Asian Americans of the Empire State: Growing Diversity and Common Needs is a detailed examination of the Asian American communities of our state published through the Asian American Foundation. New York has seen dramatic demographic changes in the Asian American population during the last decade. The report summarizes the population changes between 2000 and 2010 Censuses for the Asian population as a whole, as well as for Asian ethnic groups. Emerging Asian communities (both ethnically and geographically) are highlighted.
The report also examines the demographic and socioeconomic data for several key geographic areas: the suburban counties that are part of the New York City metro area, and the upstate counties with the largest Asian populations.
Among these upstate counties is a review of Oneida County's Asian population, covered on pages 45 to 52 of the report. Major conclusions about Oneida County's Asian population include:
- The Asian population in Oneida County doubled in size, largely due to the influx of Burmese refugees in the last decade.
- Many of these new refugees settled in Utica and faced language, education, and job challenges as they seek to adjust to their new homes.
- Major socioeconomic differences exist between Asians living in Utica and suburban Asians, with Asians in Utica facing higher rates of poverty, lower educational attainment, and language barriers compared to their suburban counterparts.
- Asians in Oneida County had the highest poverty rates compared to Asians in all other geographic areas examined in this report.
- Asians in Oneida County had the highest percentage of adults age 25 and older who had not completed high school compared to Asians in all other geographic areas examined in this report
