Complexifying Asian American student pathways to STEM majors: Differences by ethnic subgroups and college selectivity.

Abstract

Despite growing diversity among Asian Americans, little attention has been given to the diverse experiences and outcomes of Asian American subgroups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Using a nationally representative data set, High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09), this study examines Asian American students' various pathways of entrance into STEM majors by college selectivity. Results show different patterns of STEM major selection among Asian ethnic subgroups that are not uniformly applied to all types of college selectivity, thereby revealing the heterogeneity within Asian American populations and suggesting the peril of the monolithic stereotype of Asian American students in STEM fields. Analyses further disclose that disparities of STEM major selection among Asian ethnic subgroups can be partially but not fully explained by high school math achievement.

Undergraduates’ pSTEM identity and motivation in relation to gender- and race-based perceived representation, stereotyped beliefs, and implicit associations

“…A prior study found that children and adolescents were significantly more likely to implicitly associate Asian faces than White faces with math (Cvencek, Nasir, et al, 2015). Furthermore, Asian students are not monolithic, and some Asian ethnic groups (e.g., Filipinx) are underrepresented in STEM (Kang et al, 2021). Relatedly, our study did not examine specific intersectional identities and stereotypes based on race and gender, such as Asian women or Latinx men (see Jaxon et al, 2019).…”

Demographics Matter: Non-white and White Life Science Graduate Students Perceive and Use Resources Differently

“…This decision was made because the term “Asian American” represents more than 20 ethnic subgroups ( Hoeffel et al. , 2012 ), and the assumption that Asian Americans are adequately represented in STEM domains ignores the intragroup diversity in experiences and struggles ( Iporac, 2020 ; Kang et al. , 2021 ).…”

“We are the majority”: An AsianCrit perspective of the racialized experiences of Asian American college students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“…Likewise, Asian American college students have a diverse array of experiences. Within the STEM context, Kang et al (2023) found that Indian and Sri Lankan American students were more likely to pursue a STEM major compared with Filipino American students even after controlling for a variety of factors like socioeconomic status and parental education. They also found that different ethnic groups were more likely to pursue STEM majors depending on the type of college they attended (i.e., 2-year, nonselective 4-year, highly selective 4-year; Kang et al, 2023).…”

“…Within the STEM context, Kang et al (2023) found that Indian and Sri Lankan American students were more likely to pursue a STEM major compared with Filipino American students even after controlling for a variety of factors like socioeconomic status and parental education. They also found that different ethnic groups were more likely to pursue STEM majors depending on the type of college they attended (i.e., 2-year, nonselective 4-year, highly selective 4-year; Kang et al, 2023). Additionally, many Asian Americans feel pressured to pursue STEM majors as a result of the model minority myth and other racial stereotypes that paint them as good at math, but lacking adequate social and verbal abilities (Leong & Serafica, 1995).…”