NYU Researchers Debunk ‘Model Minority’ Myth

By Timothy Farrell

Often characterized as a “model minority,” many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) face hardships and barriers to mobility in U.S. society, according to an impact report prepared by NYU researchers. “Facts, Not Fiction: Setting the Record Straight,” published by a team of researchers from the Steinhardt Institute for Higher Education Policy and the Asian/Pacific/ American Institute, debunks myths about AAPI access to and participation in U.S. higher education.
    The study’s principal investigators were Robert Teranishi, associate professor in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Develop¬ment, and Jack Tchen, director of the Asian/Pacific/American Insti¬tute and associate professor in the Gallatin School of Individ¬ualized Study.
    Driving the research was a sense that, according to Teranishi, “Much of the research and policy is based on untested assumptions and stereotypes about the AAPI student population.”
    Among the report’s findings is that the variance in outcomes among AAPI students is actually much greater than it is for other groups. This dispels the myth that AAPI students only attend highly selective universities. In fact, the study reveals that there are more AAPI students attending community college than any other sector of higher education. Over the past decade, the greatest increase in AAPI college participation has also occurred in the community college sector.
    The report also dispels the myth that all AAPI students are particularly proficient in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects. In fact, among degrees awarded to AAPI students, there is a larger share awarded to students majoring in social sciences and humanities than is true for the national average.
    The report is the product of the National Commission on AAPI Research in Education (CARE), a collaboration between NYU and the College Board. Along with representatives from the College Board, Teranishi and Tchen presented the findings of their study to a group of legislators at the Education Summit hosted by the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus in Washington, D.C.