The South Asian population has emerged as a dynamic and affluent cultural minority in the United States. The 1980 Census, which provides the basis for this report, estimates the number of South Asians at around 400,000, and projections suggest that over one million will have joined the U.S. population by the year 2000. South Asian ethnicity is characterized by comparative "invisibility" to other Americans, entailing uncertainty about "race" and "color," and ambiguity among South Asians themselves concerning membership in the group. This report focuses on Asian Indians, who make up the majority of South Asians. The Asian Indian community has the highest income for full-time workers, but not the highest per capita household income, of any of the races recorded in the Census, reflecting a tendency among Asian Indians toward large, single-earner households. High personal incomes correlate largely to advanced educational attainment and concentrations in professional occupations; however, not all occupational groups have high incomes. Asian Indian women have lower labor market participation rates than do women in other Asian groups. Poverty is rare among Asian Indians and stems from different sources from those of the U.S. population overall. The report includes three figures and 23 tables. A list of 36 references is appended. (AF)