The purpose is to discuss the use of and classification of the term Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) and to provide guidance on how to accurately address the classification of NHPI verbally and in written format.

The purpose of the series is to summarize published research findings of disparities in the health and healthcare of the selected group. The data presented is meant for community health advocates, grant writers, evaluators and students as a tool to raise awareness, guide program development and spark future research for the well-being of Asian American and Pacific Islander populations.

Census 2000 counted 58,420 “Guamanians or Chamorros” in the entire United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2001).

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that in 2000, over 2.4 million Chinese lived in the United States, the largest ethnic group among the API population (U.S. Census, 2000).

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that in 2000 nearly 172,000 Cambodians lived in the U.S. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000).

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that in 2000 more than 169,000 Hmong lived in the United States, comprising 1.7% of the total API population (US Census Bureau, 2000).

According to Census 2000, there were 140,652 people in the United States who indicated they were Native Hawaiian (one race alone), but 401,162 people who are Native Hawaiians alone or in combination with other races (US Census Bureau, 2000).