Inside the Numbers: How Immigration Shapes Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities — Asian Americans Advancing Justice — June 2019

This report examines how immigration has shaped Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the United States through demographic growth, labor, language, education, immigration pathways, and policy struggles. It emphasizes community diversity, systemic barriers, economic contributions, and the effects of modern immigration policy.

1. Immigration as the Foundation of AAPI Growth

2. Economic Contribution and Inequality

3. Barriers Within the Immigration System

4. Diversity Within AAPI Communities

5. Pacific Islanders and Colonialism

6. The Need for Immigration Reform

⭐ Star Facts

• Over 12 million Asian American immigrants and more than 220,000 Pacific Islander immigrants live in the United States.
• Asian American immigrants make up 27% of the entire U.S. foreign-born population.
• The Asian American immigrant population grew 23% between 2010 and 2017 — more than four times faster than overall U.S. population growth.
• Two-thirds of Asian Americans in the United States are immigrants.
• Nearly 5 million Asian American immigrants are limited English proficient.
• Over 1.1 million Asian American immigrant-owned businesses exist in the U.S., making up nearly three-quarters of all Asian American businesses.
• Approximately 4 in 5 Asian American low-wage workers are immigrants.
• Over 600,000 Asian American immigrant workers are employed in the restaurant industry alone.
• An estimated 1.7 million Asian immigrants in the United States are undocumented.
• More than 1.5 million people from Asia remain stuck in family-visa backlogs, with some waiting over 20 years.
• Cambodian American deportations increased by 279% from 2017 to 2018 during intensified immigration enforcement.