Business owners of Chinese origin or ancestry represented the largest segment of business owners, with 719 businesses, followed by Japanese with 513 businesses and Asian Indian with 417.

Jones, the Asian chamber president, owns a real estate brokerage with her husband. She says the diversity of Utah's Asian business community is reflected in the makeup of the chamber, which formed last year.

"We are all speaking different languages," she said of the chamber, which includes members from China, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, India and Thailand.

The census data is the most current available as the state has no mechanism to track women- or minority-owned businesses.

"I believe it has grown tremendously," said Mimi Ujiie Pedersen, past president of the Asian chamber. "From what I see, the Asian population is growing, and Asian businesses are growing."

The Asian chamber, open to everyone, is working to bolster successful entrepreneurship, promote international trade and provide networking opportunities, Jones said.

There is a free networking reception planned for 6 p.m. May 26 at the Japanese American Citizens League building, 3776 S. Highland Drive.

The census report, available at www.census.gov, was the fourth in a series on businesses owned by women and minorities.

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com