July 2012


www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com


Survey Says Indian Americans Most Educated, Richest


BY SUNITA SOHRABJI Indian Americans are the


most educated population in the United States, with more than 80 percent holding college or advanced degrees, stated a report released June 19 by the Pew Research Center.


Indians Americans also


have the highest income levels, earning $65,000 per year with a median household income of $88,000, far higher than the U.S. household average of 49,000, according to the survey.


But the report, titled, “The Rise of


Asian Americans,” was immediately taken to task by several organizations for its seemingly-homogenous portrayal of the U.S.’s fastest growing ethnic population.


“Our community is not a


monolith,” said Deepa Iyer, executive director of South Asian Americans Leading Together, in an interview with NPR. Iyer, who also serves as chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, said that the community has historically been seen as a model minority, or job takers, and viewed with suspicion.


“We need to make sure we are not


portraying a one-dimensional picture of our community. We have to look at those who are not as much of a success story,” said Iyer, calling for the disaggregation of data of various Asian American subgroups.


In a letter to India-West, Iyer


noted that one out of five South Asian Americans lack health insurance and one out of every three Bangladeshis in New York lives in poverty. “South Asians as a whole continue to face discrimination and immigration barriers and often lack access to vital services,” she said.


“If we ignore the disparities within


our communities in favor of a model minority narrative, then government agencies, philanthropic institutions and lawmakers may leave us out when designing programs, providing funding or changing policy intended to address pressing issues many Americans face,” stated Iyer.


The Asian American Center for


Justice applauded the Pew Center for surveying the community, but said its findings were “overly simplistic.” Household income is a poor measure of success for immigrant communities, which tend to have a larger number of workers per household and a greater number of people who rely on the income, noted the AAJC.


The 225-page Pew report does


disaggregate data for the Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese American population, but lumps Bangladeshis into the “other Asian” category. The report contains no data for the Pakistani, Afghan, Sri Lankan, Nepali or Bhutanese communities.


The 3,511 people interviewed


for the survey included 580 Indian Americans who were interviewed earlier this year. While household income surpasses that of the U.S. population at large, slightly more than half of Indian Americans own their homes, compared to a two-thirds rate of home ownership among the U.S. population at large.


Nine percent of Indian Americans


live in poverty, defined as $19,000 annually for a family of three.


Nearly 87 percent of the Indian


American population is foreign born, and eight percent of the families surveyed have had a baby in the past year, as opposed to seven percent in the total U.S. population.


Almost three-fourths of Indian


Americans are married, significantly higher than for the U.S. overall, in which only half are married. Ninety-two percent of Indian American children live with two married parents, and only two percent of Indian American babies are born to unwed mothers.


Only eight percent of Indians view


the U.S. as better for the strength of family ties; 69 percent regard India as better in that regard, but still see America as a good place to raise children.


Whether myth or reality, Asian


Americans have gained a reputation for being strict and demanding parents. Indian Americans stood out from the other Asian groups for the emphasis they put on good parenting and more than 71 percent believe American parents are too easy on their children. More than two-thirds of Indian Americans believe that parents should have some influence on their children’s career choices.


One-fourth of the nation’s 3.1


million Indian Americans live in the West, while 31 percent live in the Northeast and 29 percent live in the South.


Compared to other Asian


Americans, Indians are the most likely to identify as Democrats; 65 percent are registered for that party or lean that way. Eighteen percent are Republicans.


Two-thirds of Indian Americans


approve of President Barack Obama’s job performance, according to the Pew report.


Asian Americans are also strong


proponents of hard work with two-thirds of those surveyed saying that people can get ahead if they’re willing to work hard. Only 27 percent say hard work is no determinant of success. Interestingly, three-fourths of Indian Americans say hard work is the key to success whilst only two-thirds of Indians in India believe the same.


More than half of Indian Americans


believe they will do better in life than their parents, whereas less than one-third of Indians living in India believe the same.


The Pew report noted that the


Indian economic climate has shifted dramatically in recent years, which has led Indian Americans to be less positive about conditions in the home country. Almost 60 percent are dissatisfied with economic conditions in India, but reported high levels of satisfaction with the U.S. economic climate.


Indian Americans were also the


highest ethnic group to describe their personal financial situation as good or excellent, and the most likely to say that Asian American success surpasses the U.S. population at large.


The Hampton Roads Messenger


5 Your Opinion Matters


Supreme Court Decision a Landmark Victory for Minority Health


BY JESSICA GONZÁLEZ-ROJAS It’s been a long road toward passing


health reform, spanning the course of seven presidencies and ultimately winding its way to the steps of the United States Supreme Court this past Thursday, where activists and patients waited hopefully for the court to rule on President Obama’s health care law.


Now that the highest court in the


land has said the historic expansion of health care access is constitutional, advocates for Latino health and social justice can look forward to a transformation of our health care system that will provide protections for consumers, better insurance coverage for more people, and meaningful measures to reduce health disparities. This relief cannot come soon enough for Latinas, our families, and our communities, who face longstanding and numerous barriers to accessing quality, affordable health care — including reproductive health care. The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) applauds the Supreme Court decision as a significant victory for Latinas everywhere.


Latinos lack insurance more than


any other racial or ethnic group: one in three of us are not covered today. This lack of access to basic care leaves our communities unfairly saddled with much higher rates of chronic and preventable diseases than other groups living in the U.S., and Latinas face disproportionate- ly high rates of unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections and HIV, diabetes, cervical cancer, and other issues. Like all women, Latinas are charged more for health insurance than our male counterparts and have been denied coverage for so-called “pre-existing conditions” like prior Caesarean births or experiences with intimate partner violence.


The Affordable Care Act (ACA)


has already expanded health coverage and protections for Latino youth. It eliminates coverage discrimination against children with pre-existing conditions and requires insurance companies to cover young people on family plans until age 26 — great news for a predominantly younger population that already faces multiple barriers to accessing employment and employer- provided care.


In past years, about half of all


Latino children with health insurance were covered by the SCHIP program, which will be strengthened with today’s ruling. Overall, an estimated 6 million Latinos will benefit from the ACA’s health access expansion. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) estimates that 736,000 young Latinos have already benefited by being able to remain on family insurance plans.


That’s just


the beginning. The new health law will also, for the


first time, dramatically expand access to preventive, reproductive health care by eliminating co-pays for critical health services like cervical cancer screenings, maternity care, breastfeeding support, and contraception. Over the next two years, the law will provide new funding to community health centers, facilities that act as a lifeline for underserved Latinos and provide care regardless of ability to pay, or immigration status. In addition, the ACA supports language and cultural competency training for health care workers, as well as efforts to increase diversity in the health care workforce.


We believe that everyone has a


fundamental right to quality, affordable health care, including contraception. The passage of the Affordable Care Act has brought millions of Latinas closer to that vision and ensures that we can make the healthiest decisions for ourselves and our families.


Today, we celebrate the incredible


gains of this law, and the relief it will provide to struggling families. Tomorrow, we get back to work. While the gains achieved through the ACA are a big step in the right direction, we still have a long way to go.


Unfortunately, part of the Supreme


Court’s decision included a strike at the provision to expand Medicaid eligibility to 133 percent of the federal poverty rate. Essentially, states cannot be penalized for not participating in the expansion, leaving the federal government without authority to enforce it. This specifically harms Latinos and other communities of color, which stand to benefit from this provision.


In addition, many immigrants will


continue to struggle to get care or go without it, and access to abortion care has been left behind. Opponents of the ACA continue to launch attacks on numerous benefits included in the law, particularly on the provision for contraception without co-pays. And anti-immigrant laws like SB 1070 may have the effect of continuing to stigmatize Latinos and creating significant barriers to accessing critical services like health care.


We are proud to have been part of


the struggle to make this law a reality, and we applaud the court for upholding it. Undoubtedly, the Affordable Care Act will positively impact the lives of millions of Latinos and it lays the necessary groundwork for future efforts to improve our health care system. Now we are ready to move forward to fully implement this law and pursue additional solutions so that we may fully realize the vision of health equity, health justice, and access for all.


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