Cultivating Academic Success: Experiences of High-Achieving Second-Generation Vietnamese American College Students

• In Event: Supporting Asian Americans in Higher Education: Diversity, Resilience, and Achievement

Abstract

The Vietnamese population is the 4th largest Asian American group in the United States and 3rd largest in California. Sixty-six percent is reported being foreign-born while 34% are considered low-income and 15% below poverty. In recent years, researchers have begun disaggregating data on Asian Americans and their academic achievement. As supported by disaggregated findings, Vietnamese Americans, along with their Southeast Asian counterparts, have the lowest educational attainment of all major Asian American groups (U.S. Census Bureau, 2006-2010). Among Southeast Asian groups in the US, however, Vietnamese students are the highest achieving group (Freeman, 1995; Ngo & Lee, 2007; Robbins, 2004; Rutledge, 1992). There is little research that investigates the success of Vietnamese college students,

Research has indicated the family and ethnic community (particularly when parents pass on cultural values and encouragement) are forms of social capital, which can support achievement in the second generation (Zhou and Bankston, 1994; Caplan et al 1989; 1991; Gold, 1992). Based on Coleman’s theory of social capital, the purpose of this study is to examine how social capital in the home, school, and community, affect high-achieving, low-income Vietnamese American students’ educational experiences.

This study utilized interviews through purposive sampling of high-achieving, low-income 2nd generation Vietnamese American college students at a 4-year public university in California. Content analysis was conducted to identify emergent themes. The data revealed friends, school agents, and parents were key factors of social capital; parents’ expectations in particular had a significant influence on academic achievement and aspirations. The implications for policy and practice include a culture and environment for positive mentorship, college-going attitudes, and connection between students and other educators/resources that promote academic achievement.

Author

• Annie Thanh Nguyen, San Diego State University and Claremont Graduate University