据一份题为《华裔美国人写照》的研究报告称，华裔美国人作为美国受教育程度最高的人群之一在工作中得到的报酬却通常低于非西班牙裔白人人群。这项研究是由马里兰大学和华裔美国人组织共同开展的，他们发现25岁以上的华裔美国人当中持有大学学历的人是美国普通人群中的两倍，而他们的工资水平却比各个教育水平的非西班牙裔白人都要低。

Chinese Americans in the United States earn less than non-Hispanic Whites of the same educational level, despite having a higher educational level than the average population, a study has said.

The compilers of a 64-page report, A Portrait of Chinese Americans, analyzed¹ data from the US Bureau of Census² and the American Community Survey of 2006, science portal EurekAlert! Chinese reported last week.

The study, jointly³ carried out by the University of Maryland and the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA), said there are twice as many college degree holders⁴ among Chinese Americans aged⁵ 25 and above than among the general population, but they earn less than non-Hispanic Whites of all levels of education.

"Chinese American men earn $5,000 to $15,000 less than non-Hispanic Whites with the same level of education," the report said.

The reasons behind the discrepancy⁶ include racial discrimination, perceptions of "a lack of leadership potential", and differences between Chinese Americans and the majority in "standing⁷ out" and "receiving recognition", Professor Larry Hajime Shinagawa of the University of Maryland, who led the study team, said.

Also, Chinese Americans do not earn increasing incomes with each successive generation, the study said.

Members of the "1.5 generation" - those who arrived in the US aged 15 or younger - receive the highest returns on their educational achievements, it said.

This is because these people have better language skills than their parents, the first generation, and are generally better educated, Michael Lin, executive director of the OCA and member of the research team, said.

The first generation has also not been totally Americanized, and still "maintains a drive" to pursue professional careers, he said.

While Shinagawa is optimistic about the future for Chinese Americans, he said the study implies a need for the development of "constituency groups" among Chinese and Asian Americans in the workplace that can lead to recognition, protection and advocacy.

Other ways to combat the lower income levels include sensitivity training for company managers, enforcement of civil rights laws, training programs for recognizing different kinds of leadership, and a redirection of management approaches, he said.