“One Taiwanese American mother explained in a recent study, ‘the child’s personal academic achievement is the value and honor of the whole family…If you do good, you bring honor to the family and [do] not lose face. A lot of value is placed on the child to do well for the family. It starts from kindergarten.’ When asked open-endedly in a recent study what makes children do well in school, almost a third of Taiwanese American mothers — compared with zero white American mothers — brought up family honor.”
— Law professors Amy Chua and Jed Rubenfeld, The Triple Package (2014)
Education
Overview
Taiwanese Americans are the most educated ethnic group in the United States
Both immigrant men and women consist primarily of professionals with high income
Taiwanese American culture places great emphasis on education
Children’s education considered by Taiwanese couples as family’s most important decision (2000 survey)
Focus on highest level of education for children, encouraged to attend outstanding universities and graduate schools
Parents support musical skills over athletic skills and engagement in social causes
Large portion enroll children in Chinese language schools teaching Standard Chinese, culture, history, and martial arts
Education Statistics
Year
Metric
Taiwanese American
US Average
2010
Bachelor’s degree or higher
73.7%
17.6%
2013
High school or higher
94%+
—
2018
Chicago metro: Bachelor’s+ (age 25+)
84%
—
2018
Chicago metro: High school+ (age 25+)
97%
—
1990
College completion (age 25-64)
62%
21% (non-Hispanic white)
Educational Attainment Comparison (ACS 2019)
Ethnicity
Bachelor’s+
High School+
Taiwanese
78.8%
95.7%
Indian
75.7%
92.7%
Pakistani
59.8%
89.4%
Korean
58.9%
93.3%
Chinese average
56.7%
84.1%
Vietnamese
55.8%
92.3%
Asian average
55.6%
87.8%
Japanese
53.7%
96.1%
Filipino
49.8%
93.5%
Non-Hispanic White
34.4%
90.4%
General US Population
33.1%
88.6%
Employment and Income
Overview
Highest-earning ethnic group in the US by per capita income
One of the highest-earning groups by household income
Two-thirds of employed adults worked as white-collar professionals and managers (2010)
66.2% in white-collar professions vs 35.9% general population, 48.1% Asian Americans
71.3% of Taiwanese men and 60.4% of Taiwanese women in management/professional occupations
One of the lowest unemployment rates: 4.3% vs 6.9% national rate
One of the lowest poverty rates: 9.5% vs 11.3% general population
Per Capita Income Comparison (2023)
Ethnicity
Avg Income Per Capita
Taiwanese
$83,811
Indian
$72,389
Japanese
$61,568
Chinese (except Taiwanese)
$61,289
Filipino
$47,819
Vietnamese
$40,037
Korean
$58,560
US Population Average
$43,313
Historical Earnings
Year
Taiwanese Men
Taiwanese Women
Notes
2009
$76,587
$51,307
Full-time, year-round median earnings
1999
$60,367
$40,276
Highest of any foreign-born men at the time
Common Professions
Many Taiwanese Americans work in self-directed management, professional, and related occupations: