The earliest Asian residents of Utah had been of Chinese ethnicity. They were the railroad workers who had worked on the Transcontinental Railroad, which reached its completion near Promontory, Utah in 1869. Other Asians soon followed suit. It was in 1882 when the first Japanese settlers came to live in Utah, and in 1910, the Koreans arrived, followed by Filipinos in 1922. Recently, more Asians coming from the south and southeast have come to reside in Utah.

1. Immigration Statistics of
Utah's Asian American
Communities
Buhler Law Office
2230 North University Parkway, Suite 2A, Provo, Utah 84604
(801) 960-3346

2. The earliest Asian residents of Utah had been of Chinese ethnicity. They were the
railroad workers who had worked on the Transcontinental Railroad, which reached its
completion near Promontory, Utah in 1869. Other Asians soon followed suit. It was in
1882 when the first Japanese settlers came to live in Utah, and in 1910, the Koreans
arrived, followed by Filipinos in 1922. Recently, more Asians coming from the south and
southeast have come to reside in Utah.
Today, there are more than 80,000 Asians identifying themselves as Utahns. The
Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos make up over half of this population. The remaining half
divides itself into Utahns from Vietnam, India, Laos, and Thailand, among other smaller
Asian communities. Salt Lake County, in particular, has the state’s highest number of
Asian residents. The number of Indians, Filipinos, and Thais grew in the years between
2000 and 2010, with Utah seeing as much as 63% in Asian population growth.
Socio-demographics of Asian Americans in Utah
In 2014, the average age of Asian Americans in Utah settles at 26.8 years, which is fairly
young and relatively mature. This is indicative of the state’s growing Asian communities.
Of these numbers, 47.5% are male and 52.5% are female. About 25% of Utahn Asians
have earned a bachelor’s degree—the highest rate of any other race group in the state.

3. Utah and Inclusivity
With the growing population of Asians in Utah, it is reasonable to attribute the rise in
number to Utah as a state and its immigration and citizenship policies. Take, for
example, the Chinese Society of Utah. Founded by Mr. Hubert Chang and Taiwanese
supporters in 1986, it is the first Chinese organization formed by the then new
immigrants from Taiwan. The organization is about 150 in size, comprising of restaurant
owners, businessmen, engineers, and professors. They play a major role in supporting
cultural events in the greater Salt Lake area and organizing Taiwanese Chinese holidays
and celebrations, while also providing visas and citizenship services.
Conclusively, Asians come in third when it comes to Utah’s population. White Americans
come in first at around 2.6 million, and Hispanics and Latinos are at second, with
370,870.

4. SOURCES:
http://www.buhlerlawoffice.com
http://www.sltrib.com/home/4389616-155/rolly-admirers-pay-tribune-to-retired
http://www.health.utah.gov/disparities/utah-minority-communities/asian-american.html