Anti-Asian Job Bias Declines, U.S. Study Says

Asians and Asian-Americans are less harmed by employment discrimination, judging by their progress in income levels and entry into higher-paying occupations between 1960 and 1980, according to a staff study by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

But some Asian groups--such as Filipinos, Vietnamese and Asian Indians--appear to be hurt significantly by discrimination, while Asians overall are under-represented in corporate managerial positions, the study found.

The study, released last week and titled “The Economic Status of Americans of Asian Descent,” was compiled by the commission’s economics staff and has not been accepted by the full commission. At least two commissioners, Mary Frances Berry and Robert A. Destro, objected to the report, saying it first should be reviewed by experts on anti-Asian discrimination, a commission spokesman said.

But the study has been winning praise from some labor economists and other experts, who note it appears to be the first major research effort on incomes of Asians--the nation’s fastest-growing minority group at about 1.5% of the U.S. population--that adjusts for such variables as age, skill levels, education and regional differences. The study also separated out incomes for native-born and immigrant Asians, and different national origins.

Incomes More Equal in 1980

One key finding is that, based on 1980 census data, incomes of native-born Asian-Americans on average were not significantly different from those of non-Hispanic white males of similar skills, whereas in 1960 they were significantly lower.

For instance, when adjusted for differences, excluding occupation and industry, native-born Japanese-American males earned 2% more than native-born non-Hispanic white males. Chinese-American males earned 5% less, Korean-American males earned 8% more. Filipino-American males, however, earned 9% less and Asian Indian-American males earned 30% less.

By contrast, in 1960, Chinese-American males earned 13% less, Japanese-American males earned 23% less and Filipino-American males earned 39% less. “Their earnings were lower because they couldn’t get into higher-paying occupations and industries,” said Harriet O. Duleep, a commission staff economist who conducted the study. The fact that incomes were more equal in 1980 “doesn’t mean there is no discrimination . . . but perhaps Asians are at least better able to overcome it,” she added.

A similar comparison over time was not made for Asian women, but the study showed that in 1980, both native- and foreign-born Asian women earned as much or more than comparable white women. The study also showed that immigrant Asian males, with the exception of Vietnamese, earn more than non-Hispanic white immigrant males over time.

Stewart Kwoh, executive director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center in Los Angeles, said the study’s finding of less impact from discrimination is hardly surprising, given that in 1960, discriminatory immigration laws against Asians were in force and major civil rights gains were yet to be achieved. “It should not be understood that there is no longer discrimination against Asian Americans,” Kwoh said. “Asian Pacific Americans have been successful in technical work and small entrepreneurial businesses, but their ability to advance into management has been limited.”