Southeast Asian American College Students Research Articles

The Role of Faculty In Faculty–Student Engagement: Disaggregated Analyses by Ethnicity for Southeast Asian American College Students

The Role of Faculty In Faculty–Student Engagement:Disaggregated Analyses by Ethnicity for Southeast Asian American College Students Soua Xiong (bio) Higher education institutions have struggled to support the degree completion of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) college students (Keo & Noguera, 2018), a population that has been historically understudied and underserved (Museus, 2014). Thus, increased attention to the success of this group of students is important. Research has indicated that faculty–student engagement is a contributing factor to degree completion (Price & Tovar, 2014). Given the importance of faculty–student engagement on degree completion, understanding its predictors can be important to begin addressing degree completion rates for SEAA college students. Some research on SEAA college students has suggested that faculty–student engagement is a function of the conditions created by faculty (Vang, 2018; Xiong & Wood, 2020). For example, students' perceptions of the number of faculty who validate them were found to be a significant predictor of faculty–student engagement for SEAA students (Xiong & Wood, 2020). However, these studies have been limited in scope, focusing primarily on faculty validation and faculty belonging practices as predictors of faculty–student engagement. In addition to these practices, the current study included student perceptions of faculty relationship and welcoming engagement inside and outside of the classroom as predictor variables of faculty–student engagement. Research on faculty–student engagement that has included Asian American participants has infrequently disaggregated analyses by specific Asian ethnic groups (e.g., Chang, 2005; Cole, 2010). Analyses based on an aggregation of ethnic Asian populations may mask important ethnic differences. Therefore, disaggregated analyses for specific Asian ethnic groups are warranted since research has suggested the experiences of SEAA college students vary by ethnicity (Xiong, 2021). The current study analyzed faculty–student engagement data that could be disaggregated by Southeast Asian ethnic groups (e.g., Cambodian, Hmong, Laotian, Vietnamese) to examine ethnic differences. As such, the purpose of the current study was to examine how student perceptions of faculty practices predicted engagement with faculty and whether significant predictors of faculty–student engagement varied by ethnicity among SEAA college students. This study is the first to systematically examine these relationships for SEAA students. The current investigation is also the first empirical study to conduct disaggregated analyses on faculty–student [End Page 461] engagement among SEAA students. In addition to advancing the knowledge base on SEAA college students and the broader literature on faculty–student engagement, findings from this study can contribute to building the capacity of higher education institutions in advancing success outcomes for SEAA students. METHODS Data for the current study come from the Community College Success Measure (CCSM), an institutional needs assessment tool designed to examine factors impacting the success of historically underserved students in community colleges. The CCSM was selected for the current investigation because it allowed for the analysis of student perceptions of faculty practices and student engagement with faculty that can be disaggregated by specific Southeast Asian ethnic groups. While more than 13,000 students from 12 community colleges across four states completed the CCSM between 2015 and 2018, the analytic sample for this study included a total of 605 participants who identified as Southeast Asian: Cambodian (n = 72, 11.9%), Hmong (n = 262, 43.3%), Laotian (n = 39, 6.4%), Vietnamese (n = 129, 21.3%), and Other Southeast Asian (n = 103, 17.0%). Predictor variables consisted of composite variables that assessed student perceptions of faculty practices and included the following five measures of faculty practices: (a) faculty belonging, reflecting students' perceptions that faculty members make them feel they belong in class; (b) faculty relationship, indicating students' perceptions that faculty members know important information about them; (c) faculty validation, assessing students' perceptions of the number of faculty members who communicate validating messages to them; (d) faculty welcoming engagement (inside the classroom), reflecting students' perceptions that their engagement in class is both welcome and encouraged by faculty members; and (e) faculty welcoming engagement (outside the classroom), reflecting students' perceptions that their engagement outside of class is both welcome and encouraged by faculty members. The faculty belonging, relationship, and welcoming engagement items are measured on a 6-point Likert scale that ranges from 1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree. The faculty validation...

An Exploratory Study of College Choice for Southeast Asian American Students

The study of college choice among all students continues to be crucial in higher education. More importantly, a critical examination of understanding the influences of college choice for ethnically diverse groups may provide better guidance for colleges and universities particularly in increasing and diversifying their student populations. This exploratory qualitative study examines the college choice of Southeast Asian American college students (SEAA). Implications for future practice and research are also presented.

Family and Social Cognitive Predictors of Southeast Asian American College Students’ Academic Satisfaction

Southeast Asian Americans have unique sociopolitical histories compared to other Asian American ethnic groups in the United States. These experiences may distinctly shape their academic experiences. Given the low academic attainment rates in this population, we tested a cultural and social cognitive model of academic satisfaction with a sample of 111 Southeast Asian American college students. Specifically, we examined the degree to which intergenerational family conflict and social cognitive factors (e.g., self-efficacy) related to academic satisfaction. We found that intergenerational family conflict was negatively related to family academic support. Contrary to expectations, family academic support and self-efficacy were not directly linked to academic satisfaction, family academic support was not directly linked to self-efficacy or outcome expectations, and outcome expectations was not linked to goal progress. Other social cognitive predictors were related directly and indirectly to academic satisfaction, consistent with prior research. Limitations and implications for future research and practice are addressed.

‘It was about claiming space’: exposure to Asian American studies, ethnic organization participation, and the negotiation of self among southeast Asian Americans

Despite the growing number of Asian American Studies (AAS) programs and Asian ethnic organizations across colleges and universities since the 1970s, surprisingly little empirical research examines the role of these aspects of higher education on Asian American identity. How do the roles of AAS curriculum and Asian American student organizations (Asian American activities) influence southeast Asian American college students’ ethnic and panethnic identity formation? Drawing on 50 in-depth interviews of 1.5 and second-generation college-educated Asian Americans, this study finds that the exposure to Asian American activities shapes respondents’ racial and ethnic identity construction. Specifically, the exposure to Asian American activities: (1) evokes an informed assertion of a contextual panethnic identity; (2) serves to trigger an assertion of a hyphenated American identity; and lastly, (3) plays a direct, but differing, instrumental role on identity construction among different Asian American sub-ethnic groups.

College and Career Readiness of Southeast Asian American College Students in New England

This study discusses the college and career readiness among full-time Southeast Asian American college students in a 4-year public university in New England. Our study consisted of surveys ( n = 58) and focus groups ( n = 35), of second-generation (born in the United States) or 1.5-generation (immigrated as a youth) college students. While our participants were fairly strong academically, they still struggled to navigate college and many did not feel prepared for careers. We found some variability by majors in the correlation of academic major and career preparedness, and our findings also suggest that Southeast Asian American students shared a number of concerns, such as lack of finances, inconsistent academic advising, and need for more career preparation. Nevertheless, across this heterogeneity, students agreed that peer mentors and effective faculty mentors are invaluable resources and that more such mentors and programs are needed.

Cultural Community Connections and College Success: An Examination of Southeast Asian American College Students

Low rates of college success continue to be a persisting problem in the United States, particularly among Southeast Asian Americans and other populations of color. The purpose of the current inquiry was to understand how cultural community connections influence the success of Southeast Asian American college students. Qualitative methods were employed and face-to-face individual interviews were conducted with 34 Southeast Asian American undergraduates. Participants identified 3 types of connections that facilitated their success in college: physical, epistemological, and transformational cultural connections. Implications for future higher education research and practice are discussed.

The Impact of Social Capital on the Access, Adjustment, and Success of Southeast Asian American College Students

Given that Southeast Asian American (SEAA) students are severely underrepresented in higher education and less likely to persistence to graduation compared to other ethnic groups in the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, this study explored critical factors to their college success. Indeed, several themes emerged from this national sample of 34 participants from five public, four year colleges and universities. In this present article, we discuss one of the salient themes—the role of social capital as facilitators of college access and success. This article concludes with implications for research and practice.

Unpacking the Complex and Multifaceted Nature of Parental Influences on Southeast Asian American College Students' Educational Trajectories

This article reports on a study that examined the ways in which parents influence the educational trajectories of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) undergraduates at four-year institutions. Individual, face-to-face interviews with 34 SEAAs were conducted and analyzed. Findings illustrate the complex and multifaceted ways that parental influences shape SEAA educational trajectories.

Unpacking the Complex and Multifaceted Nature of Parental Influences on Southeast Asian American College Students' Educational Trajectories

This article reports on a study that examined the ways in which parents influence the educational trajectories of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) undergraduates at four-year institutions. Individual, face-to-face interviews with 34 SEAAs were conducted and analyzed. Findings illustrate the complex and multifaceted ways that parental influences shape SEAA educational trajectories.

The Importance of Critically Disaggregating Data: The Case of Southeast Asian American College Students

The following policy brief calls for the improvement in data collection of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and, more specifically, Southeast Asian Americans (SEAAs) in order to facilitate college access and success. First, context and the concern for the lack of data are provided. Second, an explanation of the challenges with the existing data and importance of disaggregating data with regard to ethnicity and other important factors such as language and generational status are discussed. Also emphasized is the importance of incorporating the use of qualitative data in the policy decision-making process. Third, suggestions and recommendations that will benefit research and eventually positively influence policy decisions regarding SEAAs in education are discussed.

The Importance of Critically Disaggregating Data: The Case of Southeast Asian American College Students

The following policy brief calls for the improvement in data collection of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) and, more specifically, Southeast Asian Americans (SEAAs) in order to facilitate college access and success. First, context and the concern for the lack of data are provided. Second, an explanation of the challenges with the existing data and importance of disaggregating data with regard to ethnicity and other important factors such as language and generational status are discussed. Also emphasized is the importance of incorporating the use of qualitative data in the policy decision-making process. Third, suggestions and recommendations that will benefit research and eventually positively influence policy decisions regarding SEAAs in education are discussed.

A Test of the Intergenerational Congruence in Immigrant Families--Child Scale with Southeast Asian Americans

A common challenge facing immigrant families is intergenerational-intercultural conflict. Social workers are in need of an easy-to-use but psychometrically sound measure to assess this phenomenon and evaluate treatment effectiveness. The Intergenerational Congruence in Immigrant Families (ICIF) Scale was created for this purpose. The ICIF has two parallel versions, one to assess the perspective of the parent (ICIF-Parent Scale) and the other to assess the perspective of the adolescent or young adult children of immigrants (ICIF-Child Scale, or ICIF-CS) of the intergenerational relationship. As Southeast Asian American refugee families are at increased risk of intergenerational-intercultural conflict, the current study assesses the psychometric properties of the ICIF-CS in 188 Southeast Asian American college students with refugee parents. The ICIF-CS was found to be a unidimensional measure with high internal reliability. Its construct validity was supported by its positive association with parental attachment and self-esteem and negative association with family conflict and depressive symptom level. KEY WORDS: intergenerational congruence; intergenerational relationship; migrant families; Southeast Asian Americans ********** At the dawn of the 21st century, more people than ever are migrating in search of a better life. This is particularly evident in the United States, where 12% of the population is non-native born (Mareh, 2005). Furthermore, one of every five American children grows up in an immigrant-headed household (Capps, Fix, Ost, Reardon-Anderson, & Passel, 2004). Among Asian Americans, the fastest growing ethnic minority group in the United States, two-thirds are either immigrants or refugees (U.S. Census Bureau, 2002). Consequently, almost nine in every 10 Asian American youths (88%) are raised by overseas-born parents (Zhou & Bankston, 1998). An extensive literature has shown that differential acculturation between migrant parents and their offspring results in intergenerational-intercultural conflict (Kwak, 2003; Sluzki, 1979). This conflict holds significant negative mental health consequences for both migrants and their children (Kwak). For social workers to serve such families effectively, psychometrically sound measures of intergenerational conflict are needed. The Intergenerational Congruence in Immigrant Families-Child and Parent Scales (ICIF-CS and ICIF-PS, respectively) were constructed to address this gap in the literature (Ying, Lee, & Tsai, 2004; Ying & Tracy, 2004). The ICIF assesses intergenerational congruence across various domains and satisfaction with the parent-child relationship from the perspective of both the adolescent or young adult child (ICIF-CS) and the immigrant parent (ICIF-PS), regardless of culture of origin. Earlier research has demonstrated the psychometric properties of these scales in Chinese American immigrant parents (Ying & Tracy) and adolescent children of immigrants (Ying et al., 2004). The current study extends the literature on the use of the ICIF with other migrant groups by focusing on Southeast Asian refugee families. Recent research has documented the intergenerational transmission of trauma in Southeast Asian refugee families where traumatized parents form insecure attachments with their children, who in turn exhibit lowered competence and psychological well-being (Han, 2006). Thus, it is particularly important to assess intergenerational conflict in this population to assist social work interventions. INTERGENERATIONAL-INTERCULTURAL CONFLICT IN MIGRANT FAMILIES The development of intergenerational-intercultural conflict in migrant families occurs secondarily to differential acculturation between nonnative-born parents and their migrant or U.S.-born children (Sluzki, 1979). Having been socialized in their culture of origin, adult migrants usually prefer to retain those values and acculturate slowly to majority U. …

Relationship Among Perceived Parental Trauma, Parental Attachment, and Sense of Coherence in Southeast Asian American College Students

ABSTRACT There are nearly 2 million Southeast Asians (SEAs) currently living in the United States. The overwhelming majority are refugees from the Southeast Asian wars and political turmoil in the latter half of the 20th century. While an abundance of literature has documented the significant war-related traumas that SEA refugees have suffered, very little is known about the transmission of trauma in these families. This phenomenon deserves our attention because children of SEA refugees may suffer negative mental health consequences through the intergenerational transmission of trauma. This paper empirically examined the effect of parental trauma on SEA American late adolescents' sense of coherence, as mediated by parent-child attachment. The findings demonstrated the deleterious effect of parental trauma on attachment and their offsprings' sense of coherence. Further, attachment mediated the effect of parental trauma on adolescent's sense of coherence. The findings demonstrate the reality that what happened in one generation will affect what happens in the following generation and emphasize the importance of working with SEA populations using a family system approach.