Southeast Asian American Students Research Articles

Analyzing In-Depth Study of Southeast Asian Graduate Students: A Qualitative Approach

Studying abroad can be a transformative experience, but it often presents significant challenges. Southeast Asian international graduate students, in particular, face considerable academic and cultural hurdles when transitioning to U.S. higher education. These stressors, including language barriers, financial difficulties, and academic adjustments, can negatively impact their mental health and academic performance. This study aims to illuminate these challenges and identify effective support strategies. It is essential to recognize the diverse experiences of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) students, who are included in this study. The SEAA community is rich in culture and heritage, contributing significantly to the U.S. landscape. This research seeks to understand the unique challenges faced by SEAAs and to foster a more inclusive academic environment. This study has identified key academic and cultural stressors by examining the experiences of Southeast Asian international graduate students. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted support services to enhance student well-being and academic success. It is crucial to shift from a deficit-oriented perspective to one that centers on the voices and experiences of SEAA students. By listening to their stories, higher education institutions can develop effective strategies to support their academic journeys and create a more inclusive campus community.

The Trauma of COVID-19-Fueled Discrimination: Posttraumatic Stress in Asian American Adolescents.

With the emergence of COVID-19 in China, East and Southeast Asian American (ESEAA) students have reported increased incidents of COVID-19–fueled discrimination in online and offline (in-person) settings. Given the recency of this situation, there is a scarcity of research investigating the impact of COVID-19–related discrimination on ESEAA adolescents’ mental health, especially posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In the current study, therefore, we provide evidence regarding the relations of COVID-19–fueled online and offline discrimination to PTSD symptoms in a sample of ESEAA high school students. We discuss study limitations; future recommendations; and implications for school leaders, school counselors, and other educators.

From Yellow Peril to Model Minority and Back to Yellow Peril

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some perceptions of Asian Americans in the United States shifted as anti-Asian hate crimes escalated. However, little is known about how these shifting views manifest in K–12 schools. This qualitative case study uses Asian critical race theory to examine how two Southeast Asian American students faced exclusion and erasure before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and how their Southeast Asian American teacher advocated for them at a public elementary school in the Pacific Northwest. Implications include how researchers can pursue inquiries about Asian American students’ holistic development and how in-service and pre-service teachers can address anti-Asian xenophobia.

Ethnoracial identity development and colorblindness among Southeast Asian American students at an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and non-AANAPISI

ABSTRACT This study examines how Southeast Asian American students develop their ethnoracial identities at an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and a non-AANAPISI, and if there are differences between the two institutions. Drawing on interviews with 26 Southeast Asian American undergraduate students, I find that students use three outlets at both institutions to further develop their ethnoracial identities: 1) Asian American Studies or related courses, 2) ethnoracial student organizations, and 3) ethnoracial events. However, these outlets provided students with a different type of ethnoracial identity development – political ethnoracial identity or social ethnoracial identity. Those that did not participate in these outlets had a colorblind ethnoracial identity as they still acknowledged their ethnoracial identities but did not view race or racism as relevant. The AANAPISI designation did not matter in the parameters of this study, as there were no differences for students at both institutions.

Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs): Serving and Advocating for the Educational Needs of Southeast Asian American Students

The purpose of this article is to highlight how AANAPISI programs can intentionally design their programming to support Southeast Asian American (SEAA) students, and their responsibility in effectively advocating for them at the policy level. In this effort, this article will first provide a background and an overview of the AANAPISI landscape over the past decade. Then it will focus on one exemplary AANAPISI, providing examples of programmatic mechanisms and efforts used to serve SEAA students. This article concludes by providing recommendations and discussing the implications regarding the role of AANAPISIs in effectively serving and advocating for their SEAA students at the policy level.

Attaining the Elusive: Efficacy, Math Education and Black and Latino Students

Low enrollment of Latino, African American, Native American, and Southeast Asian American students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes, via advanced placement (AP) courses, remains a problem for high schools, and education leaders across the United States. More than just examining the factors behind this enrollment issue, we wanted to understand the focal factors underpinning success in AP courses of those few who do enroll. For that purpose, we grounded this case study on social cognitive theory’s central variable of self-efficacy. We found that teacher facilitated experience plays a pivotal function in students’ success in STEM education, more specifically, AP math.

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.

Understanding How Key Institutional Agents Provide Southeast Asian American Students With Access to Social Capital in College

In this study, we focus on understanding how institutional agents can and do foster success among Southeast Asian American (SEAA) students in higher education. Specifically, qualitative methods were utilized to examine the experiences of 34 SEAA undergraduate students at 5 public 4-year colleges and universities across the United States and understand the characteristics of institutional agents that helped SEAA students access social capital in college. The findings reveal that institutional agents who (a) shared common ground with their SEAA students, (b) humanized the educational experience, (c) espoused proactive philosophies, and (d) modeled a passion for learning and success positively influenced participants' access to social capital in college.

Academic Needs and Family Factors in the Education of Southeast Asian American Students: Dismantling the Model Minority Myth

Academic Needs and Family Factors in the Education of Southeast Asian American Students: Dismantling the Model Minority Myth

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.

Unpacking racial identities: the salience of ethnicity in Southeast Asian-American youth’s schooling experience

This article reconceptualizes white teachers’ notion of their Asian-American students’ racial identity. Forty urban Southeast Asian-American (SEAA) students and seven of their white European-American teachers were examined to determine how the students responded to the white teachers’ assumptions about their identity. This study provides an overview of the U.S. historical and political contexts that shape the positionality of Southeast Asian-American youth in the black–white racial discourse. It found that despite the fact that the teachers lumped the SEAA students into one category, the students highlighted the salience of ethnicity in their lives. One implication of this study is for teacher education programs to train new teacher candidates to move beyond simple racial categorization or race-blind approaches. Instead, teachers should be taught to acknowledge the importance of ethnicity to their students; to examine their own positionalities; and to incorporate more culturally relevant pedagogies into their instructional practices.

Feeling Unsafe at School: Southeast Asian American Adolescents’ Perceptions and Experiences of School Safety

School safety impacts mental health and educational attainment particularly among vulnerable populations such as refugee youth. Using data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS), this study examines the mental health impact of perceptions and experiences that compromise school safety among Southeast Asian American adolescents (N = 645). Higher rates of perceptions and experiences that violated students’ feelings of safety at school were associated with decreased selfesteem and increased levels of depressive symptoms. Hierarchical regressions indicate that in light of perceptions and experiences of feeling unsafe at school, bicultural orientation, importance of identity, and family cohesion have an additive effect in predicting self-esteem and family cohesion has an additive effect with depressive symptoms though no moderation effects were found. Violence and bullying in schools contributes to lasting mental health repercussions and suicidality and has elicited increased attention by media, policy makers, school administrators, educators, psychologists, and parents. Fears of being bullied and feeling unsafe at school are leading causes of students missing school (Kearney, 2008) and can have psychological consequences enduring through the lifespan (Turner, Finkelhor, & Ormrod, 2006). Though all students may be at risk of feeling unsafe at school, some populations such as refugees may be more vulnerable to these experiences. Southeast Asians including Vietnamese, Cambodians, Laotian, Hmong, and Iu Mien sought refuge in the U.S. beginning in 1975 with the fall of Saigon and the uprising of oppressive regimes in Southeast Asia (Chung & Okazaki, 1991; Hsu, Davies, & Hansen, 2004; Takaki, 1998). Southeast Asian Americans’ experiences are framed within the context of war and enduring trauma. Often swept under the umbrella of the “model minority,” their unique stressors are often overshadowed by perceptions of their inherent intelligence and success (Cooc & Gee, 2014; Ngo & Lee, 2007). Factors such as premigration trauma, intergenerational transmission of trauma, and disrupted familial and community relationships associated with the war and subsequent migration have a lasting impact on mental 1 Maffini: School Safety Published by Purdue e-Pubs, 2016 Maffini — Feeling Unsafe at School health, educational, and socioeconomic outcomes of Southeast Asian Americans (Chung & Bemak, 2007; Ying & Han, 2008; Kim-Ju, Maeda, & Maffini, 2009; Marshall, Schell, Elliott, Berthold, & Chun, 2005). According to the U.S. Community Survey (2014), poverty rates among Southeast Asian American groups are higher than the national average and educational attainment is lower. This study aims to better understand factors that contribute to Southeast Asian American students feeling unsafe at school and how those experiences impact mental health. Furthermore, this study examines the protective roles of culturally salient variables—bicultural orientation, ethnic self-identification, and family cohesion. Greater understanding of experiences of school safety can better inform policy and prevention programs addressing the specific needs of Southeast Asian American youth.

Special Issue Editors’ Introduction

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, which led to a mass exodus of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Lao, and Hmong refugees from Southeast Asia. Many of these individuals eventually settled in the United States. This special issue of the Journal of Southeast Asian American Education and Advancement (JSAAEA) focuses primarily on the education of the children of these refugees. We are pleased to feature some of the best new research and thinking that aims to improve the education of the “new second generation” (Portes & Rumbaut, 2006) of Southeast Asian American students.

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.

The Impact of Cultural Validation on the College Experiences of Southeast Asian American Students

The purpose of this study is to explore the critical role of culture on the success of Southeast Asian American (SEAA) college students. Specifically, we examined the saliency of cultural validation and how it shaped the educational trajectories of SEAAs. A national sample of 34 participants was analyzed across 5 public, 4-year colleges and universities. Findings suggest the need for (a) cultural knowledge, (b) cultural familiarity, (c) cultural expression, and (d) cultural advocacy. In addition, the low number of SEAA students on their respective campuses heavily influenced their college experience. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Ready or Not: The Academic College Readiness of Southeast Asian Americans

The educational experiences of Southeast Asian Americans, particularly Cambodian Americans, Hmong Americans, Laotian Americans, and Vietnamese Americans, are characterized by numerous challenges, which can be attributed to their migration history, socioeconomic status, and English proficiency. By the end of 11th grade, a high percentage of Southeast Asian American students are not college ready. The educational challenges of Southeast Asian Americans have been overshadowed by the model minority stereotype. Educational policies targeting issues affecting the education of Southeast Asian Americans and teacher preparations that focus on getting Southeast Asian American students to be college ready could help change the educational story of this population.

Influence of social cognitive and ethnic variables on academic goals of underrepresented students in science and engineering: A multiple-groups analysis.

This study investigated the academic interests and goals of 223 African American, Latino/a, Southeast Asian, and Native American undergraduate students in two groups: biological science and engineering (S/E) majors. Using social cognitive career theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994), we examined the relationships of social cognitive variables (math/science academic self-efficacy, math/science outcome expectations), along with the influence of ethnic variables (ethnic identity, other-group orientation) and perceptions of campus climate to their math/science interests and goal commitment to earn an S/E degree. Path analysis revealed that the hypothesized model provided good overall fit to the data, revealing significant relationships from outcome expectations to interests and to goals. Paths from academic self-efficacy to S/E goals and from interests to S/E goals varied for students in engineering and biological science. For both groups, other-group orientation was positively related to self-efficacy and support was found for an efficacy-mediated relationship between perceived campus climate and goals. Theoretical and practical implications of the study's findings are considered as well as future research directions.

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

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.

Learning from the margins: the education of Southeast and South Asian Americans in context

This article explicates the diversity within the Asian American community by focusing on Southeast and South Asian American students. Focusing on these two groups is important given their recent migration (relative to other groups) and tenuous position within Asian American research, discourse, and representation. In particular, this article contends that the image of Asian American success masks the contexts—economic, social, and cultural challenges—that mark the educational experiences of many Southeast Asian and South Asian American students. It explores (1) issues of cultural capital; (2) negotiations of identity, gender and generation; and (3) experiences of racism. By highlighting the social and cultural contexts of the education of Southeast and South Asian students, it reveals the many ways students are learning from the margins and the price of ‘success’ that is often diminished by the image of Asian American achievement.

The writing of Southeast Asian-American students in secondary school and university

This article reports on a study of the English writing skills of Southeast Asian-American immigrant children in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes and in 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade mainstream classes in a public secondary school in St. Paul, MN. Their writing is compared at each level and is also compared to the English writing of Southeast Asian-American immigrant students, international students, and native-speaking undergraduates at the University of Minnesota. All subjects wrote on the same topic, and scores on four writing traits (accuracy, fluency, coherence, and organization) were assigned to each essay. Results show that writing scores for the mainstreamed secondary students were the same at the 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade levels and were the same as the scores of the nonnative university students. Only the native-speaking university students obtained scores which were significantly better. For the public school subjects, a lower age on arrival, a lower grade at entry into the school system, and a higher number of years in the U.S. were all significantly correlated ( p = .001) with success in the writing traits measured. Regression analysis indicated that age on arrival was a more important factor than number of years in the U.S. and grade at entry.