A Minority Within a Minority: The College Experience of Cambodian American Students

• In Event: 63.084 - Roundtable Session 22
  In Roundtable Session: 63.084-19 - Research on the Education of Asian and Pacific Americans SIG Roundtable: Southeast Asian American Experiences

Abstract

This study seeks to examine the critical educational experiences that 1.5 and second-generation Cambodian Americans cite as being important in their educational journey. Specifically, this study asks: For Cambodian American students, what factors contribute to the successful pursuit of a bachelor’s degree? By exploring the college experience of five Cambodian Americans, this study aims to shed a nuanced perspective upon a population where little research has been conducted. Preliminary findings have suggested that a positive cultural identity and strong familial ties to immigrant parents and communities are extremely powerful indicators of educational attainment. This study will contribute to the emerging body of literature on Southeast Asian American experiences of identity, race and ethnicity, class, and gender in U.S. schools.

Author

• Linda Marie Pheng, University of Wisconsin - Madison