Asian Population in Orange County

Asians and Pacific Islanders in the County by Subgroup

% Change Rank Group Population Since 1980 1. Vietnamese 71,822 +271% 2. Chinese 41,403 +191% 3. Korean 35,919 +217% 4. Filipino 30,356 +178% 5. Japanese 29,704 +42% 6. Asian Indian 15,212 +206% 7. Other Asian 6,613 n/a 8. Cambodian 3,979 n/a 9. Hawaiian 3,166 +41% 10. Samoan 2,979 +48% 11. Laotian 2,893 n/a 12. Thai 2,227 n/a 13. Guamanian 1,406 +48% 14. Hmong 575 n/a 15. Tongan 345 n/a 16. Other Micronesian 247 n/a 17. Other Polynesian 148 n/a 18. Other Pacific Islander 119 n/a 19. Melanesian 79 n/a

Total OC Asian Population: 249,192 Percentage of OC Population: 10%

Vietnamese

With the tremendous influx of immigrants from Vietnam, China, Korea and elsewhere during the past decade, the number of Asians in Orange County has nearly tripled since 1980, making them the fastest growing segment of the population. Political upheaval, wars, economic difficulties and other factors have prompted thousands of newcomers to come here, swelling the ranks of Asians in Orange County to nearly 250,000--about 10% of the county’s overall population.

The fastest-growing ethnic group in Orange County, the population ballooned 271% during the 1980s due to surge of immigrants since the end of the Vietnam War. With the establishment of a Little Saigon business district in Westminster, Orange County has become the center of Vietnamese culture and business in the U.S.

Five Largest Vietnamese Populations

% of Total 1990 Group Population Within City 1. Garden Grove 15,001 20.9% 2. Santa Ana 14,878 20.7% 3. Westminster 11,376 15.8% 4. Anaheim 4,569 6.4% 5. Huntington Beach 3,543 4.9%

Chinese

Some are the offspring of people who came from mainland China a century ago, but a sizable percentage are relatively new arrivals from Taiwan seeking educational opportunities or a safer political environment. With more than 41,400 Chinese in Orange County, it is the second largest Asian group in the country.

Five Largest Chinese Populations

% of Total 1990 Group Population Within City 1. Irvine 6,482 15.7% 2. Anaheim 4,028 9.7% 3. Huntington Beach 3,444 8.3% 4. Fullerton 2,366 5.7% 5. Fountain Valley 2,299 5.6%

Korean

The number in Orange County more than tripled since 1980 as immigrants came to the U.S. seeking educational opportunities and a respite from their politically volatile homeland. Many land first in Los Angeles’ large Korea Town, but then migrate out to suburban locales such as Orange County.

Five Largest Korean Populations

% of Total 1990 Group Population Within City 1. Garden Grove 5,702 15.9% 2. Fullerton 4,594 12.8% 3. Anaheim 4,245 11.8% 4. Irvine 3,660 10.2% 5. Buena Park 2,627 7.3%

Filipino

With the troubling political situation involving the Marcos regime in the Philippines during the early 1980s, many Filipinos sought refuge in the U.S. Although dispersed throughout the nation, Orange County has lured a large number during the 1980s, during which the Filipino population rose 178%.

Five Largest Filipino Populations

% of Total 1990 Group Population Within City 1. Anaheim 4,243 14.0% 2. Santa Ana 2,639 8.7% 3. Buena Park 2,293 7.6% 4. Garden Grove 2,185 7.2% 5. Irvine 1,574 5.2%

Japanese

Once the largest Asian group in Orange County, the Japanese have fallen to fifth. Most are the offspring of Japanese who endured internment in far-flung camps during World War II. In recent years the county has experienced a small influx of Japanese nationals working for auto and electronics firms.

Five Largest Japanese Populations

% of Total 1990 Group Population Within City 1. Irvine 3,382 11.4% 2. Huntington Beach 3,076 10.4% 3. Anaheim 2,798 9.4% 4. Fountain Valley 1,643 5.5% 5. Fullerton 1,422 4.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau