---
title: Asian-American
slug: asian-american
defined: true
speech: noun
skip_in_table_of_content: true
---
umbrella term for people of Asian descent (immigrant or natural born) who live in and/or are from the United States.

## Considerations
As many countries and cultures are enveloped within this umbrella term, try to be as specific as possible. When speaking of Vietnamese-Americans or Chinese-Americans, use those terms instead. Be careful to not assume that every English-speaking Asian person you meet in the U.S. is necessarily Asian-American. (For one, they could be Asian-Canadian or have any other number of nationalities. In general, be mindful of accuracy and confirm with relevant parties.

## Note
Can be shortened to AsAm or AA by those who identify as Asian American. Be mindful of context and always spell out on first reference. If you aren't Asian-American, it's best to keep it spelled out.