Why having accessible data is important. Here’s how we dived into statistics to understand AAPI communities in Southern California

The arrival of Asian/Pacific Heritage Month in May led two Times data journalists to consider an unusual demographic pattern sometimes taken for granted by those who have lived in Southern California for a long period of time: the region’s massive community of people who trace their roots back to Asia and the Pacific Islands. Times journalists worked with the Los Angeles County Internal Services Department to access both the decennial Census and the American Community Survey for the most detailed data possible on Census tract level for Los Angeles. Census data still provide one of the best race and ethnicity population estimates available, which reveal, in aggregate, a rough estimate of how the Asian and Pacific Islander population has moved across Southern California. Join us Exploring AAPI data in Southern California Wednesday, May 22, 2024 6-7 p.m. PST Join the Los Angeles Times and AAPI Data as we dig into the diverse Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander population in Southern California, touching on issues and trends that shape immigrant lives. A special thanks to Howin Song and Victor Chen from the Los Angeles County Internal Services Department, who spent time with The Times explaining the limitations of the data and pulling historical Census data.