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Hawaii, not surprisingly, is No. 1 among states for the percentage of its overall businesses owned by Native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders. But the state that ranks No. 2 may be less predictable: Utah.
Still, new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released on Tuesday show that the number of businesses owned by Native Hawaiians and Polynesians in Utah is relatively minuscule, even if it is good enough to finish second in the nation.
They owned an estimated 692 out of Utah's 246,393 businesses in 2007, or just 0.28 percent of them.
Native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders owned 9.5 percent of all businesses in Hawaii.
Just behind Utah in the rankings — but essentially in a statistical tie with it — were Alaska and California (both at 0.27 percent) and Nevada (0.26 percent).
In looking at overall numbers of firms owned by Pacific islanders, and not just percentages, the 692 owned by Pacific Islanders in Utah ranked No. 8 among states. Hawaii had the most, 11,383, followed by California (9,255) and New York (1,854).
Pam Perlich, research economist at the University of Utah, said anyone following Census numbers over time may not be surprised at the findings.
"In the 2000 Census, for example, West Valley City had the highest per capita [percentage] of Native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders of any place outside of Hawaii. That level of detail from the 2010 Census is not yet available," she said.
The 2010 Census reports that 31,399 Native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders live in Utah now, about 1.1 percent of the population.
Perlich said many of the initial immigrants from the Pacific islands to Utah were converts to the LDS Church, who were followed by family members. She said LDS missions in the Pacific and such LDS operations as BYU-Hawaii and the Polynesian Cultural Center have created many generations of connection between Utah and Hawaii and other islands.
Thomas Maloney, a University of Utah economics professor, said Utah's Pacific islanders are more settled and longer-term residents than most other local immigrant groups. He said they tend to have a higher rate of home ownership than Pacific islanders in other states.
His past studies of their businesses locally have shown they are vibrant. Also, he said while Pacific islanders in Utah may account for a small portion of the state's overall population,"they are a big, important part of the Pacific islander population nationally." —
Firms owned by Pacific islanders
Percent of overall businesses owned by Native Hawaiians and Pacific islanders:
1 • Hawaii, 9.5 percent
2 • Utah, 0.28 percent
3 • (tie) Alaska and California, 0.27 percent
5 • Nevada, 0.26 percent