REPORT: As AAPI numbers rise, the needs, disparities and inequalities also increase

By Louis Chan
Reprinted from AsAm News

ASIAN/AMERICANS will be more multiracial, more American-born and greater in numbers in 2040, according to volume 1 of the AAPI Nexus Journal released Tuesday (May 24) and published by UCLA Asian American Studies Center Press.

The community is expected to remain the fastest growing population in the country, increasing by 74 percent over the next 25 years. Pacific Islanders will increase by 52 percent compared to an 18 percent growth rate for the overall population.

Perhaps the most surprising projection, by 2040 its predicted half of Asian/Americans will be U.S.-born. Currently immigrants make up a large majority of AAPIs. Asian/Americans are also expected to get older with 178 percent increase in Asian/American elderly in 2040 and a 205 percent increase among Pacific Islanders.The overall elderly population in the United States is expected to increase only 72 percent.

"More than ever, it is important to include AAPIs in the development of a more inclusive, fair, and comprehensive narrative about racial ... inequality," say the editors.

RELATED: Impact and influence of AAPI community is expanding

Unfortunately, with this rising population may come a rise in poverty and inequality.

Currently the poverty rate for AAPI elderly is twice the rate of non-Hispanic Whites and 1.5 times as high as the total population.

“Poor AAPI elderly tend to be immigrants with minimal retirement benefits,” said Paul Ong of UCLA. “There are also pockets of very high poverty among South Asian and PI Children. If the current poverty rate continues, then the numbers of AAPIs in poverty will grow to an estimated 2.2 million in 2015 to 3.7 million in 2040.”

Overall in 2040 one out of ten people in the United States will be Asian/American Pacific Islander. One out of six Asian/Americans will be multiracial and three out of 10 Asian Americans in Kindergarten through 12th grade will be multiracial.

With these increased numbers will be more political power.

“The number of Asian/American voters will double by 2040 and the number of PI voters will also grow, which will enable AAPIs to be a sought-after and decisive vote as well as a margin of victory in an ever increasing number of elections,” said Christine Chen of APIAVote.

RELATED: AAPI population will surpass African/Americans by mid-century

Also expected is more political representation from AAPIs.

“There is an opportunity for significant AAPI presence and leadership from the C-Suite in the private sector, to all levels of government, from local, state, federal, and even the White House,” said AAPI Nexus Journal guest editor Floyd Mori, President of the Asian and Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies. “We need to cultivate a leadership pipeline and resources that will shore up capacity and infrastructure to attain, sustain, and advance what our communities define as the AAPI dream.”

The first collection of essays in Volume 1 focused on health, aging, environmental justice, economic justice, education, labor , immigration and political empowerment.

Volume 2, to be released later this year will focus on Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders , women, LGBTQI, civil rights, media, business, philanthropy and cultural preservation.

To purchase or subscribe to the part one of the Journal, click here.
View the table of contents.

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