As the unemployment figures reached their highest levels in 30 years, there are assertions that AAPIs have fared relatively well compared to Whites, Blacks, Hispanics or the nation as a whole. In March 2010, the jobless rate for AAPIs was 7.5 percent compared to 9.5 percent for Whites, 12.6 percent for Latinos, and 16.5 percent for Blacks. A recent article by USA Today claims the "unemployment gap"—the difference between Asian Americans and the nation as a whole—can be attributed to high educational attainment, work ethnics, family ties, and cultural tradition, which are prevalent among Asian Americans. 8

While the article captures the important relationship between educational attainment and employment status, it does little to reveal the fundamental problem with the disparities that exist within the Asian American and Pacific Islander population. Despite high educational attainment rates for AAPIs in the aggregate, large sectors of the AAPI population suffer from high secondary school drop-out rates, low rates of college participation, and low two- and four-year college completion rates. Figure 1 illustrates the variation in educational attainment among AAPI students of differing ethnic backgrounds, which speaks to the challenges faced by many AAPI sub-groups in the context of America's education system.

Note: 25 years and older | Source: American Community Survey, 3-Year Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)

Download the full 2010 CARE report here (pdf)>>

8 - H. El Nasser, "Cultural Factors Help Limit Recession's Impact," USA Today (November 20, 2009).