Census Shows Continued Change In America's Racial Makeup : Code Switch : NPR: Asian-Americans were the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in America, now comprising almost 19 million people, according to data released Thursday by the Census Bureau.
And the state with the fastest-growing Asian population? South Dakota. Home to Mount Rushmore, Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little Town on the Prairie," and now Kharka Khapangi — a Bhutanese refugee who moved from the state of Washington to Sioux Falls, S.D., in 2011.
"It's easy to find a job here in South Dakota, so people from other states, they are also moving here," Khapangi said.
South Dakota's Asian population grew just more than 7 percent last year, to almost 12,000, which may not seem like much compared to the 6 million Asians living in California. But the Census Bureau says it shows just how much the Asian population has grown overall throughout the country to become the nation's fastest-growing racial group.
