Asian-Americans:
Proud and Free (At Last!) in
America
Eva Lerner-Lam
President
Palisades Consulting Group, Inc.
Tenafly, NJ
Presented to the US Missile Defense Agency
In celebration of Asian Pacific American
Heritage Month
May 3, 2004
Speaker Background
“First Generation” AsianAmerican, daughter of
immigrants from China
 Admitted to Princeton
University in 1972




Elected President of Class
Elected President of Eating
Club
Appointed University
Trustee
Speaker Background





Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, MIT
Director of Planning & Operations for San Diego
Metro Transit Development Board
Board Member, New Jersey Transit Corporation
Founder and President of Palisades Consulting
Group, Inc.
Leadership in Professional Societies:


American Society of Civil Engineers
Institute of Transportation Engineers
Asian-Americans: Helping to Build
a Strong America
 5,000+
year-old civilizations
 150-year history in America
 Hard work, determination to succeed
 Continuing struggle to overcome institutional
stereotypes, discrimination and intimidation
History of Asians in America

1840s: Gold Rush


First large-scale
immigration of Asians
into the U.S.
Foreign Miners’ Tax
targeted Chinese
laborers
History, con’d.

1860s:
Transcontinental
Railroad



12,000 Chinese
workers
Paid 60% what
European workers
were paid
Excluded from
Promontory Point
ceremonies
History, con’d.

1882: Chinese Exclusion Act


1890’s: Japanese workers replaced Chinese
workers


Followed by Korean and Filipino workers
1908: “Gentleman’s Agreement”


Railroad completed, gold rush finished, Chinese
workers were seen as a threat
Excluded Japanese immigrant workers
1920’s: National Origins Act

Set “2% quotas” on all countries (except England) to
limit immigration; explicitly excluded East Asians
Becoming Americans

All Asian groups in America fought hard for rights
to own property and become citizens
 Significant strides in past 40 years
 Still a “work-in-progress”
History, con’d.

1940’s: World War II:
Executive Order 9066

120,000 Japanese
citizens imprisoned in
desert camps
History, con’d.

442nd Regimental
Combat Team


composed entirely of
Japanese Americans,
including Senator
Daniel K. Inouye
most decorated
combat unit of its size
in the entire U.S.
military during World
War II
History, con’d.

Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965



Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986


Immigrants were to be admitted by their skills and
professions rather than by their nationality
Outgrowth of civil rights movement of the 60’s
Nationalized permanent inhabitants
Immigration Act of 1990

Allowed substantial increase in immigration
George W. Bush Administration's Asian
Americans and Pacific Islanders Appointees
Today’s Demographics

The AAPI population is the fastest-growing
minority population in the United States, with a
72% increase from 1990 – 2000
Demographics

There are
approximately 10.4
million AAPIs in the
United States (4% of
the total U.S.
population)
Asian
Other
Demographics

The four largest sub-populations among AAPIs
are Chinese (2,432,585), Filipino (1,850,314),
Asian Indian (1,678,765), and Vietnamese
(1,122,528).
Chinese
Filipino
Asian Indian
Vietnamese
Other
Demographics

The population is projected to reach 37 million
(9.3% of the US population) by the year 2050
Asian
Asian
Other
Other
Cultural Themes
 Confucian
Ethics
 Emphasis on Education
 Professional and technical careers
Confucian Ethics
“Do unto others as
you would have
others do unto you”
 “Do your best for
others”
 “Harmonize with
Nature”
 “Treat your elders
with respect”

Confucius
551-479 BC
Emphasis on Education

Although only 4% of the
nation's population,
Asian Americans
comprise nearly 20% of
all medical students

12% of California's
populace, but 45%
percent of Berkeley's
freshman class

Just 3% of Texas
populace, but 18% of the
freshman class at UTAustin
Professional Careers

Computer Sciences
 Engineering
 Medicine
 Finance/Accounting
Other Asian-American
Contributions to American Society

Sports
 Journalism
 Music
 Technology

Fashion
 Architecture
 Business
 Government
Sports

Michael Chang,
Champion Tennis
Player
Sports

Michelle Kwan,
Champion Figure
Skater
Sports

Yao Ming, Basketball
Player
Journalism

Connie Chung, TV
news journalist
Music

Midori, violinist
Music

Yo Yo Ma, cellist
Technology

Dr. Steven Chen,
inventor of the Cray
supercomputer
Technology

Jerry Yang, CoFounder of Yahoo!
Fashion

Vera Wang, Fashion
Designer
Architecture

I. M. Pei, East Wing,
National Gallery
Architecture

Maya Lin, Vietnam
War Memorial
Engineering

T. Y. Lin, Structural
Engineer
Business

Andrea Jung, CEO,
Avon Corporation
Government

Senator Daniel K.
Inouye, Hawaii
Government

Elaine L. Chao, US
Secretary of Labor
Government

Norman Y. Mineta, US
Secretary of
Transportation
Government

Carol C. Lam, US
Attorney, Southern
District of California
AAPI Issues

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are often
viewed as a model minority with few health or
social problems


However, emerging data on AAPIs show significant
disparities and barriers to health care and social
service access
Tongans, Cambodians, Laotians and Hmong face
tremendous cultural and linguistic barriers to health
and social services
AAPI Issues

The poverty rate of AAPI families (14 percent) is
higher than that of non-Hispanic White families (8
percent)
AAPI Issues

AAPIs lack health insurance at a higher rate
than the total U.S. population, with Korean
Americans being the most likely racial/ethnic
group to be uninsured

An estimated 2 million AAPIs are uninsured
AAPI Issues

AAPIs suffer disproportionately high rates of
hepatitis B, diabetes, cancer and tuberculosis
AAPI Issues

Infant mortality rates in the U.S.-associated
Pacific Island jurisdictions exceed the U.S. rate,
in cases more than twice as much
AAPI Issues

Fewer than 6 percent of Tongans, Cambodians,
Laotians and Hmongs have completed college

The high school graduation rate for Hmongs is
just 31 percent
Looking to the Future

Asian economies are growing at breakneck speed
in 2003 and 2004

Chinese companies are beginning to invest heavily
in North America and Europe

This will have positive and negative impacts on
Asians in America