Chapter 1: Tenth Grade Math Achievement of Asian Students: Are Asian Students Still the “Model Minority”?—A Comparison of Two Educational Cohorts

Asian students have been promoted by the mass media as the “model minority” for about 5 decades, triggering much debate in academia (Chou & Feagin, 2008; Hurh & Kim, 1989; Kao, 1995; Kitano & Sue, 1973; Li & Wang, 2008). This controversial label is most often used by public commentators to describe a high degree of academic achievement of Asian American students, which serves to prove correct the meritocratic view that hard work and talent are rewarded in the United States. Among academics, this label has been debunked as a “myth” (Chou & Feagin, 2008; Li & Wang, 2008). Researchers have documented wide variations in school performance by the country of origin (Rong & Preissle, 2009) as well as serious academic and school adjustment problems among some Asian subgroups (Lee, 2001; Ngo & Lee, 2007; Thao, 1999; Walker-Moffat, 1995). Scholars also warned that the label can divide minority groups or pit them against each other, instead of helping unite minority groups to work together.