Since the Immigration Act of 1965 was enacted, Asian Americans have been one of the fastest growing populations in the United States. During the 1940s, the total number of Asian Americans living in the United States was approximately 250,000, a mere 1% of the U.S. population. However, according to the 1990 U.S. Census, the total number of Asians had risen to 7.3 million, and the number steadily increased to 11.9 million, or 4.2% of the U.S. population, by 2000. The Asian American population had reached 15.2 million by 2008, which was an estimated 5% of the U.S. population.

In the aggregate, Asian American children academically outperform other racial groups and are more likely to graduate from high school and pursue higher education as well as have ...