Minnesota’s Asian population nearly doubled and grew faster than the U.S. Asian population from 1990 to 2000. Southeast Asians are the largest Asian group in Minnesota whereas in the U.S., Chinese except Taiwanese and Filipinos predominate. The rapid increase in Minnesota’s Hmong population from 1990 to 2000 has attracted media attention. Less noticed has been the rapid growth of other Asian groups, such as Vietnamese, Asian Indians and Chinese except Taiwanese. Asian groups are concentrated in the metropolitan areas of the state, particularly the seven-county Twin Cities region, with enclaves scattered throughout the state. Changes in the way race was reported in Census 2000 provide a range of numbers for each Asian group, rather than an exact number. This working paper will explore Census 2000 results with regard to the unique blend of Asian groups in Minnesota.

Several changes in the Census questionnaire since 1990 limit comparison of data between Censuses. In Census 2000, respondents could identify as belonging to a single race or more than one race. In addition, Asians could identify with up to 18 Asian groups, resulting in millions of possible race and Asian group combinations.  An exact number can no longer be calculated for any detailed race or group. For this reason, numbers and percentages in this paper are usually reported as a range.

Changes in race categories also make comparisons between 1990 and 2000 problematic. In the 1990 Census, the Asian and Pacific Islander population were grouped as were the Chinese and Taiwanese populations; however these populations were separate in Census 2000. In 1990, Hmong was listed with a checkbox under Other Asian and Pacific Islander; in 2000, Hmong was not listed with a checkbox and had to be handwritten in the Other Asian space.

Using the Asian alone and one group designation, Minnesota’s Asian population nearly doubled from 1990 to 2000, increasing from 76,952 to 139,032. The national Asian population grew by nearly 1.5 times during the period, rising from 6,908,638 to 10,019,410. Although the Asian population in Minnesota grew faster than the nation’s, only 2.8 percent of the state’s population is Asian, lower than the national average of 3.6 percent (single race, one Asian group).

The make-up of Minnesota’s Asian population is different than the nation’s in 2000. In the United States, the three largest groups are Chinese except Taiwanese, Filipino and Asian Indian, representing 58 percent of the Asian population. In Minnesota, these three groups represent only 28 percent of the Asian population, using the single race and group designation. More than half of Minnesota’s Asian population (77,140) are Southeast Asians, which includes Cambodians, Hmong, Laotians, Thais and Vietnamese.

The range of numbers includes the single and multiple race or group identifications. The

lower number represents Asian alone and one Asian group and the higher number includes multiple race and/or multiple Asian groups. In Census 2000, the largest Asian populations in Minnesota were Hmong (41,800 to 45,443), Vietnamese (18,824 to 20,570), Asian Indians (16,887 to 19,963) and Chinese except Taiwanese (15,484 to 18,622). Cambodians (5,530 to 6,533) and Laotians (9,940 to 11,516) also displayed rapid growth from 1990 to 2000. Minnesota ranked second among the states in the number of Hmong, third in the number of Laotians and sixth in the number of Cambodians in 2000, using the single race and category designation.

In general, Asian groups are concentrated in the seven-county Twin Cities region and Olmsted County. Hennepin County has the largest total Asian population at between 52,457 and 61,923. Over half of the Asian population in Minnesota lives in five cities in the Twin Cities region: St. Paul (34,666 to 39,586), Minneapolis (22,963 to 27,217), Brooklyn Park (6,093 to 6,893), Bloomington (4,234 to 4,983) and Eagan (3,310 to 3,841). Hmong are most heavily concentrated in cities in the seven-county region, while Korean and Filipino populations are more widely dispersed throughout the state.

Hmong are the largest Asian group in Minnesota; more than 92 percent live in Hennepin and Ramsey counties. St. Paul has the largest concentration of Hmong of any city in the U.S. at 24,389 to 26,509. Minneapolis has 9,595 to 10,489 Hmong, the second largest concentration of Hmong of any city in the state. Outside the Twin Cities area, large Hmong populations live in Lyon (222 to 242), and Olmsted (215 to 234) counties.

Vietnamese are the second largest Asian group in Minnesota in 2000. Eighty-four percent live in the seven-county Twin Cities region (15,836 to 17,205). Hennepin County has the largest population of Vietnamese in Minnesota at 8,066 to 8,694. Among cities, St. Paul has the largest Vietnamese population in the state at 2,767 to 2,915. Rochester, Worthington, St. Cloud, Mankato, Austin, Duluth and Moorhead all have Vietnamese communities of more than 100.

The next largest group is Asian Indian. About 85 percent of the Asian Indians are found in the Twin Cities region (14,315 to 16,887). Hennepin County has nearly three times as many Asian Indians as any other county at 7,963 to 9,226. For cities, Minneapolis has the largest concentration of Asian Indians in Minnesota at 1,816 to 2,369. Outside the Twin Cities area, large numbers of Asian Indians live in Olmsted County (828 to 908), and Stearns County (263 to 298).

Chinese except Taiwanese is the fourth largest group. Sixty-two percent live in either Hennepin or Ramsey county (9,634 to 11,425). Hennepin County has the most Chinese except Taiwanese (6,350 to 7,625). For cities, Minneapolis has the largest population of Chinese except Taiwanese at 2,369 to 2,822. Outside the Twin Cities area, there are concentrations in Olmsted County (745 to 854), and Stearns County (261 to 332).

There are 12,584 to 15,255 Koreans in Minnesota, and they are more scattered throughout the state than other Asian groups. Rochester, St. Cloud and Duluth each have Korean communities of more than 100. Hennepin County has the most Koreans at 4,527 to 5,330, and Minneapolis is home to 1,637 to 1,934 Koreans.

Half of the Laotians in Minnesota live in Hennepin County (5,014 to 5,599). Minneapolis has 2,212 to 2,522 Laotians followed by Brooklyn Park with 1,216 to 1,299. There are several other areas in the state with sizeable Laotian populations: 499 to 549 in Olmsted County, 458 to 529 in Nobles County, and 228 to 248 in Roseau County.

There are between 6,284 and 9,696 Filipinos in Minnesota. The largest concentrations are found in Hennepin (1,979 to 2,903), and Ramsey counties (957 to 1,400). St. Paul has the largest Filipino population in the state at 655 to 923, followed by Minneapolis at 615 to 945. There are more than 100 Filipinos found in Olmsted, St. Louis, Stearns and Swift counties.

Most Cambodians live in the seven-county Twin Cities region. Hennepin County has the highest number of Cambodians at 1,548 to 1,819, followed by Ramsey County at 1,358 to 1,611. The city of St. Paul has the largest Cambodian population at 1,138 to 1,358. Olmsted County has a sizeable number of Cambodians at 973 to 1,128, as does Dakota County at 638 to 759.

Outside the Twin Cities region, Rochester has the largest population of Asians at 4,747 to 5,504. Rochester has 788 to 858 Asian Indian residents, 808 to 945 Cambodians, the second largest concentration in the state, and 729 to 782 Vietnamese. Other large Asian concentrations are found in St. Cloud, with 1,807 to 2,137, Duluth with 976 to 1,268, and Worthington with 776 to 917. Worthington is home to the second largest concentration of Laotians (443 to 510) outside the Twin Cities region.

Minnesota’s Asian population grew rapidly in the 1990s. Hmong, Vietnamese and Asian Indians experienced the largest increases, particularly in metropolitan areas, where jobs are plentiful, support services are available and there are established Asian communities. New combinations of race and Asian groups from Census 2000 recognize the blending of American culture.

Editor’s note: The Minnesota State Demographic Center working paper, Asians in Minnesota, 2000 is from March 2002. More information can be found at www.mnplan.state.mn.us or by e-mailing helpline@mmplan.state.mn.us. The next U.S. Census will be in 2010.