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Frequently Asked Questions
What do APA, API, and APIA mean?
- APA: Asian Pacific American
- API: Asian Pacific Islander
- APIA: Asian Pacific Islander American
Who are Asian Americans?
- Asian Americans are Americans who can trace their origins to East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent (South Asia). Americans with origins in Central Asia (such as Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyztan) and West Asia (the Middle East) are sometimes considered as Asian Americans as well.
- Some Asian Americans think of themselves as just Asian. Others identify themselves only by their ethnicity or national origin (e.g. Chinese, Chinese American). And some Asian Americans are multiracial and multiethnic, and identify themselves in more complex ways.
- As with all other identities, the individual has the right and the choice to identify her/himself as Asian American. We must keep in mind, though, that racial markers – such as skin color, facial features, hair texture, name, or accent – put certain people into (and out of) racial categories regardless of their self-identification.
Who are Pacific Islanders?
- Pacific Islanders are the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Islands (Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia), such as Native Hawaiians, Samoans, Guamanians, and Chamorros. American Samoa and Guam are U.S. territories (same status as Puerto Rico), so when Samoans and Guamanians relocate to mainland U.S., they are not considered immigrants.
- Some Asian Americans from East and Southeast Asia whose families were indigenous to islands in the Pacific Ocean consider themselves Pacific Islander, too.
How many Asian Pacific Americans are there in the U.S., in Florida, and at UF?
- <U.S.> 11.9 million Americans, or 4.2% of the U.S. population, identify as Asian.
- <Florida> Of the total 16 million Floridians, 2.1%, or 333,000, identify as Asian.
- <UF> Statistically, Asian Pacific American students --- or UF students who self-identify as Asian and are either U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green-card holders) --- make up 7.1% of the UF student population. In Fall 2006, there were about 3,500 APA Gators enrolled as undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. If you want to see the exact numbers, you can go to the UF Office of Institutional Planning and Research website.