U.S. Census Bureau: Minority groups and women are increasing their business ownership at a much higher rate than the national average, according to new tabulations titled "Preliminary Estimates of Business Ownership by Gender, Hispanic or Latino Origin, and Race: 2002," from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2002 Survey of Business Owners (SBO) released today.

• While the number of U.S. businesses increased by 10 percent between 1997 and 2002 to 23 million, the rate of growth for minority- and women-owned businesses was far higher,
  • ranging from 67 percent for native Hawaiian- and other Pacific islander-owned businesses to
  • 20 percent for firms owned by women. 

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 Download Asian-Owned Firms:2002, Economic Census Survey of Business Owners, Company Statistics Series, Issued May 2006, SB02-00CS-Asian from the US Census Bureau

 Download Black-Owned Firms: 2002, Economic Census, Survey of Business Owners, Company Statistics Series, Issued April 2006, SB02-00CS-BLK

 Download Hispanic-Owned Firms: 2002, Economic Census, Survey of Business Owners, Company Statistics Series, Issued March 2006, SB02-00CS-HSP

• There are nearly 13 million residents in the United States who trace their roots to Asia and Oceania. 
• The Committee of 100 surveyed American attitudes towards Asian Americans and reported that:
  • One out of four Americans hold "strong negative attitudes" towards Chinese Americans
  • 23 percent would be uncomfortable voting for an Asian American to be President of the United States
• Some of the positive attitudes towards Chinese Americans voiced by survey respondents include:
  • "strong family values" (91percent)
  • "honesty as business people" (77percent)

The stunning growth of the Asian American population, fed significantly by immigration, has been dramatic. As in an earlier time, some might even now regard this expansion as perilous, particularly if statistics on growth rates are all that are considered.