New research shows Asian American & Pacific Islander subgroups struggling in school

Getting stuck in school can be inevitable sometimes. But when you don’t have a lot of money, your parents don’t know how to help you, and you face cultural or language barriers, you’re going to have some problems. When the society around you has been socialized into thinking that someone who looks like you does not even have said problems, then you’re basically stuck in the middle of an ocean without help. This is the reality that many Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) subgroups face.

From far away, things seem to be going alright for AAPIs. According to a recent publication released from the National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education (CARE), college enrollment of AAPI students is expected to increase by 30 percent in 2019 and more than 80 percent of East Asians and South Asians who enrolled in college earned at least a bachelor’s degree.

But a closer look into enrollments show that the projected increase is distorted, with only East Asians accounting for the majority of the growth in higher education. And any standard that is homogenous and skewed can be damaging by creating high expectations. On the other hand, large proportions of Southeast Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders aged 24 years and older have very high attrition rates during college and low enrollment rates in four year institutions. Amongst Southeast Asians, nearly 70 percent of Cambodian, 65.6 percent of Laotian, 63 percent of Hmong, and 51 percent of Mien adults have not enrolled or completed any postsecondary education.

In the CARE report, Robert Teranishi and his research team at New York University shed light on statistics like these that have been often overlooked in federal higher education policy priorities. The report, entitled "The Relevance of Asian American & Pacific Islanders in the College Completion Agenda," focused on the homogeneity of the AAPI population and how there is a wide range of socioeconomic levels, college participation and degree attainment that needs to be more carefully examined.  

With 48 different ethnicities and 300 different languages spoken in the AAPI community, it is extremely vital to be mindful of equity and diversity to achieve the national college completion goal and to ensure the United States’ economic sustainability. "With globalization as a mantra in the college completion agenda, it is essential to look at the importance of reaping the full benefits of diversity in American society and increasing degree attainment among all underserved communities," said Teranishi, an associate professor at NYU who led the CARE report.

The report offers advice on how higher education institutions can better serve the unique needs and challenges of AAPI students. Some of these recommendations include expanding knowledge and broadening awareness, building institutional capacity, and coalition building and advocacy efforts. Hopefully this report will help AAPI students get the best education possible, and hopefully it’ll save them if they ever feel stuck in the middle of an ocean.

More information about CARE and a free copy of The Relevance of Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in the College Completion Agenda report can be downloaded here.

(Photo: Robert Teranishi)