Asian demography surpasses other minorities

According to a Pew Center study, Asians have surpassed Latinos as the most rapidly growing group of immigrants in the United States. Asians now make up over 36 percent of all newcomers in the US in 2010, compared with 31 percent of people of Hispanic origins in the same year.

Asian immigrants are also the most educated population of immigrants in American history, says the study. Experts say the trend reveals a slowdown in undocumented immigration as businesses are demanding more higher-skilled workers.

According to former US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao, for an economy requiring more advanced skills, Asian-Americans are in quite a good position. Over 6 in 10 adults recentlyarriving from Asia have a bachelor's degree a minimum, double the rate of new non-Asian immigrants.

Ms Chao cautioned that issues for the overseas-born population still exist. The Labor Secretary, who served during eight years with the George W Bush administration as the first female Asian-American cabinet member, said immigrants’ primary concern is to survive in the US and make a living.

That this milestone occurred in 2009 going largely unnoticed surprised many analysts, who attributed it to differences in culture.