Census Report: Asians Fastest Growing Group In US

The Census Bureau’s latest report shows Asians to be the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States.

Their population rose 2.9 percent, or 530,000, from 2011 to 2012 to 18.9 million, 60 percent of which was from international immigration.

Hispanics were second largest in growth, with their population rising by 2.2 percent, or more than 1.1 million, to just over 53 million in 2012, mostly through “natural increase” such as births.

“Asians and Hispanics have long been among our nation’s fastest-growing race or ethnic groups,” said Thomas Mesenbourg, the Census Bureau’s acting director.

California has the largest Asian population of any state, 6 million by July 2012. Hawaii is the nation’s only majority-Asian state at 56.9 percent.

The nation’s total minority population increased by 1.9 percent and was 116 million, or 37 percent, of the total population in July 2012, the report says.

By: Cheston Catalano

Cheston Catalano is a Kentucky-based journalist whose work has been featured in the Chattanooga Times Free Press and the Clarksville Leaf Chronicle. He is a long-time contributor to Liberaland.