The Asian American Dream?

Income, Education, and Inequality Among Asian Americans in Boston

Boston's population of almost ~670k people, Asian Americans make up 10.4% of the city’s population. That is ~72k people, but this number alone does not tell the full story. Looking at Asian Americans as one single group can hide major differences in population size, income, education, and poverty.

Within Boston’s Asian population, the largest subgroup is Chinese residents, followed by Indian and Vietnamese residents. These differences matter because larger and smaller communities may experience Boston differently, especially when it comes to access to resources, education, and economic opportunity.

Income also varies widely across Asian subgroups. Some groups show much higher household income ranges, while others fall far lower. We can clearly see that Asian Americans do not share one uniform economic experience.

Education is another area where the differences become clear. While several Asian subgroups have high rates of bachelor’s degree attainment, others have much lower rates.

Poverty rates reveal one of the most important parts of the story. Even when some Asian subgroups show high income or education levels, other groups still have a large portion who are below the offical poverty level.

Overall, these charts show that the “model minority” stereotype does not reflect the full reality of Asian Americans in Boston. While some communities may appear to achieve the American Dream, the data shows that opportunity, income, education, and stability do not reach every subgroup equally.