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The California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA) and AAPI Data have partnered to create a fact sheet on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in California featuring up-to-date analysis of demographic information from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Key findings

Population Growth

  • California is home to over 7.2 million Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs).
  • Asian Americans grew by over 25% from 2010 to 2020 in California, making them one of the fastest-growing racial groups in the state (the only group with a higher growth rate was Native Americans, who saw a significant increase between 2010 and 2020 on the number of people who selected more than one race, including American Indian or Alaska Native).

Voting Eligibility

  • 55% of Asian Americans and 63% of NHPIs in California are eligible to vote.
  • 81% of Native Hawaiians and 79% of Chamorros are eligible to vote.
  • 38% of Asian Americans are U.S. citizens under age 18.

Language Access

  • Asian Americans have higher rates of limited English proficiency (LEP) than Latinos or NHPIs.
  • Mongolian, Burmese, Vietnamese, Afghan, and Chinese populations have the highest LEP rates.
  • Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog/Filipino, and Korean are the most common languages spoken by California’s LEP residents.

Education

  • Several groups, including Hmong, Cambodian, Tongan, and Samoan have lower education attainment than the statewide average.

Poverty

  • NHPI, Afghan, Hmong, Cambodian, Samoan, and Mongolian residents have poverty rates well above the statewide average.

How to use this data

The California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA) and AAPI Data share a unified commitment on leveraging disaggregated data as a framework for inclusive policymaking, institutional investment, and transformation. We encourage policymakers, educators, researchers, advocates, and community leaders to engage with this data as a strategic tool to better understand the diverse experiences of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities. This data provides a critical foundation for understanding AANHPI communities and identifying equity gaps in social, economic, educational, and civic participation.