American Community Survey 2007 - 2011 of the Census Bureau has the following information on the poverty level of various ethnic groups

American Community Survey 2007 - 2011 of the Census Bureau has the following information on the poverty level of various ethnic groups.

* US Government defines poverty based on total income received. Poverty level for 2012 was set at an annual income of $23,050 for a family of 4.

This is about Rs 12 lakhs in Indian money today. 

* The survey found that 42.7 million persons in the USA had income below the poverty level. The national poverty rate is 14.7%

* Some major ethnic groups studied and their poverty levels were :

Filipinos  5.8%  lowest Indian Americans  8.2% Japanese  Americans    8.2% Whites 11.6%        as a national group average Asians                      11.7%        as a total group  

   Vietnamese               14.7%

   Koreans                    15%%

   Native Hawaiians &

   Pacific islanders         17.6%

   Hispanics                  23.2%       Cubans 16.2%, lowest, and

                                                 Dominicans highest at 26.3%

   African American        25.8%

   American Indians &

   Alaska Natives           27%

* Although Indian Americans have the highest per capita income amongst all the

   major ethnic groups, more than 8% of the nearly 3 million Indians are below

   the poverty line.

* Asians in 9 states had poverty rate below 10%. The states are : Connecticut,

   Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Virginia and 

   South Carolina.

* Obama wants to increase the minimum wages to $9 to combat poverty.

  
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