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May, 2004
In the introduction to The New Face of Asian Pacific
America: Numbers, Diversity and Change in the 21st Century,
the book’s editors Eric Lai and Dennis Arguelles observe that:
“Far too often and for far too long, statistics have been
used to paint an inaccurate portrait of the Asian Pacific American
community, often to its detriment. In the late 19th century, immigration
statistics were used to foment fears of a ‘yellow peril,’
justify restrictive quotas, and discourage Asian workers from settling
in the United States. In the late 20th century, statistics were
used to portray Asian Pacific Americans as a monolithic Model Minority,
a community in which everyone was well-educated and well-off, a
concept that is often used to drive a wedge between minority communities.”
Mindful of the potential of statistics to perpetuate myths and misunderstandings
about Asian Americans, we are determined in this report to utilize
data drawn from the 2000 U.S. Census to paint as accurately as possible
a portrait of the often ignored and misrepresented Asian American
community in Metro Boston.
Our primary focus, consequently, is on description rather than on
detailed analysis or even informed speculation. In writing about
many groups this emphasis might seem relatively insignificant. In
the case of Asian Americans, however, there have been few efforts
to describe them fully and of the descriptions that have emerged
many have been simplistic, stereotypical, and devoid of critical
nuances. Furthermore, in many studies where race has been a critical
consideration, Asian Americans have either been simply excluded
or lumped indiscriminately in a similarly simplistic fashion either
with majority whites or with other minorities. Certainly seeking
answers to the “why” questions are critical undertakings
with regard to Asian Americans. Nevertheless, we maintain that it
is an important contribution and an essential preliminary component
for effective analysis to describe what the Asian American community
looks like and to capture accurately three essential components
- its growth, diversity, and enormous complexity.
The stunning growth of the Asian American population, fed significantly
by immigration, has been dramatic. As in an earlier time, some might
even now regard this expansion as perilous, particularly if statistics
on growth rates are all that are considered. A fuller understanding
of Asian Americans in Metro Boston, therefore, requires an appreciation
of the diversity that exists within that population. Far from the
monolithic characterization that Lai and Arguelles refer to, the
Asian American community is incredibly diverse in its characteristics
and socio-economic condition. Furthermore, an accurate portrait
requires a full recognition of the ways in which rapid growth and
diversity contribute to complexity. On numerous dimensions –
educational attainment, income, employment, etc., it is unwise and
impossible to portray in any simple way what is happening in the
Asian American community.
We must not lose sight of the fact that race has been and remains
a critical factor in the lives and destinies of Asian Americans.
We are mindful as well that the complexity that accompanies diversity
has potentially important policy implications when dealing with
Asian Americans. When considered collectively Asian Americans run
the gamut. They are rich and poor, well and poorly educated, city
and suburban dwellers, professionals and manual laborers. Individual
Asian subgroups often occupy different locations on these divides.
Assuredly, given this situation, one size fits all policies in areas
such as immigration, education, social welfare, housing, and employment
may be inappropriate where Asian Americans are concerned. Especially
due to the continuing importance of race, we must caution once again
that as responses to this complexity and the difficulty of accounting
for its sources and consequences, policy practitioners and analysts
should not be tempted to ignore or oversimplify the situation of
Asian Americans in Metro Boston and throughout the United States.
To view the COMPLETE REPORT go
to:
Asian Americans in
Metro Boston: Growth, Diversity, and Complexity
by Paul Watanabe, Michael Liu and Shauna Lo
(In PDF Format) 
Issue
Summary (In PDF Format)
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