Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

"Glass Ceiling" For Asian American Professionals Persists In Massachusetts: A Look At U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Data, Shauna Lo

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

For this report, the Institute for Asian American Studies (IAAS) accessed U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) EEO-1 data from 2018 to find out if Asian Americans (as well as Whites, Blacks and Hispanics) are underrepresented in executive and managerial positions in Massachusetts businesses.

Asian Americans And The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Lingual Survey In Greater Boston, Carolyn Wong, Ziting Kuang

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This report on Asian Americans and the Covid-19 Pandemic describes lessons from a multilingual survey administered in Greater Boston during the Fall, Winter, and early Spring of 2020-21. The Institute for Asian American Studies (IAAS) at UMass Boston designed and administered the IAAS Covid-19 Survey on the health, economic, and social impacts of the pandemic for Asian Americans. The IAAS Covid-19 Survey was designed to fill significant gaps in data available from a previous Spring 2020 survey, Living in Boston During Covid-19, which was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and administered by UMass Boston’s Center for Survey Research …

Asian Americans In Massachusetts Including Boston And Other Selected Cities: Data From The 2020 Decennial Census And American Community Survey, Shauna Lo

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The data in this report are drawn from multiple U.S. Census Bureau datasets: the 2020 Decennial Census, the 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, the 2015–2019 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, and the 2015-2019 American Community Survey 5-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS). Note that data from different datasets are not directly comparable. The dataset used for each table and chart is indicated.

Limited data was available from the 2020 Decennial Census at the time of publication.

Population data in this report may be for racial groups “alone” (one race only) or “alone or in combination” (one or more races), …

Talking About Casino Gambling: Community Voices From Boston Chinatown, Carolyn Wong, Giles Li

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This pilot study examined the casino gambling practices of residents and workers in Boston Chinatown. The aim was to learn about the trajectory and life context of individual participants’ gambling activity, including how individual participants describe their motivation, nature and frequency of gambling, and its effects on self and family. The research was conducted by a university based research team in partnership with the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, and with the assistance of the Massachusetts Council on Compulsive Gambling.

The stories told by participants illustrate multiple and overlapping risk factors for problem gambling. Our conceptual approach took into account the …

Racialized Aggressions And Sense Of Belonging Among Asian American College Students, Kevin J. Gin

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This naturalistic, qualitative inquiry explored how Asian American college students’ encounters with racialized aggressions on social media impacted their sense of belonging at a predominately White institution (PWI). Participants indicated that encounters with racism on social media, especially on the anonymous mobile app Yik Yak, engendered racial distrust, and alienation from their institution. These findings suggest the virtual components of campus culture play a critical role in determining how Asian American college students feel they are welcomed, valued, and included at a PWI.

Asian Americans In Massachusetts Including Boston And Other Selected Cities: Data From The American Community Survey, Shauna Lo, Institute For Asian American Studies, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The data in this report are drawn from three U.S. Cenusu Bureau datasets: the 2014 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, the 2010–2014 American Community Survey 5-year estimates, and the 2010-2014 American Community Survey 5-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS). Each are distinct data sets with different samples and estimates. The dataset used for each table and chart is indicated.

Population data from the 2010 Decennial Census may be found in the Institute for Asian American Studies report from October 2012. The American Community Survey is not intended to be used for accurate population counts.

Being Non-Christian In A Christian Community: Experiences Of Belonging And Identity Among Korean Americans, Jane Yeonjae Lee

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This study responds to the need to investigate the lives of secular migrants where religious marginalization may play a significant role in their everyday lives. Through a qualitative approach, this exploratory study examines the experiences of secular and religiously marginalized Korean Americans in relation to their predominantly Christian communities. In particular, the study focuses on the unique experiences of those aged between 25 and 35 living in the greater Boston area. The study compiles vivid narratives of non-Christian Korean American experiences within a dominant Christian ethnic community focusing on their religious and non-religious performances.

The overall objectives of this study, …

How We Care: Provider Perspectives On Services For Vietnamese Elderly In Boston’S Dorchester Neighborhood, Loan Thi Dao

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The need for culturally competent care for the elderly is of growing concern for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities and health providers. In 2012, a preliminary study was conducted to ascertain the perspectives of service providers about the cultural competency of services for elderly Vietnamese Americans in Boston, Massachusetts. The study includes interviews with key informants representing the five major community health centers (CHC) programs in Boston’s Vietnamese enclave in the Dorchester neighborhood. Secondary data collection from field observations and informal communications with other staff and elderly clients also inform the findings. While the study recognizes the value …

Health And Mental Health Of Older Asian Americans: A Comparative Study Of Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, And Other Asian/Pacific Islander Elders, Jing Tan

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Purpose: This study examined the health and mental health status among U.S. Chinese, Filipino, Asian Indian, other Asian/Pacific Islander (API), and non-Hispanic White older adults, using nationally representative data. Method: An aggregated data file from the National Health Interview Survey from 2000 to 2009 was analyzed. The sample included 848 Chinese, 823 Filipino, 337 Asian Indian, 1,488 “other API,” and 74,042 non-Hispanic White older adults aged 65 and older. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare the health and mental health status among different ethnic groups of older adults and to identify related factors. Findings: The descriptive statistics reveal …

Political Contributions By Asian Americans: An Analysis Of The 2014 Massachusetts Gubernatorial Campaign, Michael Liu, Paul Watanabe

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The Institute for Asian American Studies’ report on political contributions by Asian Americans in the 2002 Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign represented the first time that these contributions were systematically reported and analyzed.1 In that election, Asian Americans constituted 1.0% of all individual contributions. In terms of dollar value, those contributions accounted for 1.1% of the total dollar amount contributed. This report follows that initial study by examining Asian American political contributions to candidates for governor in 2014.

The 2014 governor’s race was energized by the fact that two-term incumbent Deval Patrick chose not to seek re-election. Patrick’s decision touched off a …

Information On Small Populations With Significant Health Disparities: A Report On Data Collected On The Health Of Asian Americans In Massachusetts, Carolyn Wong, Hannah Hosotani, John Her

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

An analysis of publicly available sources of data on Asian Americans in Massachusetts with recommendations on ways to improve this collection of data.

Our report begins with a discussion of the important issues of data collection and reporting and then discusses the particular challenges of collecting and reporting on data in Massachusetts. Profiles of major datasets based on records for administrative entities are presented such as the Massachusetts Cancer Registry, hospital discharges, MassHealth, and Medicare, and mortality and natality records. This is followed by a description of major datasets based on population surveys such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance …

The Asian American Electorate In 2012: Estimates Of Voter Registration In Eleven Massachusetts Cities And Towns, Paul Watanabe, Michael Liu

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Massachusetts’ Asian American community continues to grow rapidly and accordingly Asian American electoral participation increases in importance. Voting is a vehicle to expand opportunities and to enhance their role in the selection of public officials and influencing public policies. This participation, however, does not come easily for some groups and especially for those with a large immigrant component such as the Asian American populations. To be eligible to vote, adult residents must be United States citizens by birth or naturalization, but that is not enough — citizens must also be registered to vote.

This report provides detailed estimates of voter …

Asian Americans In Massachusetts: A Census Profile, Shauna Lo

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The report utilizes data from the 2010 Decennial Census, 2010 American Community Survey 1-year estimates, and the 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-year estimates to provide detailed demographic and socioeconomic data for Asian Americans as well as for Chinese, Indians, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Koreans, Filipinos, and Japanese Americans in the state. Many of the tables also provide comparative data on Whites, Blacks and African Americans, and Latinos.

Profiles Of Asian American Subgroups In Massachusetts: Vietnamese Americans In Massachusetts, Shauna Lo, Thao Tran

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Vietnamese Americans are the third largest Asian American subgroup in Massachusetts. In the 2010 decennial census, the Vietnamese American population in the state numbered 47,636, an increase of nearly 30% since 2000.

The largest concentration of Vietnamese Americans is in the city of Boston, while Worcester also has a significant population. There are also sizable communities of Vietnamese Americans just to the north and south of Boston—to the north in Malden, Everett, Medford, Revere, Chelsea, and Lynn, and to the south in Quincy, Randolph, and Braintree.

The greatest area of growth of Vietnamese Americans in the state is to the …

Asian American We: Civic Engagement Among Low-Income Young Adults, Michael Liu, Star Wang, Janice Wong, Loan Dao

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This report describes a study of the civic participation of low-income Asian American adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five in the Boston area. It is based upon a mail survey with 100 respondents, focus groups, and organization interviews.

The study found that over 60% of the study population engaged in some form of civic participation, most commonly through fundraising or volunteer activities. Other activities included arts and culture with a social message, issues work, and electoral involvement. The area of greatest involvement was education. From the survey, civic engagement is correlated with female gender, higher education, and a …

Massachusetts Immigrants By The Numbers, Second Edition: Demographic Characteristics And Economic Footprint, Alan Clayton-Matthews, Paul Watanabe

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

With this update to the original groundbreaking study of Massachusetts Immigrants by the Numbers in 2009, we continue to focus on the economic and social contributions that immigrants have made in building the vibrant Massachusetts economy. It shows that, despite heightened public debate, the demographic characteristics and economic trends of the state’s immigrant population have remained largely unchanged. Immigrants continue to have a positive impact on the Commonwealth.

Adult Children Of Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Memories And Influences, Nga-Wing Anjela Wong, Paul Watanabe, Michael Liu

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Probing the changing makeup of American college campuses, Adult Children of Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Memories and Influences offers unparalleled insight into the journeys of today’s graduate students born to immigrant entrepreneur parents.

Through interviews with 40 graduate students attending Massachusetts colleges from across the country, Adult Children of Immigrant Entrepreneurs unearths the unique challenges, skills and propensities engendered by growing up in a household where at least one parent ran a business. It also reveals that the students feel a deep-seated desire to give back to the immigrant communities into which they were born and which helped to mold their identities.

Chinese-Born Seniors On The Move: Transnational Mobility And Family Life Between The Pearl River Delta And Boston, Massachusetts, Nicole Newendorp

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

My account here of Chinese seniors’ migration trajectories to the U.S. in recent years builds on this increasing scholarly focus on the dialectic of the individual and collective in Chinese transnational family life by examining the motivations and desires of senior migrants who make use of recent opportunities for transnational mobility between China and the U.S. to reunite with family in the U.S.—all the while leaving other family members behind in China.

Asian Adoptees And Post-Adoption Services In Massachusetts: Data From Providers And Reflections From Adult Adoptees, Nathan James Bae Kupel

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

In the summer of 2009, the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston in consultation with Boston Korean Adoptees, Inc. (BKA), commenced a project aimed at documenting post-adoption services and programs available to Asian adoptees, principally Korean, in Massachusetts and assessing their content and relevance. In the first part of the project, a questionnaire was sent to providers of post-adoption services and program currently available requesting information about their services—number, content, clientele, resources, and staffing. In addition providers were asked to comment on the frequency of requests for services and on challenges faced in offering them. …

Profiles Of Asian American Subgroups In Massachusetts: Korean Americans In Massachusetts, Nathan James Bae Kupel

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This report looks at Korean Americans in Massachusetts with a focus on the Metro Boston area. Using the 2000 U.S. Census and the American Community Survey 2005–2007 Three-Year Estimates in combination with interviews and secondary research, this profile looks at Korean American demographics and community perspectives.

A Profile Of Asian Americans In Massachusetts: Data From The 2005-2007 American Community Survey Three-Year Estimates, Shauna Lo

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The report contains demographic and socioeconomic data for Asian Americans as well as for Chinese, Indians, Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Koreans in the state. Many of tables also provide comparative data on Whites, Blacks and African Americans, and Latinos.

Massachusetts Immigrants By The Numbers: Demographic Characteristics And Economic Footprint, Alan Clayton-Matthews, Faye Karp, Paul Watanabe

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

An analysis of data on the impact of immigrants on the Massachusetts economy. Along with demographic characteristics, the study examines variables such as income, poverty status, occupation, and home-ownership. In addition, the report addresses the impact of immigrants on taxes, social services, and transfer payments.

Nepali Female Migrants And Informalization Of Domestic Care Work: Service Or Servitude?, Shobha Hamal Gurung

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Nepali female migrants are among the fastest-growing immigrant workforces in the South Asian community, particularly in service and domestic work in big cities of the United States. However, there has not until now been a study investigating the work experiences of Nepali immigrants/migrants employed in the service and domestic sectors in these cities. This article investigates the work experiences of Nepali female migrants who work in service and domestic/child care work in Boston and New York, focusing on examining the type and nature of women's work, labor practices, work and living conditions, women's experiences and views about their work, and …

Lao Health And Adjustment In Southern New England Three Decades After The Secret War, Patrick F. Clarkin

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This study explored Lao life histories, health, and social adjustment in the southern New England states of Rhode Island and Connecticut. In addition, it sought to examine whether there was a correlation between war experiences early in life and health in adulthood, a finding reported in previous research on the Hmong, another ethnic group from Laos. Overall, 99 Lao adults born in Laos or Thailand (mean age 43.5 +/- 10.8 years) completed orally administered questionnaires and were measured for blood pressure and various anthropometric markers. Lao in this sample appeared to have higher than average educational back grounds in Laos, …

Interest And Action: Findings From A Survey Of Asian American Attitudes On Immigrants, Immigration, And Activism, Michael Liu, Shauna Lo, Paul Watanabe

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This report presents results from a survey of 412 Chinese and Vietnamese in the Boston area about attention paid to immigration issues, views on the impact of immigrants and on immigration policies, and likeliness to engage in political activities around immigration rights.

Asian American Nonprofit Organizations In U.S. Metropolitan Areas, Chi-Kan Richard Hung

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

This article analyzes the characteristics of Asian American nonprofit organizations in major U.S. metropolitan areas. The data are based on internet archives of nonprofit organization Form 990 and related information. Asian American nonprofits are less than 20 years old on average. They remain a relatively small part of the nonprofit sector. Religious organizations are generally the largest group among Asian American nonprofits, followed by cultural organizations, service agencies, and public interest associations of similar proportions. Asian American secular organizations as a group tend to be younger, are more likely to by in central cities, in wealthy and poor communities, as …

The Rise Of Asian-Owned Businesses In Massachusetts: Data From The 2002 Economic Census Survey Of Business Owners, Michael Liu, Paul Watanabe

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Asian-owned businesses are following a very rapid growth trajectory in Massachusetts. In fact, Asian-owned firms increased by 44 percent in Massachusetts from 1997 to 2002. This growth is nearly double the national gain of 24 percent for all Asian-owned firms in the United States. Moreover, during the same time period, the number of all firms in the state expanded by only five percent. Similar comparisons can be made when looking at sales and receipts and number of paid employees. From 1997-2002, Asian-owned businesses in Massachusetts experienced an increase in sales and receipts of 20 percent. This was over three times …

Profiles Of Asian American Subgroups In Massachusetts: Filipino Americans In Massachusetts, Richard Chu

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

The study of Filipino Americans in the United States is both fascinating and important. It is fascinating because, as with most Asian American subgroups, Filipino Americans are highly diverse, displaying a rich contour of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. It is important because they come from a country that was the only major colony of the U.S. in the Pacific. As a consequence of this historical relationship, Filipino Americans now rank as the second most populous Asian American subgroup, and 2006 marked the centennial of the first significant group of contract laborers to be sent to Hawai’i. Despite the important roles …

Far From The Commonwealth: A Report On Low-Income Asian Americans In Massachusetts, Michael Liu, Thao Tran, Paul Watanabe

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

Asian Americans are as diverse in history, language, class, ethnic origin, and demographics as any group in the United States. This complexity is reflected in their economic status. Much attention has focused on the significant economic attainments of many Asian Americans. The fact, however, that a large number of Asian Americans also live in poverty or have low incomes has received much less notice from researchers, foundations, government agencies, and others.

The principal purpose of this report is to bring attention to and shed more light on a significant sector of Asian Americans in Massachusetts, those with low incomes. We …

Housing Affordability For Households Of Color In Massachusetts, Michael E. Stone

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

While housing is deeply significant for all of us, in our society it tends to pose particular challenges to many, if not most, people of color. For one thing, households of color continue to have considerably lower incomes, on average, than White-headed households. This means that households of color can, on average, afford less and therefore have fewer housing choices available, just for economic reasons alone. Yet we are not in a world where differential housing choices are determined only by ability to pay. Residential segregation by race persists and is not merely a consequence of unacceptable practices of the …