Asian-American men ‘paid less than whites’

WASHINGTON - A new study has revealed that U.S. employers don’t pay Asian-American men as much as they pay equally qualified white men.

Researchers at the University of Kansas analysed data from the 2003 National Survey of College Graduates to investigate earnings - numbers that have not been used previously in research on Asian Americans.

“The most striking result is that native-born Asian Americans - who were born in the U.S. and speak English perfectly - their income is 8 percent lower than whites after controlling for their college majors, their places of residence and their level of education,” said ChangHwan Kim, assistant professor of sociology and study leader.

The findings showed that the United States has a way to go toward the goal of becoming a colorblind society, he added.

The study said Asian-American men, who were born and completed their education overseas, are paid up to 29 percent less than equally qualified white men in the United States.

Those, who were born and educated abroad but who received university degrees in the U.S., earn 14 percent less than white men.

“As an individual, you can reach as high as president. But as an ethnic group, no group has reached full parity with whites. That’s the current status of racial equality in the United States,” said Kim.

He said that Asian-American men could benefit economically from their parents’ immigrant work ethic.

Despite the disparity in income levels, Asian-American men fare better than they did before the Civil Rights era in the United States, said Kim.

“The 8 percent difference is large, but it is small compared to previous Asian-American generations. Previous generations had income levels much lower, so in this sense we’ve made progress,” he added.

The study appears in the current issue of the American Sociological Review. (ANI)