vital link in facilitating improved business between
China and the United States.
The ethnic enclave of Chinatown in San Fran-
cisco, which first emerged in the mid-nineteenth
century, continued to boast the largest Chinese pop-
ulation outside mainland China. In 1983, Lily Lee
Chen became the first Chinese American mayor of
an American city when she took over as mayor of
Monterey, located just south of San Francisco. The
1980’s also witnessed enormous growth in the Chi-
nese American population in Southern California.
Toward the end of the 1980’s, Chinese Americans
came together to help their counterparts in main-
land China. A defining moment came in 1989, when
the government crackdown on the student-led
Tiananmen Square demonstrations in China and
the subsequent unrest in Chinese society left many
Chinese students stranded in the United States.
That year, by way of an executive order passed by
President Reagan, these students were allowed to
stay in the United States.
South Asian Americans Historically, Punjabi Indi-
ans from northwestern India were the first South
Asians to immigrate to the United States, arriving
in California during the late nineteenth century.
The 1980’s, however, was marked by a large Pakistani
and South Indian migration into the United States.
In the heyday of British colonization, the terri-
tory of South Asia, formerly British India, comprised
a region extending from modern Pakistan to Ban-
gladesh. In the years following independence from
the United Kingdom, India and Pakistan underwent
territorial disputes over the Muslim regions, and
three regional wars ultimately led to the birth of
Bangladesh in 1971. The tumultuous years of the
1970’s prompted many South Asians to seek oppor-
tunities in the growing U.S. economy and start new
lives.
Key factors contributing to the large South Asian
migration to the United States in the 1980’s were the
pursuit of better standards in higher education and
employment in high-technology industries. Several
prestigious colleges in New Jersey, California, Texas,
and Illinois attracted bright South Asian students,
who then assimilated into American society to create
an unique South Asian American group in these re-
gions. An advantage for South Asians in the accultur-
ation process was the English language left over by
British rule.
The eastern United States became a key region
for settlement. The New York metropolitan area, ex-
tending into New Jersey, became the largest settle-
ment region for South Asians in the 1980’s, a trend
that continues today. Another key region was Cali-
fornia, where toward the end of 1980’s the growth in
the computer and microprocessor industries cre-
ated an employment gold mine that attracted South
Asians. Silicon Valley, a popular term for a region of
Northern California, saw some of the largest settle-
ment of South Asians and computer firms.
Impact The growth of the Asian American popula-
tion in this decade represented a true success story
in the ongoing experiment of a multicultural society
in the United States. Today, with a population of
more than 13 million, or 4 percent of the total U.S.
population, Asian Americans represent a vital com-
ponent of American development, both economi-
cally and culturally, and have contributed signifi-
cantly to technology, politics, and education.
Further Reading
Ancheta, Angelo N.Race, Rights, and the Asian Ameri-
can Experience. New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers Uni-
versity Press, 2000. Explores the history of civil
rights for Asian Americans with an emphasis on
their contribution to American society.
Louie, Steven G.Asian Americans: The Movement and
the Moment. Los Angeles: UCLA Asian American
Studies Center Press, 2001. Presents an examina-
tion of various Asian American issues in relation
to their place in U.S. history.
Shen Wu, Jean Yu-Wen, and Min Song, eds.Asian
American Studies: A Reader. New Brunswick, N.J.:
Rutgers University Press, 2000. Addresses the evo-
lution of Asian American societies in relation to
their development of nationalism and civil rights.
Zia, Helen.Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of
an American People. New York: Farrar, Straus and
Giroux, 2000. The historical development of
Asian American identity across difficult and wel-
coming periods is presented. Makes special refer-
ence to Southeast Asians.
Aswin SubanthoreSee also China and the United States; Demograph-
ics of the United States; Globalization; Immigration
Reform and Control Act of 1986; Immigration to the
United States; Japan and North America; Multicultur-
alism in education; Racial discrimination.The Eighties in America Asian Americans 75