Inequality is ubiquitous. It pervades all populations—encompassing all ages, all genders, all races and ethnicities. But some groups in the United States face the symptoms of inequality—such as poverty or lack of health insurance—at higher rates than others. What may come as a surprise to some is that Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders rank among those who are faring poorly.
Data on Asian-American and Pacific Islander subpopulations are often clumped together into a single group by government agencies and nonprofit groups. Policymakers ultimately use that same data to identify and theoretically combat inequality. This process masks the high level of variation—that is to say, some important socioeconomic differences—within the country’s fast-growing Asian-American population.
The above excerpt was originally published in National Journal.
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