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The popular image is that they are all whiz kids. They all go to the best universities, have the highest grade-point averages, get the top SAT scores, excel in mathematics and science and, thanks to Tiger Moms, most have mastered at least one musical instrument by the age of 10. Why is this racial stereotype of Asian Americans as a "model minority," all alike and all academically successful, not true?

Such a stereotype is wildly off-base in a country with 24 distinct Asian American ethnic groups listed in Census records. New research from the College of Education shows that many of these ethnic populations — particularly Filipinos and Southeast Asians, along with Pacific Islanders (a separate grouping) — are struggling in America's classrooms, failing standardized tests, and dropping out of school, even when they hold high hopes of attending college and earning a degree.

Their college entry rates are significantly lower than those of peers in the traditional "model minority" populations — the Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, and, increasingly, South Asians. In one study of local high school graduates, 60 percent of Koreans were attending four-year universities, in contrast to 23 percent of Cambodians. And only 5 percent of Laotians in the state have college degrees, while 66.8 percent of Taiwanese do.

Those stark gaps are hidden when separate groups are lumped into single "Asian American" or "Pacific Islander" categories — even more so when their data are combined. "Everything is distorted when you homogenize different groups into one monolithic community," says Shirley Hune, professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the College of Education.

Hune has been a national leader in calling for disaggregated data to disclose differences among and within Asian American and Pacific Islander student populations. She participates through the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other venues to improve research and data collection on these populations. In Washington State, she led a research study that culminated in two reports to the legislature on the "invisible" achievement gaps of these students, and co-authored a journal article on Pacific Islander students based on that research with Jeomja Yeo, a new College of Education doctorate.

In their report to the state legislature, Hune and co-author David Takeuchi, associate dean for research at the School of Social Work, mined data sets from federal and state sources, including the state Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and Seattle Public Schools. They interviewed students, conducted teacher surveys, and met with representatives from ethnic community groups.

The data revealed the complexity and diversity of the state's Asian American and Pacific Islander student populations. Asian American students in Washington speak more than 100  languages and dialects; 40 percent speak a language other than English as their primary language. They come from separate cultures, and have different histories.

Although many may be native-born English-fluent speakers, an increasing number are foreign-born, with limited English proficiency. "Many students in K-12 public schools now tend to be first-generation, with immigrant parents who are not familiar with the U.S. education system, its culture, what their role is, and what teachers expect of them," says Hune.

While some Asian American students were on the college track and highly successful, others were side-tracked into English Learner classes with a less-than-rigorous curriculum — if they could get into EL programs. Only one-third of the non-native English speakers were in EL programs, research shows. There simply weren't enough teachers trained in their native languages, says Hune. "These students are severely underserved and undersupported."

Pacific Islanders, often inappropriately lumped in with Asian Americans, originate in Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia. They, too, comprise diverse ethnic groups and are a growing student population in the state. The research reveals that they are one of the poorest, lowest-achieving, and least-studied groups in educational literature.

The data on Samoans, the largest group of Pacific Islanders in the state, were especially troubling. Their drop-out rates were nearly 10 percent higher than for other students. One in three couldn't pass state standards. Nationally, only 11 percent of Samoans hold a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 24 percent of the U.S. population.

"Our research shows that Samoan students want an education. The myth that they and their parents are not interested is not true," says Hune. "But many students feel discouraged by negative stereotypes of them and the lack of support of educators."

The research revealed other serious inequities that fed low achievement for various ethnic groups. Many teachers were holding every Asian American student to "model minority" standards, and could not understand that some desperately needed linguistic and academic support — even if the students didn't know how to ask for it.

The teachers didn't realize that, for many of their students, those high expectations were out of reach. "When the students can't fulfill those expectations and aren't getting help from teachers, they start feeling like second-class citizens," says Hune. "They lose interest, and stop trying."

In interviews, many students also said they felt as if they and their original homelands were disrespected in classrooms where their histories, languages, and cultures were ignored. "They clearly articulated that the curriculum and pedagogy marginalizes and alienates them," says Hune.

Researchers also found "non-model minorities" were often viewed as less able by teachers and treated more harshly. Pacific Islanders, in particular, were seen as misfits and trouble-makers. "Principals, teachers, staff, and students judge us before they get to know us," said one Samoan student. "We are looked upon as bullies."

"The problems of these struggling students can't be dealt with if they aren't seen," says Hune. "And they can't be seen unless educators have accurate quantitative and qualitative data on specific populations. To do that educators must be willing to discard the "model minority" stereotype, listen to students, and dig for the inequities hidden behind monolithic racial categories."

These first moves to document Asian American and Pacific Islander student experiences using group-specific data have already increased the attention of state policy-makers and ethnic families and communities, who simply did not have evidence of where particular students were falling behind and how to help them.

"We have to overcome these students' invisibility, and address how we can close the gap between their college aspirations and fulfilling that expectation," says Hune. "But we also need, first and foremost, better data and to value students' voices."

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Hune, S. & Yeo, J. (2010). How do Pacific Islanders fare in U.S. education? A look inside Washington State public schools with a focus on Samoans. aapi nexus 8:1, 1-16.

"Asian Americans in Washington State: Closing Their Hidden Achievement Gaps"

"Growing Presence, Emerging Voices: Pacific Islanders & Academic Achievement In Washington"

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