Demographic characteristics
The 1965 Immigration reform has produced a heterogenous Chinese immigrant population made up of people with diverse characteristics.
The contemporary Chinese community in the U.S. is still considered as a predominantly immigrant society as 70 % of the Chinese population in the U.S. are foreign born nowadays. 80% of the Chinese population in the U.S. speak languages other than English at home. In comparison, 13.7% of the total population are foreign-born, while 8.6% of the white population are foreign born.
PLACE OF BIRTH
70 % of the Chinese and Taiwanese Chinese population in the U.S. are foreign born nowadays. In comparison, 13.7% of the total population are foreign-born, 10.0% for African American population and 8.6% for the white population.
EDUCATION ATTAINMENT
The education levels of Chinese Americans and Taiwanese Chinese Americans are notably higher than many other ethnic groups and the total population. Chinese Americans and Taiwanese Americans have a significantly higher percentage of people with a bachelor’s degree or higher. However, the Chinese American community alone, also has a high rate of people with less than high school diploma.
INCOME
The Chinese population in the U.S. are generally well-paid and well-educated statistically. 2017 American Community Survey suggests that Chinese and Taiwanese have a higher median household income and a higher median family income than the White population, African population
OCCUPATION
Statistically, the Chinese have been successfully integrated into the economy of the society by serving as professionals, managers
A model minority community?
In recent decades, Chinese American society has been widely referred to a model minority community by mass media. Success stories of Chinese American, impress the dominant American society and the census reports of the Chinese educational and professional achievement, further reinforce the model minority myth.
In retrospect, the model minority concept was an evolving myth that has shaped western perception of Asian American communities since the last century.
Popular claims on the model minority myth have considered certain demographic and economic characteristics of the Chinese population in the census reports and community surveys as their primary evidence to demonstrate model minority as a reality. Nevertheless, Chinese American studies scholars have argued that the model minority myth has misrepresented Asian Americans and marginalized other minorities.
However, Peter Kwong argues that “to identify the Chinese as a model minority is to ignore the complex diversity of Chinese communities. To project the Chinese as a model is also a disservice to other minorities and misrepresents the facts.” The model minority myth, obscures many facts that the Chinese society in the U.S. is highly heterogeneous.
LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME
80% of the Chinese and Taiwanese Chinese population in the U.S. speak language other than English nowadays, compared to 16% for the White, 10% for the African American and 22% for the total. The Chinese community also has a remarkably higher proportion of people who speak English less than “very well” (45% for Chinese and 38% for Taiwanese Chinese).
HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA
Though Chinese Americans have a higher level of college or graduate school enrollment than the general U.S. population, at the same time Chinese Americans have a higher level of not receiving high school diploma than the U.S. general population. 17.1% of the Chinese population in the U.S. have less than a high school diploma, compared to 4.2% for the Taiwanese population, 12.0% for the total population and 14.1% for the African American population.
Occupational Structure
Statistically, the Chinese have been successfully integrated into the economy of the society by serving as professionals, managers and technicians in various sectors of the economy. Half of the Chinese employed population serve in industries including finance and insurance, real estate, professional, scientific and management services, educational services, health care, and art and entertainment. More than 70% of the Taiwanese employed population serve in the same industries. However, if we look closely into the statistics, the other half of the population, are employed in low-wages service sectors including construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, transportation and private services.
POVERTY RATE
2017 American Community Survey shows that around 10% of the Chinese in family unit in America still lives in poverty, compared to 9.5% for the total population and 6.9% for the Taiwanese Chinese. The number goes higher for all people, as 14.8% of the Chinese America live under poverty, compared to 13.4% for the total population. Although many Chinese in America have received proper higher education and integrated into the society economically, a portion of Chinese in America nowadays are still experiencing poverty.
GLASS CEILING
An analysis of national Equal Employment Opportunity Commission workplace data on Asian American done by Buck Gee and Denise Peck finds out that in the Bay Area tech industry, although Asian Americans have become the largest racial group of professionals and filled out more managers and executives positions in the companies, the representation of Asian as managers or executives had not improved.
The study also finds out that Asian Americans have the largest gap between professional representation and executive representation. In other words, Asian American white-collar professionals in San Francisco Bay Area are the least likely group to be promoted from entry-level professionals to managers and executives less likely than any other races, including African Americans and Hispanics.
