Post-1965 Asian Immigrants: Where Do They Come From, Where Are They Now, and Where Are They Going?

Abstract

During the past two decades, immigrants of Asian ancestry have been arriving to the United States in phenomenal numbers, currently constituting 43 percent of the total immigrant stream. Asian immigrants from the traditional sending countries of China—including Taiwan and Hong Kong—Japan, Korea, and the Philippines are well represented. Refugees-turned-immigrants from Vietnam, Kampuchea, and Laos, however, represent a new and significant proportion of the Asian immigrant stream. This article will present an overview of the extent and magnitude of Asian immigration to the United States since 1965. The demographic, social, and economic characteristics, as well as adjustment indicators, of these recent immigrants will be analyzed. Finally, policy implications of this influx of new Asian immigrants will be suggested.