The Asian American Community Study is a multiyear, multilingual effort focusing on Asian American communities, among the Houston region’s fastest-growing ethnic groups. From 1980 to 2023, the share of Asian residents grew from 1.8% to 9.9%. Today, over 655,000 people make up this diverse, culturally vibrant population, whose voices will play an increasingly important role in shaping the region’s future.
This ongoing study expands on Stephen L. Klineberg’s earlier work with a more robust sample size and geographical reach:
Support for this community project is made possible by a generous donation from Anne and Albert Chao through the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation.
Daniel Potter
Director, Houston Population
Research Center, Surveys
Kese Smith
Director of
Communications
Rose Rougeau
Executive Director, External Affairs
rose.rougeau@rice.edu
Political Influence, Representation, and Engagement Among Asian Americans in the Houston Area
Residents want Asian Americans’ voices more fully incorporated into public decision-making, and see a need for greater political engagement and representation for that to happen.
Asian American Community Study: Perspectives From the 2025 Kinder Houston Area Survey
Houston’s diversity and affordability continue to attract Asian residents, but economic inequality persists.
Asian American Community Study: Individual and Household Characteristics
Houston’s Asian community is highly diverse, predominantly foreign-born and generally well-educated.
Asian American Community Study: Political and Social Attitudes
Asian communities tend to be ideologically moderate, with political identities evenly split and shaped by ethnic and generational differences.
Asian American Community Study: Experiences with Discrimination
In the Houston area, about 4 in 10 Asian residents reported experiencing discrimination in the past year.
Asian American Community Study: Creating Identity
Majorities of Asian residents align on what matters most to their identity: family, gender, ethnicity and “being American.”
Rice University
Kraft Hall
6100 Main Street, Suite 305
Houston, TX 77005-1892
