national CAPACD

national coalition for asian pacific american community development

DATA POINTS: ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER POVERTY

May 1, 2012

Asian American and Pacific Islander poor are increasing in numbers; are increasingly American born; and are

concentrated in some of America’s largest urban centers.

1. The Asian American and Pacific Islander poverty population is increasing.

The Census Bureau reports that in 2010, 12.1% of the total Asian American population lived in poverty 

compared to 9.9% of the non-Hispanic white population, 27.4% of African Americans and 26.6% of Hispanic 

Americans. The rate of Asian American poverty was 10.2% in 2007.

As a percentage of the total Asian American population, the rate of Asian American poverty has increased. But

the relative rate of poverty does not tell the whole story. Between 2002 and 2010, the Asian American poverty

population increased in real terms from 1.16 million to 1.73 million, an increase of 46%. Over the same period, 

Non-Hispanic White poverty population increased by 26% and African American poverty by 24%. The size of the 

Hispanic poverty population also grew notably by 55% and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander poverty 

increased by 77%. While other factors may also be at play, recent immigration of more affluent professionals 

appears to be masking increasing poverty within the overall rate of Asian American poverty.a

2. The composition of Asian American poverty is changing.

Asian American poverty appears to be increasingly home grown. While poor Asian Americas are still primarily 

foreign born (as is the total population of Asian Americans), American born poverty is increasing at a faster rate:

(Source: Census Bureau, Current Population Survey).

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Asian 

Americans in 

Poverty 

(in thousands)

Native

Naturalized Citizen

Not a Citizen
3. Asian American populations are concentrated in large metro areas. Poor Asian Americans are also 

concentrated in these areas.

As William Frey at the Brookings Institute has noted, Asian Americans are more concentrated in large 

metropolitan areas than any other racial group. 

b

 In our initial research, we have found that Asian American 

poor are similarly concentrated. One third of all poor Asian Americans live in only three MSAs: Los Angeles, New 

York, and San Francisco. More than half of all Asian American poor reside in just ten MSAs.

4. Poor Asian Americans in the largest metropolitan areas remain relatively concentrated in both old and new 

ethnic centers.

With the participation of researchers at UCLA, CAPACD is in the process of mapping the location of lower income 

and poor AAs and PIs in metro areas. The map of the Los Angeles region, the first map we have produced,

shows Asian American poverty concentrated in poor or predominantly minority neighborhoods. The clusters of 

poverty are located in Central LA (Koreatown, Filipino Town, Little Tokyo and Chinatown), San Gabriel Valley

(‘new Chinatown’), Long Beach (Little Phnom Penh), and Westminster/Garden Grove (including Little Saigon).

c

Such patterns are 

consistent with patterns in 

other larger MSAs

suggesting that lower 

income Asian Americans 

and Pacific Islanders in 

urban areas are more 

likely to reside in 

‘communities of color,’ 

i.e., alongside lower 

income African Americans, 

Latinos or AAPIs of other 

nationalities. Hence, the 

interests and destinies of 

lower income AAPIs are 

closely tied to the policies 

and programs impacting 

other ‘minority’ 

communities.

The above reflects preliminary findings of a National CAPACD’s research project supported by the Ford Foundation. We 

thank Paul Ong, Chhandara Pech, and Jonathan Ong of UCLA and Algernon Austin of the Economic Policy Institute for their 

assistance thus far. For questions or future updates contact: gen@nationalcapacd.org.

 

a

Poverty data derived from the Current Population Survey. Although only extending back to 2005, the American Community Survey 

shows similar trends for both Asian Americans and NHOPI populations.

b W. Frey (2012) “The New Metro Minority Map.” The Brookings Institution. 

c

C. Pech & J. Ong (2012) “Asian Americans and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Populations in Los Angeles County.” 

National CAPACD.