Diversity in Diaspora: Hmong Americans in the Twenty-First Century

Chapter 2. Hmong Americans: A Demographic Portrait

54 2 Hmong Americans A Demographic Portrait Mark Edward Pfeifer Most of the figures included in this portion of the chapter are from the 2009 American Community Survey (ACS) released by the U.S. Census Bureau in the fall of 2010. The American Community Survey involves estimates based on surveys distributed to only a subset of the U.S. population and is thus problematic in some respects in comparison to the decennial census that is intended to be distributed to all Americans but is also problematic when counting minority populations. This concise chapter is intended to provide basic demographic, educational, and socioeconomic data related to the Hmong in the United States. It is not intended as a comprehensive explanatory research paper of factors underlying contemporary demographic, educational, and socioeconomic trends. These topics should ideally be the focus of additional quantitative and qualitative research. Most of the figures used in this chapter, with the exception of the state and regional numbers, are from the “Hmong Alone Or in Any Combination ” category in the ACS. Due to accessibility issues, the state and regional estimates in the next section and table 2.1 are from the “Hmong Alone” population data set. Population The 2009 American Community Survey estimates the U.S. Hmong population at 236,434, with an estimated margin of error of 13,564 in either direction , indicating that the Hmong population could be as much as 250,000 or as low as 222,000 (table 2.1). In the 2000 Census, the Hmong figure was A Demographic Portrait 55 186,310, and in the 1990 Census the Hmong enumeration was 94,439 (Pfeifer and Lee 2004). According to 2009 ACS figures (“Hmong Alone” population), by far the largest number of Hmong were estimated to live in the Midwest (106,752) followed by the West (93,500), the South (22,854), and the Northeast (1,685) (table 2.2). The 2009 ACS figures demonstrate the continuing growth of Hmong populations in the Midwest in comparison to the West and the Northeast. Table 2.2 “Hmong Alone Population” estimates United States—224,791 Midwest Region—106,752 West Region—93,500 South Region—22,854 Northeast Region—1,685 California—83,331 Minnesota—54,876 Wisconsin—41,175 North Carolina—10,693 Michigan—5,676 Georgia—3,579 Colorado—3,570 Arkansas—3,032 Washington—2,993 Kansas—2,434 Oklahoma—2,372 Alaska—1,800 Florida—1,666 Oregon—1,055 Missouri—1,018 Rhode Island—749 Ohio—644 Texas—581 Illinois—525 South Carolina—506 Pennsylvania—499 Montana—318 Massachusetts—232 Tennessee—222 Iowa—180 Utah—140 New Mexico—121 Virginia—120 Nevada—119 New York—93 Connecticut—77 Alabama—35 New Jersey—35 Arizona—30 Louisiana–26 Hawaii—23 Kentucky—22 Indiana—20 Delaware—0 District of Columbia—0 Idaho—0 Maine—0 Maryland—0 Mississippi—0 Nebraska—0 New Hampshire—0 Vermont—0 West Virginia—0 Source: B02009. Asian Alone by Selected Groups—Universe: Total Asian Alone Population. Data Set: 2009 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates. Survey: American Community Survey. “Data for the following geographic area(s) cannot be displayed because the number of sample cases is too small: Wyoming, Puerto Rico.” Table 2.1 Total population (persons) Hmong 236,434 United States 307,006,556 Sources: S0201. Selected Population Profile in the United States. Population Groups: Hmong alone or in any combination. Data Set: 2009 American Community Survey. Survey: 2009 American Community Survey. 56 Pfeifer In recent years, there has also been substantial growth in some southern states. These trends contrast sharply to the 1990 Census, when the West (primarily California) had by far the largest number of Hmong. According to the 2009 ACS estimates, the top ten states in regard to the Hmong Alone population were California (83,331), Minnesota (54,876), Wisconsin (41,175), North Carolina (10,693), Michigan (5,676), Georgia (3,579), Colorado (3,570), Arkansas (3,032), Washington (2,993), and Kansas (2,434). It is noteworthy that when comparing the 2009 ACS estimates to the 2000 Census figures, substantial increases in Hmong residents are apparent in California, Minnesota, North Carolina, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alaska, and Florida. The migration of Hmong to Missouri and the adjacent states of Arkansas and Oklahoma to engage in chicken farming over the past decade has been documented in several articles in the mainstream press (Pfeifer 2003). Age Distribution, Divorce Rate, Language The median age...