Between Numeric Representation and Model Minorities: Asian Americans, Diversity, and Colorblindness on Two College Campuses

• In Event: 3241 - Educational and Labor Market Outcomes among Asian Americans

Abstract

Studies on campus climate suggest that numeric representation is an important part of diverse learning environments, campus climate, and the inclusion of minority groups. Scholars have not examined to what extent racial minority students experience inclusion when they become the largest population on diverse campuses and to what extent their status as the largest population challenges or extends racial hierarchies and colorblind racism. Comparing the narratives of 26 Asian Americans on two campuses—one where they are the majority and one where they are not—reveals that numeric representation is salient for perceptions of inclusion. Concurrently, Asian American students on both campuses felt that they were not included in narratives of ‘diversity’ on campus because they were numerically over-represented, which they related to their culture or the model minority. Finally, a minority of students expressed tensions over Asian Americans and their representation, noting the lack of Asian Americans in leadership. Despite greater numeric representation, racial hierarchies and colorblindness persist as numeric representation is itself interpreted through cultural narratives, such as the model minority myth, and racial triangulation processes.

Author

• Esther Chan, Yale University