County's growing Asian community draws little attention

People from at least 13 nations in the Asia Pacific region make up the Asian community in WV. They are happily fitting into life and schools and becoming Americans. DP

By Julia Torres Barden CONTRIBUTING WRITER

chesterfieldobserver.com: For Chesterfield's growing Asian community, it's not about standing out but fitting in. While Hispanics have garnered much attention as the county deals with issues related to illegal immigration, language barriers and assimilation, the Asian community has mostly gone unnoticed, as evidenced by the few activities planned for May's annual Asian Pacific American Month celebration.

"It's not that different being Asian," says county third-grader Quan Chau when asked to reflect on his Vietnamese heritage. "We're not treated differently, and that's good, because I really don't like segregation."

"My school doesn't do anything to celebrate [Asian Pacific American Month]," continued Quan. "I guess [that's] because there aren't any Asians who are important."

Ironically, the man who stood next to Quan - his father, Thanh Chau - made history in 1980, becoming a survivor of the Vietnamese Boat People exodus when he and his 11- year-old brother were frantically put on a boat by their parents to escape the brutal Communist regime. Chau immigrated to America, graduated from the Virginia Military Institute and is now a successful software manager.

Quan's words struck a chord with Chau and prompted him to refute his son's statement with some goodnatured humor. "What about me? Aren't I important?"

Chesterfield's Asian population continues to increase at a slow but steady rate. According to the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, the U.S. Census Bureau's annual estimate in 2006 reported 8,830 residents of Asian descent, comprising 3 percent of the county's total population as compared to 2.4 percent in the 2000 census.
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