Nearly 415,000 Asian individuals live in Georgia, 73% (300,940) of whom live in the 10-county metro Atlanta region. That translates to 4.0% of the state population and 6.6% of the region.

You’ll notice in the map below that the highest density of Asian residents occurs in the northeastern suburbs: North DeKalb, Gwinnett, North Fulton, and South Forsyth counties. 12% of Gwinnett County’s population is Asian.

via Data Nexus

 

Over the last two decades (2000–2019), the share of Asian population has increased in all 10 ARC counties. Previously, we found that Gwinnett County saw the greatest increase in diversity of all ARC’s 10 member counties since 1980, and the chart below illustrating the percentage point change in Asian residents shows the important role this community has played in that demographic change both in Gwinnett and throughout all member counties.

2000 Census and 2015-19 ACS data via Social Explorer

 

It’s important to remember that the Asian community is not a homogenous community. A wide variety of languages, traditions, and cultures comprise the region’s vibrant Asian community. We can illustrate this diversity by looking at the countries of origin for our region’s Asian population. Note that these are the countries that all American Community Survey respondents identify as their country of origin—so these data represent our entire Asian community: both longtime Americans and more recent arrivals.

2015-19 American Community Survey via Social Explorer.

 

Earlier this month, a report from the CSUSB’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism reported a 149% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes nationally in 2020. Also this month, Stop AAPI Hate released details of increasing anti-Asian hate incident reports over the last 12 months. These recent data were punctuated by tragedy and grieving in Atlanta’s Asian community this week.

In light of these events, Neighborhood Nexus has joined hundreds of other organizations around the country by signing on to Asian Americans Advancing Justice–Atlanta’s collective statement of solidarity against systemic racism and gender-based violence.