The earnings attainment patterns of Asian American women

Abstract

Asian American women as a group have a history of almost 150 years since they first immigrated to the United States. During this time, Asian American women have experienced all kinds of ups and downs, from discrimination and exclusion to admiration and glorification. They are especially esteemed for their high socioeconomic attainments. This thesis analyses the earnings attainment patterns of foreign born Asian American women. Using 1990 U.S. census data, this thesis compares the buying power of six groups of Asian American women, namely Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino and Korean. This thesis uses multiple linear regressions to model these patterns. The models are primarily based on assimilation theory, human capital theory, dual market theory and discrimination theory. My results reveal the diversity of earnings attainment patterns and earnings determinants among different groups of Asian American women. When compared to the buying power of Anglo women, the results also indicate that there is little statistical racial discrimination against Asian American women . The evaluation of the various theoretical models allows me to conclude that the labor market model, the human capital model and the assimilation model perform the best in accounting for Asian women's buying power. The working hours, occupational status, years of schooling and years of immigration variables are the most important predictors of Asian women's buying power. However, the stratification of all socioeconomic aspects among the Asian American women reminds us that we must acknowledge the heterogeneity among the Asian group and not regard them collectively as the "model minority".