華人移居美國最早可追溯到1850年代，縱使美國的華人社區經歷自由移民階段(1850~1882)、排華階段(1882~1943)、及有限度的開放移民階段（1943年～至今）等三個階段，尤其1965年移民法修正後，美國強調以家庭團聚的原則，鼓勵專業人才移民，並收納越南難民後，華人移民的素質從依靠體力的農工階層，轉變成為以專業技術科技人才移民的階層；移民的觀念從傳統的「落葉歸根」，轉變成融入居留國主流社會的「落地生根」，在在顯示華人移民的改變。早期移民社會的階層流動變化不大，由於清政府的忽視移民，出洋的早期移民，受制於有錢的商人階層控制。在1965年以前的時代裡，華人移民幾乎是在封閉的華埠裡生活。1965年後，重新修改移民法，給予華人新移民有更多更平等的移民條件及移民配額人數後，華人社會出現了新的菁英領導階層。由於移民的每一階段裡，華人社區和華人移民有著不同的生存發展方式，也因此影響了華人移民中菁英群體在內涵、條件、特徵及活動上的諸多不同。菁英群體是美國華人中最優秀、最活躍、最有成就及領導力、也是最具代表性的階層，對華人社會起著主導支配的作用，因而對此階層的探索，有極高的研究價值。本篇論文試圖依循歷史沿革，特定的社會、經濟文化背景，來對華人菁英群體進行檢視。主要的研究方向有：一，菁英階層的理論；二，華人移民的背景及歷史回顧；三，1965年以前華人菁英階層的探討；四、1965年以後華人菁英階層的探討；五，華人菁英及其群體對各華人社區和全美華人社會的作用及影響。

The first modern wave of Chinese immigrants resulted from the passage of the Immigration Act of 1965, which allowed 20,000 Chinese per year to emigrate to the United States. Consequently, the Chinese population (both Chinese-Americans and Chinese citizens residing in the United States) has increased from 117.140 in 1950 to more than 1.5 million in 1990. Most have come from Taiwan and Hong Kong (when Hong Kong was still under British rule, before 1997). In the last 20 years, some have migrated from China, as well as relocated from Caribbean and Latin American countries. In the last 50 years, the demographic traits of the immigrants could be characterized as young, educated, and entrepreneurial. Many Chinese have thus formed an elite class, and are actively participating in the development of politics, culture, education, science technology, medicine, and business in the United States. Immediately following the first modern wave of immigration, Chinese often lived in Chinatowns, and were especially concentrated in San Francisco. Los Angeles, and New York City. Although the largest Chinese populations can still be found in the urban areas of California and New York, the Chinese community has since spread into Illinois, Massachusetts, and Texas, as well as more suburban areas. With the size of Chinese populations increasing rapidly throughout the country, it's lots of elite class of Chinese in American society. This research paper is an examination of the post-1960 development and transformation of Chinese American community of highly educated professionals. The paper also examines how the local community-based organizations. U.S. Federal science and technology agencies, embassy and consulate officials, and Asian American advocacy organizations and politicians shape the cultural citizenship of an increasingly heterogeneous 1st and 2nd generation Chinese American community dispersed over four adjacent neighborhoods.