The Impact of the Model Minority Myth on Educational Policy

• In Event: 32.082 - Roundtable Session 11
  In Roundtable Session: 32.082-19 - Model Minority Myth and Asian Pacific Islander and Desi Americans: Examining Research, Policy, and Practice

Abstract

The presenters below will lead the policy component for this symposium session:
Amanda Assalone, Ph.D. is the Postdoctoral Research & Policy Analyst at the Southern Education Foundation (SEF). In this role, Dr. Assalone is committed to advancing equity and excellence in education for low-income students and students of color, with a particular interest in improving research and policy aimed to support underrepresented APIDA students in education. Her doctoral research focused on improving postsecondary access and outreach initiatives for underrepresented students, particularly, Asian American community college students. She has presented this research at regional and national conferences and recently published a peer-reviewed article on Asian American community college students and their experiences with model minority stereotypes.

Contribution: Dr. Assalone will share a historical overview of the MMM and how it impacts the educational experiences of APIDA community college students through the lens of a practitioner and researcher. Amanda is a transracial Asian adoptee who studies APIDA community college students and will discuss the experiences of APIDAs who typically have never personified MMM characteristics, but are consistently impacted by its repercussions.

David H.K. Nguyen, JD, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of educational leadership in the higher education program at the University of North Dakota. Formerly a practicing attorney, Dr. Nguyen represented the rights of individuals from immigrant communities in areas of family law, immigration, and small business litigation. His research examines the intersections of law and higher education, particularly the law’s impact on higher education access and success for underrepresented minorities. His recent presentations and publications have examined the recent legal challenges against race-conscious admissions policies through the lenses of Critical Race Theory and Asian Critical Race Theory. Nguyen holds a JD and Ph.D. in higher education policy from Indiana University.

Contribution: Dr. Nguyen will be engaging participants in a discussion of the rhetoric in recent legal challenges against race-conscious admissions. What was primarily a White vs. Black discourse around “reverse discrimination”, recent legal challenges have pinned high-achieving Asians against Blacks and Latinos. In his discussion, Nguyen will highlight the racialized rhetoric from the recent complaints against Harvard University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill through the lens of the MMM.

The moderator for this symposium will be Vijay Kanagala, Ph.D. -Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration (HESA) program at the University of Vermont (UVM). Vijay engages with masters and doctoral students in higher education and educational leadership programs and teaches courses such as: Student Affairs Profession, The American College Student, Advanced Student Development: Theory to Practice and Higher Education Administration and Organization.

Authors

• Amanda E. Assalone, Southern Education Foundation, Inc.

• David H. K. Nguyen, The University of Texas - San Antonio