California Asian Pacific Islander American community is the state’s fastest-growing racial/ethnic group, according to data released March 30 by the U.S. Census Bureau.

From l990 to 2000, the number of persons of Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry in California increased 53.8 percent from more than 2.9 million to nearly 4.4 million. In 2000, Asian Pacific Islander Americans made up nearly l3 percent of the state population.

"These numbers confirm that our community is continuing to grow at an enormous rate," said Stewart Kwoh, executive director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center (APALC). "Now more than ever, decision makers in California and throughout the United States must respond to the needs and concerns of Asian and Pacific Islander American."

Asian Pacific Islander American population growth in California has been fueled by immigration. According to a report published by the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, 32 percent of documented immigration to California from l990 to l998 was from countries in Asia and the Pacific.

"While the data released (March 30) can¡¯t tell us which Asian Pacific Islander American communities have seen the most growth since l990, we know that in the past decade immigration from Asia to California has come largely from the Philippines, Vietnam and China,’said Nancy Yu, research analyst at APALC.

Nationally, racial and ethnic minorities were more likely that non-Hispanic whites to be undercounted by the Census Bureau. Many advocates and lawmakers stress Census 2000 data would provide a more accurate representation of California diversity if statistically adjusted.

"Asian Pacific Islanders Americans were more likely than African Americans and Latinos to be missed by the Census Bureau¡¯s enumeration efforts," said Dan Ichinose, research coordinator at APALC. "We urge (Commerce) Secretary Evans to allow the most accurate count possible and release the adjusted census numbers."