Key facts about Asian origin groups in the U.S.

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing major racial or ethnic group in the United States. More than 20 million Asians live in the U.S., and almost all trace their roots to at least 19 countries in East and Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

The 19 largest Asian origin groups in the U.S. differ significantly by income, education and other characteristics. These differences highlight the wide diversity of the nation’s Asian population and provide a counterpoint to the “model minority” myth and the description of the group as monolithic. Highlighting these differences within the Asian population has been central to debates about how data about the group should be collected by governments, colleges and universities and other groups, and how it can be used to shape policies impacting the diverse U.S. Asian population. Here’s a look at some of these differences, as well as how individual origin groups compare with the nation’s overall Asian American population.

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