Reflection paper
lbazz
AsianAmericans.Pt1.pptxExamining Specific Groups and Categories Asians/Asian Americans
Diversity and the Workplace
PSYC/WGST 3955
Asians/Asian-Americans
One of most understudied minority groups.
One of most diverse minority groups.
Major differences in culture, language, experiences, and background
Especially between some recent immigrants and American born
Asians/Asian-Americans
Part 1:
Historical view of Asians in U.S.
Asian Population in U.S.
Part 2:
Education, Employment, Earnings
Asians as “Model Minority”
Asian-American Entrepreneurs
Research on Experiences of Asians at Work
Historical View: Asians/Asian-Americans
Filipino, Japanese, and Chinese ancestry - may have been in U.S. for generations
Most Southeast Asians more recent immigrants
More likely to be refugees fleeing
Entrance criteria for refugees is less stringent than for regular immigrants
often enter U.S. with fewer skills, less education, fewer assets
affects future in U.S.
Historical View: Filipino Immigrants
First arrived in what is now the U.S. around 1763; Louisiana area.
Crewmen who had been forced into service, jumped ship in Louisiana.
Escaped into bayous.
Settled there, developing Filipino communities.
By late 1800s become thoroughly incorporated into Louisiana life.
Historical View: Chinese Immigrants
Began arriving in 1850s, seeking work
agriculture, fisheries, domestic work, laundry work, mines during the California Gold Rush, railroad workers
Chinese workers replaced some of the work done by African slaves after slavery became illegal
Historical View: Chinese Immigrants
Railroad workers - completed first transcontinental railroad in 1869
Chinese workers paid less than white workers, given more dangerous jobs
9 out of 10 railroad workers were Chinese
Chinese Immigrants
Movement of people westward resulted in stiff competition for work
Chinese viewed as source of cheap labor; as taking jobs away from Whites
Anti-Chinese sentiment, anti-Chinese riots, and lynching during 1870s and 1880s.
Chinese murdered
Employers threatened
Chinese Immigrants
Naturalization Act of 1870 – restricted immigration to U.S. to only “white persons and persons of African descent”
Chinese Exclusion Act - 1882 - first federal legislation to bar immigrants based on national origin
Severely and purposely restricted entry of Chinese laborers into U.S. for many decades
Chinese Immigrants
Population of Chinese in U.S. declined steeply
Lack of new immigrants
Male to female ratio of 19:1 in 1860 and 27:1 in 1890
Many returned back to China to find wives or to bring money to families
Angel Island
Several miles North of San Francisco
From 1910-1940 detained and interrogated Asian Immigrants
Goal was to deport as many as possible
Detained for months or even years
Prison-like conditions
Angel Island
Angel Island
Historical View: Japanese Immigrants
Began to arrive in May of 1843 - to Hawaii and California
Economic and political unrest in Japan; labor shortages; Western expansion
1884-1908 more than 150,000 Japanese migrated to Hawaii.
Worked for low pay on Hawaiian sugar plantations.
Many exchanged passage to Hawaii for 3 year period of work with little or no pay - indentured servants.
Historical View: Japanese Immigrants
Faced with hostility and exclusionary legislation.
1908 Gentleman's Agreement
1924 National Origins Act
Both aimed at limiting Japanese worker immigration.
1922 U.S. Supreme Court
ruled that Japanese, along with others of Asian descent were ineligible for naturalized U.S. citizenship.
Historical View: Japanese Immigrants
Internment of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans during WWII.
After Dec 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, panic and paranoia about Japanese Americans living in U.S.
Franklin Roosevelt - Executive Order 9066
evacuation and internment of anyone considered a national threat to security
anyone with 1/8 or more Japanese Ancestry - more than 100,000 Japanese Americans
branded as "enemy aliens" forced into 10 camps around the U.S.
Historical View: Japanese Immigrants
Many native born Americans
2/3 U.S. Citizens
3/4 under 25 years old
U.S. soldiers of Japanese ancestry came home to find families had been put in camps.
Even recruited troops from some of the camps.
Relocation centers open for 3 years.
Privacy, possessions, and freedom gone.
When Japanese returned home, property and homes gone - vandalized, stolen, destroyed
Estimates that loss of $3.7 billion (in dollars from 1995)
Historical View: Southeast Asian Immigrants
Entering US as result of Vietnam war
Many spoke no English, had few possessions, making transition very difficult.
Government attempted to spread immigrants across cities in U.S.
Re-located to areas with family members; areas with stronger assistance in place (language training, public assistance)
High numbers in California, Texas, and Washington states
Mostly in urban areas
Asian Indians
Once categorized as White in US Census
Population in US has grown between 1980 and 2000 number of Asian Indians increased from less than 400,000 to 2 million.
Currently about 16% of Asian population in US are Asian Indian
Asian Indians
More education than all other racial and ethnic groups in U.S. including Whites
64% of Asian Indians have college degree
30% of Whites
Opportunities in US – immigration of well-educated people from Indian and China
Asian Indians
Discrimination and exclusion
Lower return on educational investment compared to Whites
Animosity due to perceived success in education and in the workplace
Aftermath of 2001 terrorist attacks in US – harassment and discrimination based on religion and national origin
Population
15.5 million US residents reporting selves as Asian or Asian in combination with some other race (2008).
About 5% of U.S. population
Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Indian, Korean, and Vietnamese are largest groups of people with Asian ancestry.
Population
California - largest population of Asian Americans
Hawaii - largest proportion of Asian Americans (58% of population of Asian descent)
NYC, LA, San Jose, San Francisco, and Honolulu
cities with largest groups of Asians
high cost of living, implications for income
Population
More likely to be naturalized citizens than any other group
Roughly 52% of foreign born Asians become naturalized U.S. citizens
