406
Chinese – $80,000%
Indonesian – $78,180
Pakistani – $78,000
Malaysian – $76,077
Korean – $71,220
Vietnamese – $68,290
Cambodian – $65,288
Thai – $65,000
Laotian – $61,268
Bangladeshi – $58,018
Nepalese – $54,638
Bhutanese – $51,945
Mongloian – $46,639
Burmese – $43,160
* Sources: Zillow; Filipinos 2019
Household income ranking above $50,000 in 2010
Indian – $88,000
Filipino – $75,000
Japanese – $65,390
Chinese/Taiwanese – $65,050
Vietnamese – $53,400
Korean – $50,000
Highest educational attainment by ethnicity
Bachelor’s Degree or more, 2019
Asian – 58.1%
White – 40.1%
Black – 26.1%
Hispanic – 18.8%
* Source – US Census
Bachelor’s Degree, 2018
White – 99,075 out of 249.96 million Whites
Asian – 27,286 out of 19.13 million Asians
Doctorate Degree, 2018
White – 20,390 out of 249.96 million Whites
Asian – 4,107 out of 19.13 million Asians
* Source: US Census 2018; Statista
Bachelor’s Degree or more, 2018
Asian – 56.5%
White – 35.2%
Black – 25.2%
Hispanic – 18.3%
* Source: Statista
Average SAT scores by ethnicity, 2019
Asian – 1,223 (ERW 586/Math 637)
White – 1,114 (ERW 562/Math 553)
Hispanic – 978 (ERW 495/Math 483)
Black – 933 (ERW 476/Math 457)
* Asians have the highest SAT scores in both ERW and Math.
* Source: NCES
English reading and writing literacy
Asian – 57% proficiency
Whites – 44% proficiency
Hispanic – 23% proficiency
Blacks – 18% proficiency
China (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejian) overtakes Singapore in all three areas covered by the assessment conducted every three years on 15-year old students.
— The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) December 3, 2019
This is the first time that the Philippines took part in the assessment. | @jvrmateoSTAR pic.twitter.com/taXKcsg7fS
* American adults had 79% literacy in 2019, but 54% have literacy below the 6th-grade level. [Souce: NAEP]
* The Philippines has a 96.3 % literacy rate and ranked 14th among the top English-speaking countries worldwide at 60.33% in 2016, but the lowest in Reading Comprehension out of 79 countries in the Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA.
* The lowest adult literacy rate was in California. It is also the most left-liberal and Democrat-rich state.
Most literate Asian Americans in 2019
Japanese – 85%
Filipinos – 84%
Indians – 82%
Malaysian – 78%
Pakistani – 75%
Sri Lankan – 79%
Indonesian – 72%
Korean – 67%
Chinese – 61%
Vietnamese – 54%
* Sources: (Out of 72%) Pew, Filipinos, Indians, Sri-Lankan, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, Pakistani, Indonesian, Malaysian.
English reading scale (8th grade, public school), 2019
Asian – 284
White – 271
Hispanic – 251
Black – 244
* Source: NAEP
US Homeownership rates, 2019
Between 2000 to 2019, Asian households grew by 83%, exceeding Latinx (74%) and Black (23%) households. Immigrant Asians are more likely to be homeowners than native-born Asian households, Zillow reports.
White – 73.3%
Asian – 57.7%
Hispanic – 47.5%
Black – 42.1%
* All races – 64.6%
* Filipinos – 61% are homeowners
* Sources: USA Facts 2020; Pew 2019
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