EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH FOR ASIAN AMERICAN WELL-BEING
AsianCrit
Asian Critical Race Theory
AsianCrit is an extension of Critical Race Theory. There is a general misconception that critical theorists only provide critiques with no practical solutions. This is an inaccuracy. As you will learn, you can take knowledge from AsianCrit theory to support Asian American students' well-being.
Understanding Educational Experiences of Asian Americans
Teranishi (2002) argued that critical race theory is needed to understand the experiences Asian Pacific American students within a theoretical framework that acknowledges their racialized status in education. It is important for researchers to understand that racism is institutionalized within our society, including our educational institutions. We must be able to identify and expose racism, in order to diminish it's negative effects on people of Color, including Asian American students.
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The "Model Minority" (Forgotten Minority)
There are many concerns with the Asian American stereotype of the model minority. First, it implies that racism is no longer an issue and that minorities are not discriminated against. Second, it is inaccurate to lump all Asian American experiences together. Asian Americans are primarily an immigrant based population and have different experiences between countries of descent. Teranishi (2002) discovered that although Chinese American high school students were likely to be provided support and resources conducive to attending elite universities, Filipino American students were tracked into lower level classes and given limited postsecondary resources. The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus has published a graphic on their website with facts debunking the "model minority" myth (shown at top of page), such as 35-40% of Cambodian, Hmong, and Laotian students not finishing high school. Third, by assuming Asian Americans are all successful, we are neglecting the mental health concerns plaguing the population. In fact, mental health is one of the most significant health concerns for Asian American young adults, and primary sources of stress include parental pressure, expectations of the model minority myth, acculturation, and racial discrimination (Lee et al., 2009).