The Economic Times:
December 18, 2004

New Delhi: Model minority? Indians in the US could well be considered as one. They are the most successful Asian minority in the US that is if you consider income levels, education, professional status and English language ability.

Going by the US Census 2000, Indians account for nearly two million (16.2 per cent) of the 10 million Asian population.

Asian Americans increased from 6.9 million, or 2.8 per cent of the US population, in 1990 to 10.2 million, or 3.6 per cent, in 2000. Including mixed-race Asian Americans, counted by the Census for the first time in 2000, the population was 11.9 million, or 4.2 per cent.

The Indian communitys achievement is all the more remarkable, given that 54 per cent of the community only moved to the US between 1990 and 2000. Already, the median family income is $70,708, which is substantially higher than the overall US median of $50,046.

The median income for Asian communities is $59,324; either way the Indian community is far ahead.

Demographically too, the Indian population is largely between the age of 18 to 64 years (71.4 per cent), the median age for the community is 30.3 years almost five years younger the national median of 35 years.

However, there is a large proportion of the Indian community (45.8 per cent) which is foreign born and has not yet attained US citizenship.

In terms of educational qualifications , 63.9 per cent of the Indian community above the age of 25 years has a bachelors degree or more, compared to the overall percentage of 24.4, or the Asian percentage of 44.1.

As a result, more than 50 per cent of the Indian community is involved in management, professional and related occupations.