Behind "Model Minorities": A Systematic Review of Literature on Asian American and Pacific Islander Students

• In Event: Addressing Equity in Education Research: What Can We Learn From Research Syntheses

Abstract

For decades, many people have called Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) “model minorities” and viewed them as a monolithic group. This aggregated racial category has masked diverse schooling experiences, especially in K-12 students. To contribute to the current discussion about racial inequalities, the present study critically reviews two decades of US literature on the school experiences of AAPI students, which yielded 54 studies that met our criteria for inclusion. The study aims to unpack the heterogeneous schooling experiences of these students from multiple aspects such as academic achievement, mental health, and identity. The findings of this review have implications for educators, researchers, policymakers, and others interested in the lived experiences of AAPI students.

Authors

• Se Woong Lee, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Xinyi Mao, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Soobin Choi, University of Missouri - Columbia