Gifted Asian American Women

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of personal, socialization, and structural factors affecting the life-span achievement of 15 Asian American women identified as gifted through a national retrospective study of highly achieving women from African American, Asian American, Latina, and White backgrounds. Interpreted within a cultural-ecological framework, findings support earlier research suggesting that Asian American parents' experiences of discrimination in this country encourage an intense focus on educational achievement and hard work as a way to ensure success. Teachers and schools, which similarly value hard work, reinforce this behavior. However, parents' and teachers' support of these women's academic achievement alone does not fully prepare them for the workplace, where they will need to consider career options, think critically about social issues, and respond effectively to institutional barriers. As adults in the workplace, gifted Asian American women find that hard work alone does not ensure advancement because of personal (e.g., self-doubt) and structural (e.g., stereotyping) obstacles. Nevertheless, gifted Asian American women find the workplace highly satisfying, stimulating, and challenging. Implications for educators are offered.