Asian American Adolescents' Academic Achievement A Look Behind the Model Minority Image

• Published in: Journal of human behavior in the social environment Vol. 3; no. 3-4; pp. 35 - 48
• Main Authors: Lee, Peter Allen, Ying, Yu Wen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 01.09.2000
• Subjects: academic achievement; Asian American adolescents; model minority
• ISSN: 1091-1359; 1540-3556
• DOI: 10.1300/J137v03n03_04

This investigation examined the attitudes and behavior regarding academic achievement from the perspective of 153 Asian American adolescents who participated in an essay contest entitles "Growing Up Asian American." Less than half the adolescents (42.5%) reported a positive attitude toward academic achievement, while over half expressed either negative attitude (13.1%) or mixed positive/negative attitude (44.4%). In contrast, an overwhelming majority (83%) of the adolescents exhibited embracing behavior toward academic achievement, while only 1.3% rejected and 15.7% showed mixed embracing/rejecting behavior. In addition, attitude and behavior were significantly correlated. All of the adolescents with positive attitudes exhibited embracing behavior. Adolescents with non-positive attitudes (negative or mixed) were more likely to show embracing behavior (70.5%) than non-embracing (rejecting or mixed) behavior (29.5%). The findings suggest significant distress among Asian American adolescents even though, behaviorally, they may be embracing academic achievement.