Complicating the Image of Model Minority Success: A Review of Southeast Asian American Education

Abstract

Similar to other Asian American students, Southeast Asian American students are often stereotyped by the popular press as hardworking and high-achieving model minorities. On the other hand, Southeast Asian American youth are also depicted as low-achieving high school dropouts involved in gangs. The realities of academic performance and persistence among Southeast Asian American students are far more complex than either image suggests. This article explores the various explanations for the struggles, successes, and educational experiences of Southeast Asian students. To highlight differences across ethnic groups, we review the literature on each Southeast Asian ethnic group separately and examine the successes and continuing struggles facing first- and second-generation Vietnamese American, Cambodian American, Hmong American, and Lao American students in the United States.

(Mis)Labeled: The Challenge of Academic Capital Formation for Hmong American High School Students in an Urban Setting

“…As highlighted by Table 1, Southeast Asians are a significantly underrepresented ethnic sub-group, which comprises of people from a variety of Asian ethnic groups from the countries of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia (Ngo & Lee, 2007;Teranishi, 2004). They came to the United States in the late 1970s and 1980s as political war refugees, fleeing their home countries as an act of desperation to escape from poverty, torture, and death from the aftermath of the War on Southeast Asia (also known as the Vietnam War) (Ngo & Lee, 2007;Teranishi, 2004).…”

“…They came to the United States in the late 1970s and 1980s as political war refugees, fleeing their home countries as an act of desperation to escape from poverty, torture, and death from the aftermath of the War on Southeast Asia (also known as the Vietnam War) (Ngo & Lee, 2007;Teranishi, 2004). The 2000 U.S. Census showed that 49% of Southeast Asians live in poverty, compared to less than 10% of Japanese and Chinese Americans (Teranishi, 2004), which indicates that the experiences of this specific population is distinct from other AAPIs that have been in the United States for numerous generations.…”

A Historical Analysis of Southeast Asian Refugee Communities: Post-war Acculturation and Education in the U.S.

“…In the case of Southeast Asian groups studied here, the "model minority myth" commonly held about Asian American children can mask their educational needs, leaving them unmet (Lee, 2001;Ngo & Lee, 2007). Conversely, teachers who understand the tremendous barriers faced by Southeast Asian groups can negatively stereotype these students as "delinquents" and hold lowered expectations for them (Lee, 2001;Trueba et al, 1990).…”

“…Yet all groups have some elements in common: examples include a common history related to the Vietnam War; a common experience of resettlement by the U.S. government and granting of assistance afterward; a common experience of prejudiced societal reception; and a common general experience of relegation to manual labor upon entry into the U.S. Additionally, Southeast Asian students into the second generation have continued to struggle in schools; this is even true for many Vietnamese second-generation students who continue to struggle, while another segment thrives, as reflected in their bimodal attainment patterns (Ngo & Lee, 2007;Niedzwiecki & Duong, 2011).…”

“…Often, both educational institutions and scholars lump all Asian groups together in reporting and research, creating a false sense of homogeneity where none exists (Blair & Qian, 1998;Fong, 2008;Lee, 1996;Ngo & Lee, 2007). There are major between-group differences in the context of immigration, experiences of acculturation and adaptation in the U.S., and educational and occupational trends.…”