Asian-American population on the rise, Pew Research Center survey says

Asian-Americans are the highest-income, best-educated racial group in the United States, according to a 2012 nationwide survey by the Pew Research Center. Compared with all U.S. adults, Asian-Americans are more likely to have a college degree (49 percent of Asian-Americans to 28 percent of U.S. adults) and higher median annual household income ($66,000 versus $49,800).

Also, the population of Asian-Americans is growing faster than any other minority group in America. From 2000 to 2010 the number of people who identified themselves as partly or wholly Asian grew by nearly 46 percent, more than four times the growth rate of the overall population, according to the Census Bureau.

The Pew Research Center also found that Asian-Americans are more satisfied than the general public with their lives, finances and the direction of the country. Additionally, they place more value than other Americans on marriage, parenthood, hard work and career success.

Another feature of the Asian-American community is its propensity to make charitable donations. "Asian cultures have a strong tradition of philanthropy in the broadest sense, though it has usually involved donations to relatives, neighbors, churches and business associations," reported The New York Times. Higher levels of charitable giving have also been connected to higher levels of education, another factor that may influence the group's behavior.

Dien S. Yuen, a philanthropy consultant focusing on Asian-American giving, predicted recent surges in philanthropic activity among Asians was the tip of the iceberg. “A lot of donors, when they first come through the door, don’t even know they can do all these things,” said Yuen to The New York Times. “They don’t even know they can get a tax deduction for giving a gift overseas.”

She added: “I think in the next three or four years, there’s going to be huge growth because philanthropy has become mainstream.”