Asians most educated among foreigners in US

Asians, who account for nearly 25 per cent of the 33.5 million foreign-born population in the United States, are the most qualified among the group, according to the latest US Census Bureau report.

The report said foreign-born people make up nearly 12 per cent of the total 288.4 million US population.

Asked what the Indian-born proportion is, a Census Bureau spokesman said they do not have updated figures.

In 2002, it was estimated that the Indian-born population in 2002 in the United States was 1,228,604, but it might as well be 1,779,736 or 1,279,472. He said that this does not include people of Indian origin born in the US or people of Indian origin born to American parents abroad.

"The Asian population is doing well in terms of socio-economic characteristics in the United States," Kevin Deardorff of the Census Bureau told reporters. Nearly 87.4 per cent of Asians in the United States had a 'high school or more' qualification compared with 84.9 percent among those from Europe and 49.1 percent from Latin America.

Nearly 50 per cent Asians had attained a bachelor's degree or more compared to 35.4 per cent for those from Europe and 11.6 per cent from Latin America.

Foreign-born households are larger than those of natives. 28 per cent of them contain five or more people compared with only 13 per cent of native households.

The report also showed that the proportion of foreign-born workers in management and professional occupations was the highest among those from Asia -- 47 per cent.