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| Asian Pacific Community in North Carolina | |
|---|---|
| Name | Asian Pacific Community in North Carolina |
| Settlement type | Ethnic community |
| Region | North Carolina |
| Major cities | Charlotte, North Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina, Durham, North Carolina, Winston-Salem, North Carolina |
Asian Pacific Community in North Carolina The Asian Pacific community in North Carolina comprises diverse populations originating from China, India, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Philippines, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Brunei, Bhutan, East Timor, Tibet, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and diasporic groups from the Pacific Islands including Filipino Americans, Samoan Americans, and Tongan Americans. The community intersects with institutions such as Duke University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, East Carolina University, and organizations including the Asian American Federation, APIA Scholars, Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, and local chapters of Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
Settlement traces to early 20th-century arrivals tied to Chinese Exclusion Act migration rerouting and later post-1965 arrivals following the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. Veterans from the Vietnam War and refugees from events such as the Fall of Saigon, the Cambodian genocide, and the Laotian Civil War settled in resettlement programs coordinated with agencies like Refugees International and International Rescue Committee. Growth accelerated with ties to research and technology exchanges involving IBM, GlaxoSmithKline, Boeing, Cisco Systems, and academic programs at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and UNC Health Care. Political moments such as visits by delegations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (People's Republic of China), and trade missions from India also shaped networks.
Census data show concentrations in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Wake County, North Carolina, Guilford County, North Carolina, Durham County, North Carolina, and Forsyth County, North Carolina. Populations include Chinese Americans, Indian Americans, Korean Americans, Vietnamese Americans, Filipino Americans, Pakistani Americans, Bangladeshi Americans, Hmong Americans, and Pacific-origin groups. Language communities include speakers of Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi, Korean language, Vietnamese language, Tagalog, Thai language, Lao language, Khmer language, and Tamil language. Faith communities include congregations affiliated with Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and specific centers like BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha branches and Vietnamese Catholic parishes connected to the Diocese of Raleigh and Diocese of Charlotte.
Initial clusters formed around agricultural and railroad hubs, while later waves settled near research parks such as Research Triangle Park and industrial centers linked to Harris Teeter, Food Lion, and Hanwha Group operations. Refugee resettlement used networks with Church World Service, Lutheran Services Carolinas, and Carolina Refugee Resettlement Agency. Professional migrants arrived through H-1B programs associated with Citi, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, and local hospitals like Atrium Health and Novant Health. Secondary migration connects communities across Atlanta, New York City, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco Bay Area, while transnational ties maintain connections to consular posts like the Consulate General of Japan in Atlanta and the Consulate General of China in Atlanta.
Cultural life features festivals and institutions such as Lunar New Year celebrations, Diwali events produced by local chapters of India Association of Charlotte and Hindu Society of North Carolina, Tet festivals organized by Vietnamese-American Civic Association, and Filipino cultural nights coordinated by Filipino American Association of Charlotte. Arts venues include collaborations with North Carolina Museum of Art, Memorial Auditorium (Raleigh), Greensboro Cultural Center, and university Asian studies programs at Duke Kunshan University partnerships and the UNC Asian American Studies Program. Community centers include the Asian Family Center, Charlotte Asian Community Health Services, Korean American Association of Durham, India Association of Raleigh, Vietnamese American Civic Association of Charlotte, and advocacy groups such as Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliates and the North Carolina Asian Americans Together. Media outlets include editions of World Journal, India-West, Korea Times, and local broadcasts by WUNC (FM) featuring programs on Asian Pacific affairs.
Employment spans technology, healthcare, education, hospitality, and small business sectors. Entrepreneurs operate restaurants, grocery stores, and service firms including lines with H Mart, 99 Ranch Market, and independent establishments in Asiatown (Charlotte), while professionals work at GlaxoSmithKline, PNC Financial Services, Red Hat, SAS Institute, and Lenovo partnerships. Labor organizing has involved unions such as the United Food and Commercial Workers, the Service Employees International Union, and advocacy from Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance. Remittances and transnational commerce connect to markets in Shanghai, Mumbai, Manila, Seoul, Tokyo, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Schools with notable Asian Pacific student populations include Maggie L. Walker Governor's School (regional comparisons), magnet programs in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and higher-education pipelines at UNC Chapel Hill, Duke University School of Medicine, NC State College of Engineering, and Wake Forest University. ESL and language access services are provided by Public Schools of Robeson County partnerships, refugee education through ESL programs and nonprofits like El Centro Hispano offering bilingual outreach, and adult education hosted by institutions such as Central Piedmont Community College and Durham Technical Community College. Cultural competency initiatives engage with North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and health systems including UNC Health language access services.
Elected officials and civic leaders of Asian Pacific descent include municipal council members, county commissioners, and school board members across Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, and Greensboro with involvement in campaigns supported by groups like Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies and League of Women Voters of North Carolina. Voter outreach campaigns have partnered with Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Common Cause, and local chapters of Indivisible and Southern Coalition for Social Justice. Issues of immigration policy, healthcare access, and small business support have mobilized coalitions with North Carolina Justice Center, Council on American-Islamic Relations, and the North Carolina Asian Peacekeepers Network.
Category:Asian American history in North Carolina Category:Ethnic groups in North Carolina