Today marks the beginning of Asian-American and Pacific Islander Month. In 1978, a joint congressional resolution established Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week. The first 10 days of May were chosen to coincide with two important milestones in Asian/Pacific American history: the arrival in the United States of the first Japanese immigrants (May 7, 1843) and contributions of Chinese workers to the building of the transcontinental railroad, completed May 10, 1869.

In 1992, Congress expanded the observance to a month-long celebration that is now known as Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Per a 1997 U.S. Office of Management and Budget directive, the Asian or Pacific Islander racial category was separated into two categories: one being Asian and the other Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander.

In honor of Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the U.S. Census Bureau compiled a wide-range of demographic and economic statistics on our nation's Asian-American and Pacific Islander populations.

Asian

21.0 million

The estimated number of Asian alone or in combination residents in the United States in 2015.

$76,260

The median income of households headed by the Asian alone or in combination population in 2015.

1.9 million

The estimated number of Asian-owned firms nationally in 2012, up from 1.5 million or 23.8 percent from 2007.

51.5%

The percentage of the Asian alone or in combination population age 25 and older who had a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education in 2015.

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Population

1.5 million

The estimated number of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination residents of the United States in 2015.

$60,133

The median income of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination headed households in 2015.

54,749

The estimated number of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander-owned firms in 2012. The estimated number rose 45.3 percent from 37,687 in 2007.

88.8%

The percentage of the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone or in combination population age 25 and older with at least a high school diploma or equivalency in 2015.

For more key economic and demographic statistics, please see the U.S. Census Bureau's Facts for Features: Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month: May 2017.