Asian/Pacific American (APA) or Asian/Pacific Islander (API) or Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) or Asian American and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) is a term sometimes used in the United States when including both Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.
The U.S. Department of Labor Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs defined Asian-Pacific Islander as "A person with origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East (i.e. East and Southeast Asia), Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands.
This area includes, for example, China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Samoa, Thailand, and Vietnam; and in South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan." [1]
"Asian or Pacific Islander" was an option to indicate race and ethnicity in the United States Censuses in the 1990 and 2000 Census as well as in several Census Bureau studies in between, including Current Population Surveys reports and updates between 1994 and 2002. [2] A 1997 Office of Management and Budget directive separated the "Asian or Pacific Islander" racial category into two categories: "Asian" and "Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander." [3] Following this change, the U.S. Census Bureau defined Asian as "a person having origins in any of the original people of the Far East, for example, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam." The U.S. Census Bureau defined Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander as "a person having origins in any of the original people of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands." The map of Micronesian, Polynesian, and Melanesian groups, courtesy of L.A-based organization Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (EPIC), reflects who is considered Pacific Islander per federal guidelines.
The term is used in reference to Asian/Pacific American Heritage Week, the first ten days of May, established in 1978 by a joint resolution in United States Congress. The commemorative week was expanded to a month (Asian Pacific American Heritage Month) by Congress in 1992. The month of May was chosen to celebrate the first immigration of Japanese Americans on May 7, 1843, and to honor the Chinese Americans who contributed to the transcontinental railroad which was completed on May 10, 1869. [3]
The federal government defines the term AAPI to include "all people of Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander ancestry who trace their origins to the countries, states, jurisdictions and/or the diasporic communities of these geographic regions."
The term is also used by several state boards and commissions, including in Washington, [4] Michigan, [5] Maryland, [6] and Connecticut. [7] The term is also used in the names of several non-profit groups, such as the A|P|A History Collective, [8] Center for Asian Pacific American Women, [9] Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, [10] and National Coalition for Asian Pacific American Community Development. [11] Asian Pacific Americans are listed as a group on the United States Army website. [12]
Previous to the 1960s, the only term used to refer to Americans with ancestry in Asia was "orientals." The pan-racial identity Asian American was created in the 1960s. Chinese American, Filipino American, and Japanese American college students in the San Francisco Bay Area concerned with the living conditions in primarily Asian American residential areas, and took inspiration from the advances made by the Black Civil Rights Movement. Asian American college students also fought for the inclusion of their stories in college curriculum. [13]
In 1968, students of Asian heritage, Yuji Ichioka and Emma Gee, first coined the term Asian American in Berkeley, California, at UC Berkeley, to unify their efforts for political and social recognition—and command respect.
During the era of Japan bashing, the murder of Chinese American Vincent Chin in 1982 by two White Chrysler workers who apparently mistook him for a person of Japanese descent and attacked him as a representative of the rising dominance of the Japanese auto sector in the U.S., and the light penalty the two assailants were perceived to have been given, furthered the pan-racial movement for Asian American rights, bringing awareness of the shared struggles amongst the various pan-ethnic Asian American groups. [14]
Lily Chin stated: "What kind of law is this? What kind of justice? This happened because my son is Chinese. If two Chinese killed a white person, they must go to jail, maybe for their whole lives... Something is wrong with this country." [15] In the 1980s, the term Asian Pacific American began to be used in Asian American Studies and Asian American pan-racial social movements. It is also believed by some authors that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders had shared experiences with colonialism and had been connected historically through trade and cultures. [16]
Filipinos are often ambiguous to be identified between Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans. They are not pacific islanders per the U.S. Census Bureau, but the matter seems to be complicated as the race as a category is dynamic.
It also encompasses some countries that are viewed as primarily being in the Middle East.
The term Asian Pacific Islander has resulted in mixed reactions in academia. Scholars, such as Stacy Nguyen, Dr. J. Kehaulani Kauanui, and Lisa Kahaleole Hall have argued that Asian American should be separate from Pacific Islander. This is because Pacific Islanders experience a different set of struggles than Asian Americans. While Asian Americans suffer from immigration issues, Pacific Islanders are fighting for decolonization and sovereignty. The term Asian Pacific Islander often focuses on issues facing the Asian American community while ignoring issues facing the Pacific Islander community.
In "Remapping a Theoretical Space for Hawaiian Women and Indigenous Women," Hall argues that Asian Pacific Islander movements, as well as mainstream feminist movements, have failed to address issues specific to just Pacific Islanders. Pacific Islanders face a different set of struggles than Asian Americans when it comes to land sovereignty and colonization. These struggles have not been included in APA discourses. The term further perpetuates the lack of accurate information about Pacific Islander communities. [17]
In "Where are Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders in Higher Education?" Kaunanui argues the term has prevented Pacific Islanders at higher institutions from receiving economic and social resources at higher institutions. Higher institutions address the racial oppression that Asian Americans face, such as the "whiz kid" stereotypes, but fail to address that Pacific Islanders are stereotyped as lazy and not hard-working. Kaunanui continues to argue higher institutions should specifically target "Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander" students in recruitment efforts because the students of that category are underrepresented in higher institutions. In order to target "Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander" students, the term Pacific Islander should be separated from the term Asian. [18]
Lucy Hu argues Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans face a completely different set of racial and economic issues. The term Asian Pacific Islander, or Asian-Pacific American erases the struggles Pacific Islanders face separately from Asian Americans. While the Asian American community has a higher medium annual income than the national average, many Pacific Islanders are living below the poverty line. [19] Pacific Islanders are much more educationally disadvantaged than Asian Americans.
Other scholars believe that Asian Pacific Islander movements should include both Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In "Pan-Pacific Identity: A Skeptical Asian American Response," Young argues that Pacific Islanders experience a different set of struggles than Asian Americans, but are ultimately racialized by society in the same ways, such as being seen as "foreigners." She believes that the term Pan-Pacific should continue to be used, but should be more inclusive of Pacific Islanders in social movements. Pan-pacific movements should include the decolonization of the Pacific Islands in its platforms. [20]
In "Whither the Asian American Coalition," Spickard argues that the histories and of both Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are linked. Colonization in the Pacific Islands is not a reason to separate the term API. He asserts that colonization has occurred in many Asian nations, such as the Philippines, Vietnam, and Japan, as well. What all of these groups have in common is struggles with colonialism, orientalism, and racial hierarchies. Asian Pacific American movements should work to include the struggles facing all groups under the pan-racial umbrella of Asian Pacific American. [21]
State/Territory | 1860 | 1870 | 1880 | 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States of America | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 1.5% | 2.9% | 3.8% | 4.8% |
Alabama | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 1.1% |
Alaska | 7.1% | 5.3% | 3.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 2.0% | 3.6% | 4.5% | 5.4% | ||||
Arizona | 0.0% | 0.2% | 4.0% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 2.8% |
Arkansas | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 1.2% |
California | 9.2% | 8.8% | 8.7% | 6.1% | 3.8% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 3.0% | 2.4% | 1.7% | 2.0% | 2.8% | 5.3% | 9.6% | 11.2% | 13.0% |
Colorado | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1.0% | 1.8% | 2.3% | 2.8% |
Connecticut | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 1.5% | 2.4% | 3.8% |
Delaware | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 2.1% | 3.2% |
District of Columbia | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 1.8% | 2.8% | 3.5% |
Florida | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 1.2% | 1.8% | 2.4% |
Georgia | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 1.2% | 2.2% | 3.2% |
Hawaii | 80.9% | 76.5% | 78.4% | 78.0% | 73.3% | 72.9% | 65.3% | 57.7% | 60.5% | 61.8% | 51.0% | 48.6% | ||||
Idaho | 28.5% | 10.4% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.7% | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 1.2% |
Illinois | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 1.4% | 2.5% | 3.4% | 4.6% |
Indiana | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 1.6% |
Iowa | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 1.7% |
Kansas | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 2.4% |
Kentucky | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 1.1% |
Louisiana | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
Maine | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 1.0% |
Maryland | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 1.5% | 2.9% | 4.0% | 5.5% |
Massachusetts | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 2.4% | 3.8% | 5.3% |
Michigan | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 1.1% | 1.8% | 2.4% |
Minnesota | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 1.8% | 2.9% | 4.0% |
Mississippi | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.9% |
Missouri | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 1.6% |
Montana | 9.5% | 4.5% | 1.8% | 1.7% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.6% | |
Nebraska | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 1.3% | 1.8% |
Nevada | 0.0% | 7.3% | 8.7% | 6.0% | 3.7% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 1.8% | 3.2% | 4.9% | 7.2% |
New Hampshire | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.8% | 1.3% | 2.2% |
New Jersey | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 1.4% | 3.5% | 5.7% | 8.3% |
New Mexico | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
New York | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 1.8% | 3.9% | 5.5% | 7.3% |
North Carolina | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 1.4% | 2.2% |
North Dakota | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 1.0% | |
Ohio | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 1.7% |
Oklahoma | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 1.7% | |||
Oregon | 0.0% | 3.7% | 5.4% | 3.0% | 3.1% | 1.6% | 1.0% | 0.9% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 1.3% | 2.4% | 3.2% | 3.7% |
Pennsylvania | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 1.2% | 1.8% | 2.7% |
Rhode Island | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 1.8% | 2.4% | 2.9% |
South Carolina | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 1.3% |
South Dakota | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.9% |
Tennessee | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 1.4% |
Texas | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.8% | 1.9% | 2.8% | 3.8% |
Utah | 0.0% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 2.0% |
Vermont | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 1.3% |
Virginia | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 1.2% | 2.6% | 3.8% | 5.5% |
Washington | 0.0% | 1.0% | 4.2% | 1.0% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 2.5% | 4.3% | 5.9% | 7.2% |
West Virginia | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
Wisconsin | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 2.3% |
Wyoming | 1.6% | 4.4% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.8% | |
Puerto Rico | 0.2% | 0.2% |
a ^ The data for 2000 is generated by adding the Asian and Pacific Islander populations from two different sources both by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Honolulu is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawai‘i, which is located in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island of Oʻahu, and is the westernmost and southernmost major U.S. city. Honolulu is Hawaii's main gateway to the world. It is also a major hub for business, finance, hospitality, and military defense in both the state and Oceania. The city is characterized by a mix of various Asian, Western, and Pacific cultures, as reflected in its diverse demography, cuisine, and traditions.
Tehama County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 65,829. The county seat and largest city is Red Bluff.
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian ancestry. Although this term had historically been used for all the indigenous peoples of the continent of Asia, the usage of the term "Asian" by the United States Census Bureau excludes people with ethnic origins in certain parts of Asia, including West Asia who are now categorized as Middle Eastern Americans; and those from Afghanistan who may identify as being either Central Asian Americans, Middle Eastern Americans or South Asian American. The "Asian" census category includes people who indicate their race(s) on the census as "Asian" or reported entries such as "Chinese, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, Pakistani, Malaysian, and Other Asian". In 2020, Americans who identified as Asian alone (19,886,049) or in combination with other races (4,114,949) made up 7.2% of the U.S. population.
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Oceania.
Race and ethnicity in the United States census, defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the United States Census Bureau, are the self-identified categories of race or races and ethnicity chosen by residents, with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether they are of Hispanic or Latino origin.
Hapa is a Hawaiian word for someone of mixed ethnic ancestry. In Hawaii, the word refers to any person of mixed ethnic heritage, regardless of the specific mixture. In California, the term is used for any person of white and East Asian or Southeast Asian admixture. Both uses are concurrent, but the latter usage is controversial.
The United States of America has a racially and ethnically diverse population. At the federal level, race and ethnicity have been categorized separately. The most recent United States Census officially recognized five racial categories as well as people of two or more races. The Census Bureau also classified respondents as "Hispanic or Latino" or "Not Hispanic or Latino", identifying Hispanic and Latino as an ethnicity, which comprises the largest minority group in the nation. The Census also asked an "Ancestry Question," which covers the broader notion of ethnicity, in the 2000 Census long form and the 2010 American Community Survey; the question worded differently on "origins" will return in the 2020 Census.
OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates is a non-profit organization founded in 1973, whose stated mission is to advance the social, political, and economic well-being of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the United States.
Pacific Islander Americans are Americans who are of Pacific Islander ancestry. For its purposes, the United States Census also counts Indigenous Australians as part of this group.
The demographics of Asian Americans describe a heterogeneous group of people in the United States who trace their ancestry to one or more Asian countries.
The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) is a coalition of 35 national Asian-Pacific American organizations in the United States. Founded in 1996 and based in Washington D.C., NCAPA seeks to expand the influence of Asian-Pacific Americans in the legislative and legal arenas, and enhance the public's and mass media's awareness and sensitivity to Asian-Pacific American concerns.
Florida is the third-most populous state in the United States. Its residents include people from a wide variety of ethnic, racial, national and religious backgrounds. The state has attracted immigrants, particularly from Latin America. Florida's majority ethnic group are European Americans, with approximately 65% of the population identifying as White. National ethnic communities in the state include Cubans, who migrated en masse following the revolution in mid-century. They have been joined by other immigrants from Latin America, and Spanish is spoken by more than 20% of the state's population, with high usage especially in the Miami-Dade County area.
Asian people are the people of Asia. The term may also refer to their descendants.
Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America. Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim American nationality. The United States is home to people of many racial and ethnic origins; consequently, American culture and law do not equate nationality with race or ethnicity, but with citizenship and an oath of permanent allegiance.
Multiracial Americans are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially. In the 2010 United States census, approximately 9 million individuals or 3.2% of the population, self-identified as multiracial. There is evidence that an accounting by genetic ancestry would produce a higher number. Historical reasons are said to have created a racial caste such as the European-American suppression of Native Americans, often led people to identify or be classified by only one ethnicity, generally that of the culture in which they were raised. Prior to the mid-20th century, many people hid their multiracial heritage because of racial discrimination against minorities. While many Americans may be considered multiracial, they often do not know it or do not identify so culturally, any more than they maintain all the differing traditions of a variety of national ancestries.
The White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (WHIAANHPI) is a United States governmental office that coordinates an ambitious whole-of-government approach to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. The Initiative collaborates with the Deputy Assistant to the President and AA and NHPI Senior Liaison, White House Office of Public Engagement and designated federal departments and agencies to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for AA and NHPIs in the areas of economic development, education, health and human services, housing, environment, arts, agriculture, labor and employment, transportation, justice, veterans affairs, and community development.
The National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA) is an American federation of Asian American, South Asian, Southeast Asian. and Pacific Islander LGBTQ organizations. NQAPIA was formed in 2007, as an outgrowth of the LGBT APA Roundtable working groups at the 2005 National Gay Lesbian Task Force Creating Change Conference in Oakland, California. NQAPIA seeks to build the capacity of local LGBT AAPI organizations, invigorate grassroots organizing, develop leadership, and challenge homophobia, racism, and anti-immigrant bias. The organization "focuses on grass-roots organizing and leadership development."
The demographics of Los Angeles County include a diverse people by race, ethnicity, and nationality. The 2010 United States Census reported that Los Angeles County had a population of 9,818,605. The racial makeup of Los Angeles County was 4,936,599 (50.3%) White, 856,874 (8.7%) African American, 72,828 (0.7%) Native American, 1,346,865 (13.7%) Asian, 26,094 (0.3%) Pacific Islander, 2,140,632 (21.8%) from other races, and 438,713 (4.5%) from two or more races.
Asian American activism broadly refers to the political movements and social justice activities involving Asian Americans. The general definition of activism is defined as "the activity of working to achieve political or social change, especially as a member of an organization with particular aims." The history of Asian American activism is important because according to Linh Dich, "Asians and Asian Americans.. . are often left out of political narratives, such as the Civil Rights movement, which prevents Asian and Asian Americans from being seen as a generative force for political rhetoric and change."