A new study by UCLA researcher Dr. Paul Ong revealed that Asian Americans win the fewest contracts when it comes to local, state and federal minority government-contracting programs. That finding and others were revealed to a group of Asian Americans who gathered in Atlanta for a “sneak peak” at Ong’s yet-to-be-published study. “We were disappointed, but not surprised, to learn that disparity still exists across the board,” said Aarathi D. Haig, staff attorney at Asian American Justice Center (AAJC). “While some progress has been made, racial discrimination unfortunately is still alive and well.” AAJC commissioned the study, which focused on government contracting in the San Francisco, Chicago and Atlanta metropolitan areas. Among the findings are: Korean Americans have the highest self-employment rate among Asian Americans but still do not earn as many dollars as their non-Hispanic white counterparts; and racial discrimination has created a significant barrier for Asian American entry into social networks, where contracting deals often originate and close.
