Asian American Resources

Asian Americans have been a part of American history for over 200 years. They came to North America and Hawai’i during the 19th century to fill labor needs and build a better life for their families. The earliest Asian immigrants arrived in Utah during the 1860s as the core workforce on the Transcontinental Railroad. An estimated 12,000 highly skilled Chinese immigrants made up about 90% of the Central Pacific Railroad Company’s workers, paving the way for the economic growth and industrialization of Utah and the nation. However, their achievements were not celebrated until recently. 

Asian American people have made incredible contributions to Utah and the nation, despite a history of discrimination and violence. Today, Asian Americans make up more than 8% of Utah’s population, including families that arrived from the 1800s through the present. From the first Chinese and Japanese railroad builders and mine workers to recent immigrants from Myanmar, Bhutan, China, Taiwan, and the Indian subcontinent, the diverse Asian American community in Utah embraces different cultures and traditions. 

Utah's Asian American communities are dynamic and unified, with a wide range of small businesses, professionals, leaders, restaurants, cuisines, specialty shops, churches, artists, and cultural groups across the state. The annual Utah Asian Festival draws 20,000 people together, reflecting the beauty and diversity of the Asian American community. Despite the changes, the community leaders' longstanding efforts to support one another remain the same: to make Utah a safe place where their children and grandchildren can thrive.

See: Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute Diversity in Utah Data Book (2021)