Civil Rights Issues Facing Asian Americans in the 1990s

This report was prompted by a series of three round table conferences held by the Commission in 1989. At these conferences local representatives of the Asian American communities were asked to inform the Commission about civil rights concerns within their communities. The clear and unambiguous message we received was that Asian Americans face serious civil rights problems that touch both U.S.- and foreign-born Asian Americans, and exist at all social and economic levels and in virtually all walks of life. The record of these round table conferences was published as Voices Across America: Round table Discussions of Asian Civil Rights Issues.The research and field investigations conducted for this report establish these concerns as national problems. Asian Americans suffer widely the pain and humiliation of bigotry and acts of violence. They also confront institutional discrimination in numerous domains, such as places of work and schools, in accessing public services, and in the administration of justice. Although Asian Americans face prejudice and discrimination as a racial minority in this country, their experiences are also shaped by the-unique history of persons of Asian descent in America and by the fact that many Asian Americans are immigrants and language minorities.The more than 40 recommendations contained in this report, although not a total solution to the civil rights problems facing Asian Americans, prescribe actions that must be taken if progress is to be made. Central to the Commission's recommendations are specific legislative, programmatic and administrative efforts that the Federal, State and local governments, must undertake. The Commission looks to Congress and the President, in their crucial leadership roles in advancing civil rights, to move aggressively to adopt the Commission's recommendations and to encourage action by State and local governments and the private sector.