Chinese Americans contribute to US economic, cultural success: report

NEW YORK - Chinese Americans have been making great contributions to US economic and cultural success over the past two centuries, said a report published on Monday.

With a total number of about 5.3 million, Chinese Americans contributed over 300 billion US dollars to the country's economy in 2019 alone through consumer spending, supporting 3 million jobs, said the report completed by The Economist Intelligence Unit, commissioned by Committee of 100 and sponsored in part by Citi Private Bank.

Named "From Foundations to Frontiers: Chinese American Contributions to the Fabric of America", the 142-page report notes that more than 160,000 Chinese American-owned businesses in the country are generating approximately 240 billion dollars in revenue and supporting 1.3 million jobs.

There are 2.3 million Chinese Americans active in the workforce, accounting for 1.2 percent of total US employment, according to the report.

The new study details how Chinese Americans have found success as business owners, scientists, doctors, engineers, and in a variety of other fields.

In particular, the United States had 45,000 Chinese restaurants as of 2016, which were more than the number of McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Wendy's combined.

"This study brings to the forefront the complexity of our lived experience as proud Chinese Americans and tells the untold stories of our community's impact on and continued struggles within American society," said H. Roger Wang, chairman of Committee of 100, a non-profit US leadership organization of prominent Chinese Americans in business, government, academia, healthcare, and arts.

"Committee of 100 supports the full inclusion and advancement of the more than 5 million Chinese Americans in the United States and believes that America is stronger because of its immigrant heritage and diverse cultures," said Wang.

The study also reveals continued barriers that restrict Chinese American participation in American society, including systemic discrimination in the form of the perpetual foreigner stereotype, the model minority myth, and the 'bamboo ceiling' when it comes to career advancement and opportunity.

Attention should be paid to the recent rise of anti-Chinese sentiment and incidents linked to US-China geopolitical tensions and the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report.

"Along with other communities of color, Chinese Americans continue to face barriers to advancement in the form of systemic racism and entrenched stereotypes. America can reach its full potential only when all of its citizens can reach their own full potential," said Zhengyu Huang, president of Committee of 100.

"In developing a fuller appreciation of the significance of Chinese Americans' contribution to the United States, we hope this study can contribute to cultivating a more cooperative and inclusive climate that benefits all," said Claire Casey, global managing director of public policy of the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Featuring 12 personal stories, the report contains seven pillar reports focused on arts and culture; civil rights, public service and politics; entrepreneurship and business leadership; infrastructure; military and national security; public health; and science and technology.