Strategic Status Attainment: Disaggregating Social and Economic Attainment among Asian Americans

• In Event: Asia and Asian American Section Roundtables Session
  In Refereed Roundtable (90 minute): Table 12: Asia and Asian America Section Roundtable - Work and Labor

Abstract

Asian Americans exhibit high levels of education and income yet remain underrepresented in leadership positions. This divergence challenges the assumption—implicit in much status attainment research—that economic and social mobility move together. Drawing on a Weberian distinction between class and status, we theorize strategic status attainment, a process in which racial minorities pursue mobility pathways that maximize economic returns under conditions of anticipated exclusion from authority-based recognition. We argue that concentration in STEM fields—where evaluation standards are more formalized and market rewards are strong—facilitates economic attainment while limiting access to leadership roles. Using nationally representative data linking college major, hourly wages, and managerial attainment, we estimate parallel models of economic and social mobility. Results show that Asian Americans achieve wage parity or advantage relative to Whites but are less likely to hold leadership positions net of human capital and occupational controls. This decoupling is concentrated in STEM fields and is most pronounced among the foreign-born. The findings advance a multidimensional theory of status attainment and illuminate how racialized incorporation shapes divergent mobility trajectories.

Authors

• Yapeng Wang, Renmin University of China

• Di Shao, Sun Yat-sen University