Ep. 97: A short history of Asian immigration

Asian Americans are the fastest-growing racial group in the United States and are on track to become the largest immigrant group by 2050. Yet, researchers have devoted much less attention to this population than to other immigrant groups. In a paper in the Journal of Economic Perspectives , author Hannah M. Postel helps to fill that gap. She traces Asian immigration to the United States across three policy eras—1882–1943, 1943–1965, 1965–present—and explores how they affected the characteristics of those admitted, where they settled, and what work they were allowed to do. Postel recently spoke with Tyler Smith about the origins of the US federal immigration system, the history of Asian immigration, and how current policy might shape immigration going forward.

You can listen to Ep. 97: A short history of Asian immigration online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Ep. 97: A short history of Asian immigration is an episode from AEA Research Highlights by American Economic Association.

This episode is 23:59 long.

This episode was published on Mar 11, 2026.

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