Income Disparity Among Asian Ethnic Groups

An analysis of recently released census data reveals an intricate portrait of the Chicago area's Asian community, "one that in some ways defies stereotypes. The analysis shows that a wide economic gulf exists between many city-dwelling Asian ethnic groups and their suburban counterparts--a gulf larger than is found inside any other racial group. The disparity in median household incomes between city and suburban residents of Asian descent was vast--almost $30,000 per household....Perhaps the biggest barrier to economic vitality is not speaking English, the data revealed. Ethnic Asian groups with a large percentage of members not fluent in English (Koreans, Vietnamese, Chinese) had higher poverty rates and lower incomes than ethnic groups with high percentages of English speakers (Indians, Filipinos). Indeed, nearly one-third of Koreans in the city were living in poverty, a rate higher than that for blacks or Latinos."

Thanks to Connie Chung