Pacific Islander Americans

Not to be confused with Oceanian Americans.
Pacific Islander Americans
Total population
Alone (one race)
Increase 689,966 (2020 census)[1]
Increase 0.21% of the total US population

In combination (multiracial)
Increase 896,497 (2020 census)[1]
Increase 0.27% of the total US population

Alone or in combination
Increase 1,586,463 (2020 census)[1]
Increase 0.48% of the total US population
Regions with significant populations
Predominantly in Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands
Hawaii Hawaii157,445[1]
California California157,263[1]
Washington (state) Washington64,933[1]
Utah Utah36,930[1]
Texas Texas33,611[1]
Languages
American English, Oceanic languages
Religion
Christianity, Polytheism, Baháʼí, Judaism, Mormonism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Sikhism, Jainism, Confucianism
Related ethnic groups
Pasifika New Zealanders, other Pacific Islanders

Pacific Islander Americans (also colloquially referred to as Islander Americans) are Americans who are of Pacific Islander ancestry (or are descendants of the Indigenous peoples of Oceania). For its purposes, the United States census also counts Aboriginal Australians as part of this group.[2][3]

Pacific Islander Americans make up 0.5% of the US population including those with partial Pacific Islander ancestry, enumerating about 1.4 million people. The largest ethnic subgroups of Pacific Islander Americans are Native Hawaiians, Samoans, and Chamorros. Much of the Pacific Islander population resides in Hawaii, Alaska, California, Utah, and Texas.

Pacific Islanders may be considered Oceanian Americans, but this group may include Australians and New Zealander-origin people, who can be of non-Pacific Islander ethnicity. Many Pacific Islander Americans are mixed with other races, especially Europeans and Asians, due to Pacific Islanders being a small population in several communities across the mainland US.

American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands are insular areas (US territories), while Hawaii is a state.

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Race and Ethnicity in the United States". United States Census Bureau. August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  2. ^ University of Virginia. Geospatial and Statistical Data Center. "1990 PUMS Ancestry Codes." 2003. August 30, 2007."1990 Census of Population and Housing Public Use Microdata Sample". Archived from the original on August 25, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
  3. ^ "Clark Library - U-M Library". www.lib.umich.edu.