Download Order FormCounter to Popular Belief, Majority of Asian American Students Not Realizing Wide Academic Success, UCLA Survey Reports
Beyond Myths: The Growth and Diversity of Asian American College Freshmen, 1971-2005
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Research Brief Official Press Release Book Order FormThe first-year student trends examined in this report help to address some common characterizations of Asian American students, particularly with respect to their educational success, that are often overstated and taken out of context. The examined trends do not support popular claims that Asian Americans are enjoying unprecedented, collective (or universal) academic success in U.S. higher education. The findings here suggest that Asian Americans still have to overcome a number of obstacles, such as levels of family income and financial aid, to earn a coveted spot in higher education. This report features data collected from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program's (CIRP) Freshman Survey. It is based on the 361,271 Asian/Asian American first-time full-time college students from 1971-2005, representing the largest compilation and analysis of data on Asian American college students ever undertaken.
About the Authors… (click on each name for more information)
Dr. Mitchell J. Chang is Associate Professor of Education at UCLA and also holds a courtesy appointment in UCLA’s Asian American Studies Department. Dr. Chang’s research focuses on the educational efficacy of diversity-related initiatives on college campuses and how to apply those best practices toward advancing student learning and democratizing institutions. He has written over 30 articles and book chapters, including a book cited in the 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling of Grutter v. Bollinger, one of two cases involving the use of race-sensitive admissions practices at the University of Michigan. Dr. Chang obtained his Ph.D. in Education from UCLA, Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and B.A. from UC Santa Barbara in Psychology.
Julie J. Park is a Ph.D. student in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and a research analyst at the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute. Her research interests include the campus racial climate, spirituality in higher education, and the experiences of Asian American students. She has been the recipient of fellowships from the Spencer Foundation, Harvard Civil Rights Project, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, and National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. Before coming to UCLA, she earned B.A. degrees in Sociology, Women Studies, and English at Vanderbilt University.
Monica H. Lin is a doctoral student in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies and a research analyst at the UCLA Higher Education Research Institute. Her research interests focus on diversity issues in higher education, Asian American student development, persistence of underrepresented minorities in science and engineering, and higher education policy. She obtained her M.S. in Social Psychology with a concentration in Multicultural Psychology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and B.A. in Psychology from Carleton College.
Oiyan A. Poon is a doctoral student in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies with an Asian American Studies graduate concentration. She is also a graduate student researcher for the UC Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Multi-Campus Research Program. Her research interests focus on critical race theory, Asian American educational experiences, and critical media studies. She earned her M.Ed. in Educational Counseling and Human Development with a College Student Affairs emphasis at the University of Georgia and a B.S. in Management from Boston College.
Dr. Don T. Nakanishi is the Director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center and has a joint faculty appointment as a Professor in the Department of Asian American Studies of the UCLA College of Letters and Science and Professor of Social Sciences and Comparative Education in the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. A political scientist, he is the author of over 90 books, articles, and reports on the political participation of Asian Pacific Americans and other ethnic and racial groups in American politics; educational and social policy research focusing on issues of access, representation, and influence; and the international political dimensions of minority experiences. Dr. Nakanishi received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Harvard University, and his B.A. in Political Science from Yale University. He grew up in East Los Angeles, California, and attended Theodore Roosevelt High School.