Elon Musk recently shared a social media post on X, drawing attention to the success of various ethnic groups that have immigrated to the United States. Using data from the US Census Bureau, Musk highlighted the median household incomes of different Asian immigrant groups.
According to the infographic, Indian Americans boast one of the highest median annual household incomes at $119,858. This is followed by Taiwanese, Chinese, and Japanese Americans.
| Ethnic Group | Median Household Income |
|---|---|
| Indian Americans | $119,858 |
| Taiwanese Americans | Data Not Provided |
| Chinese Americans | Data Not Provided |
| Japanese Americans | Data Not Provided |
| Pakistani Americans | $77,315 |
| Filipino Americans | Data Not Provided |
| Korean Americans | Data Not Provided |
| Cambodian Americans | Data Not Provided |
| Hmong Americans | Data Not Provided |
| Vietnamese Americans | Data Not Provided |
| White Americans | $65,902 |
Musk’s post included a statement: “Wow, America really is the land of opportunity!” He underscored that Asian immigrant groups, including Pakistani Americans, have higher median household incomes than White Americans, who have a median income of $65,902.
In a subsequent tweet, Musk suggested that the Left does not include income statistics of Asian immigrants in their narrative about race and gender-based income inequality. He argued that Asian women, in particular, earn more than White men, which contradicts the usual discussions about pay gaps.
In a May post, Musk shared another infographic indicating that Asian women earn more than White men. This post questioned why the Left does not highlight the success of Asian women when discussing gender and race pay gaps.
Tom Chiang Jr., a sociologist and Florida resident, explained in an article for the American Sociological Association’s journal “Contexts” that the economic success of Indian Americans can be attributed to favorable U.S. immigration policies. These policies favored immigrants who were already highly educated before arriving in the United States.
A Pew Research Center study further supports the idea that the gender pay gap varies significantly by race and ethnicity. In 2022, Black women earned 70% as much as White men, while Hispanic women earned only 65%. White women earned 83% of what White men earned, while Asian women earned 93%.
Pew’s 2015 survey report stated that White men were used as a comparison group because they represented the largest demographic in the workforce at that time.
For more detailed statistics and information on this topic, visit the [US Census Bureau](https://www.census.gov) and the [Pew Research Center](https://www.pewresearch.org).