Asians and Pacific Islanders in Oregon

A scan of demographics, disparities, and assets.

APANO

March 22, 2021

Asian and Pacific Islander communities live, work, and study across Oregon.

In 2019, there were 259,403 (6%) Asians and 35,887 (0.9%) Pacific Islanders across Oregon. These numbers, based on census estimates, are likely an undercount. Considering that Asian and Pacific Islanders (API) are the fastest-growing demographic in the United States yet the least likely to fill out the census , the true population is likely larger than 7% of the total population in Oregon.

The Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) with support from Shift Health Accelerator , Insight for Action , and Willamette Partnership , set out to learn more about: Where API folks live, work, and study across Oregon; Lift up some of the disparities that API communities may be facing; and Begin mapping the social service ecosystem and community assets.

Asian and Pacific Islanders are made up of diverse and expansive communities.

They are not a singular community.

And that diversity was made crystal clear during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Combining all API communities together glosses over the real needs that specific communities face in counties across Oregon.

In Oregon, Pacific Islanders were more than 14 times more likely to get sick with COVID-19 than white populations. Asians experienced a 366% increase of reported hate crimes in 2020 , since the start of the pandemic. There has been increased discrimination and businesses have closed.

API community-based organizations are intentional and systematic in how they engage with API communities in Oregon, hear their needs, and provide support so that everyone is prosperous and resilient.

Where do Asian and Pacific Islanders live, work, and study in Oregon?

Population of Asian and Pacific Islanders by County

There is significant diversity among Asian and Pacific Islander Communities.

Washington County had the highest number of people who identified as:

Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Cambodian, Filipino, Malaysian, Okinawan, Taiwanese, Indonesian, Korean

Native Hawaiian

Multnomah County had the highest number of people who identified as:

Bhutanese, Burmese, Chinese, Hmong, Nepalese, Thai, Japanese, Laotian, Vietnamese

Samoan, Tongan, Chamorro, Fijian

Deschutes County had the highest number of people who identified as:

Mongolian

Marion County had the highest number of people who identified as:

Marshallese

There are also smaller pockets of API communities in Jackson, Benton, Yamhill, Polk, Deschutes, Union, and Umatilla Counties.

Where do Asian and Pacific Islanders study in Oregon?

Cities with the Highest API Student Population

Where do Asian and Pacific Islanders work in Oregon?

Counties with the Highest Number of Asian-Owned Businesses

In 2012, Asians and Pacific Islanders owned businesses across Oregon, especially in Clackamas, Washington, Multnomah, and Lane. The most common sectors are accommodation and food services, retail, and healthcare and social assistance. ACS, 2012.

There are also farmers in the API community. There are about 50-80 Asian farmers in counties like Clackamas, Washington, Marion, Hood River, and Linn, and 10-30 Pacific Islander farmers in counties like Clackamas, Jackson, and Lane. USDA, 2017.

Where might there be Asian and Pacific Islanders in need of supports in some way?

Importantly, there is A LOT we do not know. Much of the administrative data on social needs and social determinants of health are not consistently disaggregated and reported by race and ethnicity below the state level. In many places, there are also small numbers of API families who may have clear needs, but those needs are currently out of reach of many API-specific organizers.

When we talk about disparities in the API community in Oregon, we need more precision. We need to be specific by race, disparity, and location.

Although this is a county-level scan, we are seeing disparities among Asian and Pacific Islander communities in various measures.

HEALTH ~ LEARNING ~ JOBS ~ HOUSING ~ CHILDCARE

Statewide, 5.7% of Asians and 12.2% of Pacific Islanders lack health insurance (compared to 6.2% of Whites). Multnomah, Washington, Lane, and Marion, counties have the highest numbers of uninsured API people.

Asians and Pacific Islanders without Health Insurance Coverage by County

Counties with the highest number of API without insurance coverage. The count is the total number of Asians or Pacific Islanders without insurance coverage, and the percent is the percentage of total Asian or Pacific Islanders without insurance coverage.

Some of those counties have a significant percentage of the API community without insurance, especially when compared to Whites. Union and Deschutes counties are examples of counties that have a significant percentage of uninsured Pacific Island and Asian individuals, respectively.

HEALTH ~ LEARNING ~ JOBS ~ HOUSING ~ CHILDCARE

Asians and Pacific Islanders with Less than a High School Diploma by County

There are so few API students in most schools that student success measures are hard to assess for student achievement disparities.

Chronic Absenteeism

However, there are trends to watch for chronic absenteeism. For Asian students, data points to trends to watch in smaller towns like Springfield and Roseburg. For Pacific Island students, school districts to watch are North Wasco, Salem-Keizer, Oregon City, West Linn, Springfield, Centennial, Beaverton, Tigard-Tualatin, and Reynolds.

High School Diploma or GED

There are opportunities to invest in GED or technical training programs. The counties that have the highest number of API folks over 25 that have less than a high school degree are Multnomah, Washington, Marion, Clackamas, and Lane. When compared to their white counterparts, there are disparities among Pacific Island and Asian communities in Lane, Marion, and Polk counties.

HEALTH ~ LEARNING ~ JOBS ~ HOUSING ~ CHILDCARE

Multnomah, Washington, Lane, and Marion have high rates of API living at or below the Federal Poverty Line, which may be an indicator that more jobs with better wages are needed.

Asians and Pacific Islanders with Income Below the Federal Poverty Line by County

Compared to Whites, poverty rates among Pacific Islanders are significant in counties such as Lane and Marion. Poverty rates among Asians are significant in counties like Benton and Polk.

HEALTH ~ LEARNING ~ JOBS ~ HOUSING ~ CHILDCARE

Multnomah, Washington, Lane, and Marion have the highest number of API renters. These counties also have some of the highest numbers of renters who are rent-burdened or severely rent-burdened.

Washington County has the second-highest housing stock in the state, but the lowest vacancy rate at 4.4%. Of all renters in Washington county, 47% spend more than 30% of their income on rent.

Table compares the housing indicators in Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties.

HEALTH ~ LEARNING ~ JOBS ~ HOUSING ~ CHILDCARE

There are not many API childcare providers in Oregon, even in counties with high API populations.

Expanding API services in Oregon

When we consider API populations and the inequities among various social determinants, there are many counties where APANO, or APANO partners, can have a big impact.

Larger counties (>10,000 API population) include: Clackamas, Lane, Marion, Multnomah, and Washington

Smaller counties (<10,000 API population) include: Benton, Deschutes, Jackson, Polk, Umatilla, Union, and Yamhill.

These smaller counties caught our attention. There appear to be large disparities but limited access to API-specific resources. They could be an important place for APANO partners to support the API community.

Because APANO has great partnerships across Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas County, those are important places to build upon existing assets and strengthen services.

Lane and Marion also have higher populations of API who experience disparities. These counties could be a priority for APANO to expand services or partner with local champions.

Let’s take a closer look at Marion County.

Compared to their white counterparts, Asians and Pacific Islanders experience disparities across health, education, and poverty. Pacific Islander communities experience higher disparities in nearly all sample indicators. The highlighted cells show percentages that are higher than their white counterparts, suggesting disparities in that measure.

What does the API community-asset and non-profit ecosystem look like in Marion?

In Marion County, the community is strong. Below is a list of potential partners that can help build community strength.

Potential partners who can create API-specific programs to support the needs of the API community. This is only the start of resources and by no means exhaustive. A complete landscape scan requires reaching out to the local community.

The API community is strong, resilient, and creative. It is full of community assets. Disaggregated data at a local level can help clarify specific needs and encourage partners in other sectors to help address social determinants of health.

Detailed data on county-level demographic data and outcome measures are available upon request. This can be used for advocacy, case-making, or strategic planning. Please contact Duncan Hwang at APANO for more details.