LOS ANGELES, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The Asian American population grew 22 percent between 2000 and 2010 in San Gabriel Valley in the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area in western U.S. state of California, showed a new report released Wednesday.

There are over half a million Asian Americans living in Los Angeles County's San Gabriel Valley, more than there are in 42 states or in the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Chicago, according to the report titled "A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in the San Gabriel Valley" released by Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles.

The region's total population grew only 2 percent between 2000 and 2010. The growth of Asian American population is significantly faster than any other racial group, and only less than Latinos in number.

The report also finds that the number of majority Asian American cities in the San Gabriel Valley doubled from 6 to 12 between 2000 and 2010.

San Gabriel Valley is known for its vibrant Chinese American community as Chinese Americans make up over half of its Asian American population. Over half of the L.A. county's Chinese American populations live in the region.

The region is also home to large Filipino, Vietnamese, and Korean American populations.

"The Asian American population in the San Gabriel Valley is a community deeply impacted by poverty and low-wage work, affordable housing concerns, and environmental challenges," said Jeffer Giang, research analyst at Advancing Justice - Los Angeles and the report's primary author.

"With over two-thirds born outside the U.S., it is a rapidly growing community directly impacted by the current debate on immigration," Giang added.

Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles is the largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders in the United States.