Editing Model minority (section)

=== Asian Americans ===
Although the term was first coined to describe the [[Socioeconomics|socioeconomic]] success of [[Japanese Americans]], "model minority" eventually evolved to become associated with [[American Jews]] and [[Asian Americans]] in general,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Freedman|first1=Jonathan|year=2005|title=Project MUSE – Transgressions of a Model Minority|journal=Shofar |volume=23|issue=4|pages=69–97|doi=10.1353/sho.2005.0147|s2cid=143480665}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Miller|first=Kara|url=http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/02/08/do_colleges_redline_asian_americans/|title=Do colleges redline Asian-Americans?|date=8 February 2010|work=The Boston Globe|access-date=10 January 2013}}</ref> more specifically with [[East Asian people|East Asians]] (Japanese, [[Chinese Americans|Chinese]], and [[Korean Americans]])<ref name="LiWang2008">{{cite book|author1=Guofang Li|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G2jHy9gv3M0C|title=Model Minority Myth Revisited: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Demystifying Asian American Educational Experiences (Hc)|author2=Lihshing Wang|date=15 August 2008|publisher=IAP|isbn=978-1-59311-951-5|page=21|access-date=12 January 2013}}</ref> as well as [[Indian Americans]] and other [[South Asian Americans]].<ref name="Kramer2003">{{cite book|author=Eric Mark Kramer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x9-yOGSyKrYC&pg=PA213|title=The Emerging Monoculture: Assimilation and the "Model Minority"|date=28 February 2003|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-275-97312-4|pages=213–|access-date=12 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=BEING THE "MODEL MINORITY" DOESN'T PROTECT US FROM HARM| date=May 11, 2022|publisher=ACLU: Florida |url= https://www.aclufl.org/en/news/being-model-minority-doesnt-protect-us-harm}}</ref> By the 1980s, almost all major [[List of United States magazines|U.S. magazines]] and [[Newspapers in the United States|newspapers]] printed success stories of Asian Americans.<ref name="asianamericanissues1">{{Cite book|last=Chen|first=Edith Wen-Chu|title=Encyclopedia of Asian American Issues Today|author2=Grace J. Yoo|date=2009|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-34749-8|volume=1|pages=222–23}}</ref>{{rp|222}} Racial attacks against Asian Americans were reported since the early 1980s.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1990/05/15/embattled-korean-grocers-wait-out-racially-charged-boycott/03958efa-241b-4b17-962f-0190b5761a68/| title = EMBATTLED KOREAN GROCERS WAIT OUT RACIALLY CHARGED BOYCOTT – The Washington Post| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

Some scholars have described the creation of the model minority theory as a partial response to the emergence of the [[civil rights movement]], in which [[African Americans]] fought for equal rights and the discontinuation of [[racial segregation in the United States]]. In reaction to the success of the movement, [[White Americans|white America]], citing the accomplishments of Asian Americans, argued that African Americans could raise their communities up by focusing on [[Education in the United States|education]] and accepting and conforming to the racial segregation, [[institutional racism]] and discrimination which were all being practiced at that time.<ref>{{citation|title=Yellow Face: The documentary part 4 of 5|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TOYT4JTea4|access-date=24 February 2013|date=5 July 2010}}</ref><ref>{{citation|title=Model Minority Myth|url=http://www.yourpublicmedia.org/content/wnpr/asians-and-model-minority-myth|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618034116/http://www.yourpublicmedia.org/content/wnpr/asians-and-model-minority-myth|url-status=usurped|archive-date=June 18, 2013|access-date=25 May 2013|date=18 April 2013}}</ref><ref name="ModelMinority2">{{citation|title=Model Minority Myth Revisited|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ErqcJjHoMyMC&q=asian+height+stereotype&pg=PR9|access-date=7 July 2013|year=2008|isbn=9781593119508|last1=Li|first1=Guofang|last2=Wang|first2=Lihshing}}</ref> At that time however, Asian Americans were also marginalized and racially segregated, which meant that they also represented lower economic levels and faced the same social issues which other racial and ethnic minorities faced.<ref name="ModelMinority2" />

A few years after ''The New York Times Magazine'' article about Asian Americans being the model minority was published, Asian Americans formed [[Asian American movement|their own movement]], in which they fought for their own equal rights and the resolution of their own specific social issues. It would be modeled after the Civil Rights Movement, thus, it would effectively challenge White America and the [[Social constructionism|social construct]] of racial discrimination.<ref>{{cite web |year=2008 |title=Asian American Movement 1968 |url=http://aam1968.blogspot.com/ |access-date=24 February 2013 }}</ref>

Those who resisted the emergent stereotype in the 1960s–1980s could not gain enough support to combat it due to its so-called "positive" connotations. At the time, this led many, even within the Asian American community, to either view it as a welcomed label in contrast to years of negative stereotypes, or view it as a [[Euphemism|euphemistic]] stereotype that was no more than a mere annoyance. Many believe that the stereotype comes with more positives than negatives. In contrast, many critics believe that there are just as many negatives as there are positives, or they believe that stereotypes should never be regarded as "good," no matter how "positive" they are intended to be. Scientific studies have revealed that both socially and psychologically, positive stereotypes have many negative and damaging consequences.<ref>{{cite web|author=Aaron Kay|date=17 January 2013|title=Fuqua Research Sheds Light on the Dangers of Positive Stereotypes|url=http://www.fuqua.duke.edu/news_events/news-releases/aaron-kay-positive-stereotypes/|access-date=28 July 2013|publisher=[[Duke University]]}}</ref><ref>Markman, Art. 15 February 2013. "[http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/ulterior-motives/201302/the-pain-positive-stereotypes The Pain of Positive Stereotypes]." ''[[Psychology Today]]''. Retrieved 28 July 2013.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|author=Burkemandate, Oliver|date=12 December 2012|title=Why stereotypes are bad even when they're 'good'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/oliver-burkemans-blog/2012/dec/12/stereotypes-bad-even-when-good|magazine=Psychology Today|location=London|access-date=28 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Dave Munger|date=December 16, 2005|title=The negative impact of positive stereotypes|url=http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2005/12/16/the-negative-impact-of-positiv/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513022852/http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2005/12/16/the-negative-impact-of-positiv/|archive-date=2013-05-13|access-date=28 July 2013|publisher=Scienceblogs}}</ref> According to Marita Etcubañez, a director of [[Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles]], misconceptions about Asian Americans have an effect on government policy, as "politicians won't talk about our community's needs if they assume people don't require assistance."<ref name="YananWang" /> According to Yanan Wang writing for the ''[[Washington Post]]'', since the 1960s, "the idea that Asian Americans are distinct among minority groups and therefore immune to the challenges which are faced by other [[Person of color|people of color]] is a particularly sensitive issue in the community, which has recently fought to reclaim its place in [[social justice]] conversations with movements like #ModelMinorityMutiny."<ref name="YananWang">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/20/asian-americans-speak-out-against-a-decades-old-model-minority-myth/|title=Asian Americans speak out against a decades-old 'model minority' myth|last1=Wang|first1=Yanan|date=20 October 2015|access-date=12 January 2016|agency=[[Washington Post]]}}</ref> In his paper, "Education and the Socialization of Asian Americans: A Revisionist Analysis of the 'Model Minority Thesis'", B. Suzuki, a researcher of multicultural and Asian American studies at [[University of Massachusetts Amherst]], disagrees with how the media has portrayed Asian Americans. Explaining the sociohistorical background of the contemporary social system, Suzuki argues that the model minority stereotype is a myth.<ref name="asianstudies2">{{Cite book|last=Li|first=Guofang|title=Model Minority Myth Revisited: an Interdisciplinary Approach to Demystifying Asian American Educational Experiences|author2=Lihshing Wang|date=July 10, 2008|publisher=Information Age Publishing|isbn=978-1-59311-951-5}}</ref>{{rp|3}}

Since the creation of the model minority stereotype, Asian Americans have exceeded White Americans in terms of their level of education, as well as many other racial and ethnic groups in American society. {{as of|2012|}}, Asian Americans as a whole are considered as having obtained the highest educational attainment level and the highest [[Median income|median household income]] of any racial and ethnic demographic in the country, a position which [[African immigration to the United States|African immigrants]], and their first generation descendants, have just started to outperform them in.<ref name="AfricanEducated1" /><ref>{{cite web |author=Paul Taylor|author2=D'Vera Cohn|author3=Wendy Wang|author4=Jeffrey S. Passel|author5=Rakesh Kochhar|author6=Richard Fry|author7=Kim Parker |author8=Cary Funk |author9=Gretchen M. Livingston|display-authors=4|date=12 July 2012|title=The Rise of Asian Americans |url=http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/files/2013/01/SDT_Rise_of_Asian_Americans.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305005915/http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/files/2013/01/SDT_Rise_of_Asian_Americans.pdf|archive-date=2016-03-05|access-date=28 January 2013|work=Pew Research Social & Demographic Trends|publisher=[[Pew Research Center]] |author12=Ana Gonzalez-Barrera|author11=Seth Motel|author10=Eileen Patten}}</ref> These statistics vary among the Asian American population. Historically, achieving economic and educational success was, and at times still is, seen as a gateway by different groups into greater social acceptance.<ref>{{cite web|title=Model Minority: The Model Minority Stereotype and its Racist History|publisher=The Canadian Encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/model-minority}}</ref> This notion was shattered at different times for some people within American communities, for example within the [[Muslim American]] community dramatically in the wake of [[9/11]].<ref>{{cite web|author-last=Ali|author-first=Wajahat|title=How 9/11 Destroyed the Muslim Model-Minority Myth: For people of my generation, the attacks inaugurated a new political consciousness|date=September 3, 2023|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/09/how-9-11-destroyed-the-muslim-model-minority-myth.html}}</ref>

====Statistics====
There has been a significant change in the perceptions of Asian Americans. In as little as 100 years of American history, [[stereotypes of East Asians in the United States|stereotypes of East Asian Americans]] have changed from them being viewed as poor uneducated laborers to being portrayed as a hard-working, well-educated, and [[Upper middle class|upper-middle-class]] minority.<ref>[http://www-mcnair.berkeley.edu/97journal/Chu.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051103051626/http://www-mcnair.berkeley.edu/97journal/Chu.html|date=November 3, 2005}}</ref> Proponents of the model minority model erroneously assumed that Asian Americans' perseverance, strong work ethic, and general determination to succeed were extensions of their supposedly quiet natures, rather than common characteristics among most immigrants.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Women of Color and Feminism|last=Rojas|first=Maythee|year=2009|isbn=978-1-58005-272-6|location=Berkeley, CA|pages=53}}</ref> Among [[Indian Americans]], an example of the model minority stereotype are phenomena such as the high rates of educational attainment and above average household incomes in the Indian American community. Pointing to generalized data, another argument for the model minority stereotype is generalized data such as from the [[United States Census Bureau]], where the median household income of Asian Americans is {{US$|68,780|link=yes|long=no}}, higher than that of the total population ($50,221).<ref name="median income1">{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/IPTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201PR&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201T&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201TPR&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_&-reg=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201:012;ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201PR:012;ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201T:012;ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201TPR:012&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-format= |title=American FactFinder |publisher=Factfinder.census.gov |access-date=2013-08-19 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212043610/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/IPTable?_bm=y&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201PR&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201T&-qr_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201TPR&-geo_id=01000US&-ds_name=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_&-reg=ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201:012;ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201PR:012;ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201T:012;ACS_2009_1YR_G00_S0201TPR:012&-_lang=en&-redoLog=false&-format= |archive-date=2020-02-12 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Although some Asian American subgroups including East Asians and South Asians are economically successful, other Asian American subgroups such as Southeast Asian Americans which include Hmong, Laotians, Cambodians, and Vietnamese, are less socioeconomically successful.<ref name="wang">{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/10/20/asian-americans-speak-out-against-a-decades-old-model-minority-myth/ | title=Asian Americans speak out against a decades-old 'model minority' myth | newspaper=Washington Post | date=20 October 2015 | access-date=18 May 2016 | author=Wang, Yanan}}</ref> Asian Americans have developed the greatest income inequality gap in comparison to major racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. The economic gap in the standard of living between higher- and lower-income Asians nearly doubled; the ratio of income earned by Asians at the 90th percentile to income earned by Asians at the 10th percentile increased from 6.1 to 10.7 between 1970 and 2016, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-12|title=Income Inequality in the U.S. Is Rising Most Rapidly Among Asians|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2018/07/12/income-inequality-in-the-u-s-is-rising-most-rapidly-among-asians/|access-date=2021-03-29|website=Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project|language=en-US}}</ref>

The model minority model also points to the percentage of Asian Americans at elite universities.<ref>[http://www.diverseeducation.com/AsianAmericanBaccalaureate2007.asp] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213154833/http://www.diverseeducation.com/AsianAmericanBaccalaureate2007.asp|date=February 13, 2012}}</ref> Model minority proponents claim that while Asian Americans are only 5% of the U.S. population, they are over-represented at all these schools. Additionally, Asian Americans go on to win a high proportion of [[Nobel Prize]]s.<ref name="theamericanconservative.com">Chougule Pratik, [http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/will-american-science-stay-on-top/ "Will American Science Stay On Top?"], ''The American Conservative''</ref> Of the 20 American physicists to win a Nobel Prize in the 21st century, East Asian Americans, who represent less than 4% of the U.S. population, have won 15% of prizes.<ref name="theamericanconservative.com" /> Additionally, three science Nobel prizes have been won by Indian-Americans.<ref name="theamericanconservative.com" /> Asian American students are concentrated in a very small percentage of institutions, in only eight states (and half concentrated in California, New York and Texas).<ref name="aapi">{{cite report |year=2008|title=Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Facts, not Fiction: Setting the Record Straight|publisher=National Commission on Asian American and Pacific Islander Research in Education, College Board|url=http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/08-0608-AAPI.pdf}}</ref> Moreover, as more Asian Americans become Americanized and assimilated, more Asian American students are beginning to attend two-year [[community college]]s (363,798 in 2000) than four-year [[public university|public universities]] (354,564 in 2000), and this trend of attending community college is accelerating.<ref name="aapi" /> [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]] [[academic institution]]s are amongst those that have the highest concentrations of Asian Americans.

The most highly educated group of Asian immigrants are Taiwanese.<ref name=":0" /> Education rates of Southeast Asians are low, but these numbers can be considered misleading, as a large percent comes from adult immigrants who came to the United States without any college education due to war. For ages 25 to 34, 45% of [[Vietnamese Americans]] have a [[bachelor's degree]] or higher compared to 39% of [[Non-Hispanic whites|Non-Hispanic Whites]].<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/mdat |title=MDAT (U.S. Census Bureau) |publisher=census.gov |access-date=2015-02-24}}</ref>

Due to the impacts of the model minority stereotype, unlike other [[minority-serving institution]]s, [[Asian Pacific American|Asian American Pacific Islander]]-serving institutions (AAPISI) did not receive federal recognition until 2007, with the passage of the ''College Cost Reduction and Access Act'', which federally recognized the existence of AAPISIs, making them eligible for federal funding and designation as minority serving institutions.<ref>{{cite book|last=Chen|first=Edith Wen-Chu|title=Encyclopedia of Asian American Issues Today|publisher=ABC-CLIO|year=2010|volume=1|page=177|isbn=978-0-313-34751-1}}</ref> According to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]]'s 2003 report ''[[Crime in the United States]]'', Asian Americans have the lowest total arrest rates<ref>[https://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius_03/pdf/03sec4.pdf] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050417115544/https://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius_03/pdf/03sec4.pdf|date=April 17, 2005}}</ref> despite a younger average age, and high family stability.<ref>[http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/articles/03/bakesale.html] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050305071416/http://www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/articles/03/bakesale.html|date=March 5, 2005}}</ref>

{|
|'''Bachelor's Degree or Higher<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=U.S. Census website|publisher=United States Census Bureau|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2017-08-02}}</ref>'''
|'''Personal Income'''<ref name=":0" />
|-
|
 {| style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto" class="wikitable sortable"
!Ethnicity or nationality
!Percent of Population
|-
|[[Taiwanese American|Taiwanese]]
| style="text-align:right;" |74.1%
|-
|[[Korean American|Korean]]
| style="text-align:right;" |72.8%
|-
|[[Indian American|Indian]]
| style="text-align:right;" |67.9%
|-
|[[Lebanese Americans|Lebanese]]
| style="text-align:right;" |64.9%
|-
|[[Russian Americans|Russian]]
| style="text-align:right;" |60.4%<ref name="American FactFinder">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=U.S. Census website|author=Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS)|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=29 December 2018}}</ref>
|-
|[[Sri Lankan Americans|Sri Lankan]]
| style="text-align:right;" |59.0%
|-
|[[American Jews|Jewish]]
| style="text-align:right;" |59.0%
|-
|[[Iranian American|Iranian]]
| style="text-align:right;" |57.2%
|-
|'''British'''
|style="text-align:right;" |'''56.6%'''
|-
|[[Pakistani]]
|style="text-align:right;" |53.0%
|-
|[[Chinese American|Chinese]]
| style="text-align:right;" |53.0%
|-
|[[Filipino American|Filipino]]
| style="text-align:right;" |47.9%
|-
|[[Japanese American|Japanese]]
| style="text-align:right;" |43.7%
|-
|[[Bangladeshi American|Bangladeshi]]
| style="text-align:right;" |41.9%
|-
|[[Armenian American|Armenian]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Constructing Identities, Perceiving Lives: Armenian High School Students' Perceptions of Identity and Education|last=Samkian|first=Artineh|year=2007|isbn=978-0-549-48257-4|page=102}}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;" |41.0%
|-
|[[Vietnamese American|Vietnamese]]
|style="text-align:right;" |26.1%
|-
|[[Hmong American|Hmong]]
|style="text-align:right;" |16.0%
|-
|[[Cambodian American|Cambodian]]
|style="text-align:right;" |14.6%
|-
|[[Laotian American|Laotian]]
|style="text-align:right;" |13.0%
|}
|
{| class="wikitable"
!Ethnicity
!Personal Income ($)
|-
|'''British'''
|'''49,202'''
|-
|Indian
|44,098
|-
|Japanese
|43,132
|-
|Lebanese
|38,971
|-
|Sri Lankan 
|37,363
|-
|Chinese
|34,835
|-
|Korean
|31,790
|-
|Filipino
|31,289
|-
|Arab
|28,854
|-
|Thai
|27,276
|-
|Pakistani
|26,739
|-
|Vietnamese
|24,624
|-
|Lao
|21,479
|-
|Cambodian
|20,182
|-
|Afghan
|18,516
|-
|Bangladeshi
|18,027
|-
|Hmong
|12,923
|-
|Somali
|7,856
|}
{|
|-
|
|}

{|
|-
|
|}
|}

====Indian and South Asian Americans====
The model minority label also includes [[Indian American]]s, because of their high aggregate socioeconomic success. According to the census report on Asian Americans issued in 2004 by the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], 64% of Indian Americans had a [[bachelor's degree]] or higher, the second highest for all national origin groups. In the same census, 60% of [[Indian Americans]] had management or professional jobs, compared with a national average of 33%.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/2009/02/24/bobby-jindal-indian-americans-opinions-contributors_immigrants_minority.html|title=Indian Americans: The New Model Minority|date=2009-02-24|work=Forbes|access-date=2015-02-24}}</ref>  Indian Americans also earn the highest [[List of ethnic groups in the United States by household income|median household income]] out of all national origin/ethnic groups and the [[List of ethnic groups in the United States by per capita income|second highest personal income]], after [[Taiwanese Americans]]. This has resulted in several stereotypes such as that of the "Indian Doctor".<ref name="census.gov1">{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-murder-of-srinivas-kuchibhotla-beyond-the-minority_us_58ba4a29e4b0fa65b844b373|title=We the People: Asians in the United States|publisher=Census.gov|format=PDF|access-date=24 February 2015}}</ref>

It should however be noted that there are still pockets of poverty within the community, with around 8% classified as living in poverty.<ref name=":1" />

==== Southeast Asian Americans ====
Arguably, the model minority stereotype masks the socioeconomic under performance of other Asian American subgroups and the experiences of Southeast Asian American populations in the U.S. serve to refute the model minority stereotype.<ref name=":12">{{Cite journal|last1=Ngo|first1=Bic|last2=Lee|first2=Stacey|date=December 2007|title=Complicating the Image of Model Minority Success: A Review of Southeast Asian American Education|journal=Review of Educational Research|volume=77|issue=4|pages=415–453|doi=10.3102/0034654307309918|s2cid=145367905}}</ref> For context, Southeast Asian Americans consist of several ethnic groups, including [[Burmese Americans|Burmese]], [[Vietnamese Americans|Vietnamese]], [[Hmong Americans|Hmong]], [[Laotian Americans|Laotian]], and [[Cambodian Americans|Cambodian]].

Despite high household incomes, many Southeast Asian Americans and other Asian groups such as [[Filipino Americans|Filipinos]], [[Vietnamese Americans|Vietnamese]], [[Indonesian Americans|Indonesians]], [[Thai Americans|Thais]],  Laotians, Cambodians as well as South Asian groups such as [[Nepalese Americans|Nepalese]] and [[Pakistani Americans|Pakistani]] have lower per capita incomes then East Asians.<ref name="Explore Census Data">{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/table?t=-4000A:012 |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Per Capita Income of Asian Groups and Ethnicities<ref name="Explore Census Data"/>
!
!Per Capita Income
|-
|Taiwanese
|83811
|-
|Asian Indian
|72389
|-
|Sri Lankan
|69325
|-
|Japanese
|61568
|-
|Chinese, except Taiwanese
|61289
|-
|Korean
|58560
|-
|All Asian (Non Hispanic)
|55840
|-
|All White (Non Hispanic)
|50675
|-
|Filipino
|47819
|-
|Pakistani
|45935
|-
|Indonesian
|44811
|-
|Thai
|42675
|-
|Vietnamese
|40037
|-
|Nepalese
|39993
|-
|Laotian
|36938
|-
|Cambodian
|35725
|-
|Bangladesh
|32739
|-
|All Black (Non Hispanic))
|31360
|-
|Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (Non Hispanic)
|31811
|-
|Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
|28026
|-
|American Indian and Native Alaskan (Non Hispanic)
|26473
|-
|Hmong
|26232
|-
|Burmese
|24583
|}
[[File:Income by race and ethnicity 2023 (Household and Per Capita).png|thumb|Household and Per Capita Income by Race, Ethnicity and Asian American group. Model Minority Myth<ref name="Explore Census Data"/>]]
An [[Empiricism|empirical]] [[literature review]] shows that most of the existing data used to justify the model minority image regarding Asian American academic achievement is aggregated. As a result, this data ignores important differences among individual Asian ethnic groups.<ref name=":12" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last1=Tran|first1=Nellie|last2=Birman|first2=Dina|year=2010|title=Questioning the model minority: Studies of Asian American academic performance.|journal=[[Asian American Journal of Psychology]]|volume=1|issue=2|pages=106–118|doi=10.1037/a0019965}}</ref> Although many Asian Americans have succeeded academically and socioeconomically, survey research shows that recent immigrant groups, such as Southeast Asians, have been unable to replicate such success.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Wong|first1=Paul|last2=Lai|first2=Chienping|last3=Nagasawa|first3=Richard|last4=Lin|first4=Tieming|date=1998|title=Asian Americans as a Model Minority: Self-Perceptions and Perceptions by Other Racial Groups|journal=Sociological Perspectives|volume=41|issue=1|pages=95–118|doi=10.2307/1389355|jstor=1389355|s2cid=32296161}}</ref>

According to the [[2010 United States Census|2010 U.S. Census]], the overall percentage of people 25 years and older with less than a high school education in the U.S. population is 15%, whereas Asian Americans, as an aggregate, are close at 11.1%. However, disparities exist when comparing South Asian Americans and East Asian Americans with Southeast Asian Americans. For example, only 13.6% of Chinese Americans, 4.0% Japanese Americans, and 6.0% of South Asian Americans ages 25 years or older have less than a high school education.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2011/ted_20111214_data.htm#chart1|title=Educational attainment and unemployment among Asians in the United States }}</ref> In contrast, Southeast Asian Americans more than double the South Asian American and East Asian American percentages with 38.5% of Cambodian Americans, 39.6% of Hmong Americans, 34.3% of Lao Americans, and 51.1% of Vietnamese Americans ages 25 and over holding less than a high school education.

According to some studies only 39% of Filipino American men (ages 25–34) had attained a Bachelor's degree, in comparison to 87% of Asian Indian American men, 69% of Chinese American men, 63% of Japanese American men, 62% of Korean American men, and 42 percent of Vietnamese American men. The same study showed that Filipino, Korean and Cambodian men with Bachelor's degrees have lower median wages of $30 an hour compared to Chinese and Indian immigrant men who had median wages of $40 an hour. (Sanchez-Lopez et al ., 2017).<ref>RISE Report_Nadal.pdf</ref>

The 2010 U.S. Census shows that 52% of Asian Americans ages 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is higher than the national American average of 29.9%.<ref name=":12" /> In contrast, the percentage of individuals aged 25 and over holding a bachelor's degree or higher amongst Southeast Asian American groups is much lower with only 44.4% of Filipino Americans and 21.2% of Vietnamese Americans falling within the aforementioned educational bounds.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2011/ted_20111214.htm|title=Educational attainment and unemployment among Asians in the United States : The Economics Daily : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics }}</ref> With the exception of Vietnamese Americans, Southeast Asian American representation in higher education is lower than other racial minorities, including African Americans (14.2%) and Latino Americans (10.3%).<ref name=":12" /> As cited in an empirical literature review, research that lacks differentiation between the varying Asian ethnic groups may mask under-performing groups as the higher performing groups raise the average. As a result, Southeast Asian American students are often overlooked due to the overwhelming success of their East and South Asian American peers.<ref name=":2" />

As cited in a case study, many deficits of Southeast Asian American students' academic achievement can be attributed to the structural barriers of living in an immigrant household.<ref name=":02">{{Cite journal|last=Kim|first=Rebecca|date=Spring 2002|title=Ethnic Differences in Academic Achievement between Vietnamese and Cambodian Children: Cultural and Structural Explanations|journal=The Sociological Quarterly|volume=43|issue=2|pages=213–235|doi=10.1525/tsq.2002.43.2.213}}</ref> Many Southeast Asian American students are children of refugees from countries at war.<ref name=":02" /> While the parents of Southeast Asian American students may have escaped death and persecution from their homelands, they often arrive in the US with fragmented families.<ref name=":02" />&nbsp;As a result, refugees often lack resources, which causes them to not only rely on government assistance, but to also be placed in low-income communities near poorly funded schools.<ref name=":02" /> Additionally, families frequently have little to no understanding of the U.S. school system.<ref name=":02" /> Thus, Southeast Asian students are at a disadvantage as they have to quickly adjust to the new school system, while also keeping up with native-born students.<ref name=":02" />

However, certain Southeast Asian ethnic groups have shown greater progress than others within the regional group and resemble the success of other more established Asian Americans.<ref name=":02" /> As cited in a case study,<ref name=":02" /> Vietnamese American students are beginning to show comparable rates of academic success to East Asian American students. Furthermore, among Southeast Asian American students, Vietnamese American students are recognized as having the highest academic performance, whereas Cambodian American students have the poorest performance.<ref name=":02" /> Although Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees endured similar immigration hardships, the aforementioned differences in academic success is attributed to structural and cultural factors.<ref name=":02" /> Another factor which may have an influence on Vietnamese American success is that the majority of 21st century Vietnamese immigrants to the United States are from non-refugee backgrounds, dissimilar from earlier migration patterns.

Despite this progress amongst Southeast Asian American students, the subgroup still struggles economically. Similar to data on academic achievement, information regarding Asian American's economic prospects is frequently aggregated and thus hides the diversity of economic struggles amongst subgroups like Southeast Asian Americans.<ref name=":5">{{Cite book|last1=Lee|first1=Stacey|title=Asian American Psychology: Current Perspectives|last2=Wong|first2=Nga-Wing Anjela|last3=Alvarez|first3=Alvin|publisher=Psychology Press|year=2009|isbn=978-0805860085|pages=71–73|chapter=The Model Minority and Perpetual Foreigner: Stereotypes of Asian Americans|chapter-url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233912258}}</ref> The high poverty rate amongst Hmong Americans places the group in one of the highest poverty brackets within the United States.<ref name=":5" /> Hmong Americans, more so men than women, have also been disproportionately racialized and criminalized via gangster stereotyping.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Vue|first1=Pao Lee|last2=Schein|first2=Louisa|last3=Vang|first3=Bee|title=Comparative Racialization and Unequal Justice in the Era of Black Lives Matter: The Dylan Yang Case|url=http://hmongstudies.org/VueScheinVangHSJ17.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202095020/http://hmongstudies.org/VueScheinVangHSJ17.pdf|url-status=usurped|archive-date=December 2, 2017|journal=Hmong Studies Journal|volume=17|pages=21}}</ref>

Additionally, median income levels differ amongst Asian American subgroups in which Southeast Asian Americans represent a disproportionate amount of low annual median incomes.<ref name=":5" /> This is illustrated by research in which Hmong Americans and Cambodian Americans have a per capita income of $10,366 in comparison to Indian Americans who have a per capita income of around $27,514 and Japanese Americans who have a per capita income of $30,075.<ref name=":5" /> By analyzing the individual economic data of Asian American subgroups, it becomes evident that the model minority stereotype, which puts forth the notion of Asian Americans achieving higher levels socioeconomic success, may be misleading.<ref name=":5" /> It is also written in Racial Wealth Snapshot by NCRC that Asian Americans disproportionately live in metropolitan areas where cost of living is high and that it is important to factor in household size and cost of living when talking about Asian Americans.

====Media portrayal====
Media coverage of the increasing success of Asian Americans as a group began in the 1960s, reporting high average test scores and marks in school, winning national [[spelling bee]]s, and high levels of university attendance.

In 1988, the writer Philip K. Chiu identified the prevalence of the model minority stereotype in [[Media of the United States|American media]] reports on [[Chinese Americans]], and noted the contrast between that stereotype and what he observed as the reality of the Chinese-American population, which was much more varied than the model minority stereotype in the media typically presented.<ref>Philip K. Chiu, "ROSTRUM: The myth of the model minority." U.S. News & World Report. May 16, 1988. p. 7.</ref>
{{blockquote|I am fed up with being stereotyped as either a subhuman or superhuman creature. Certainly I am proud of the academic and economic successes of Chinese Americans.… But it's important for people to realize that there is another side.… It is about time for the media to report on Chinese Americans the way they are. Some are superachievers, most are average citizens, and a few are criminals. They are only human—no more and no less.}}

==== Effects of the stereotype ====
{{Main|Model minority myth}}
According to [[Gordon H. Chang]], the reference to Asian Americans as model minorities has to do with the [[work ethic]], respect for elders, and high valuation of education, family and elders present in their cultures.<ref name=":4">{{cite book|last=Chang|first=Gordon|url=https://archive.org/details/asianamericanspo00chan|title=Asian Americans and Politics: Perspectives, Experiences, Prospects|date=2002|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=9780804742016|url-access=registration}}</ref> The model minority stereotype also comes with an underlying notion of their apoliticality. Such a label one-dimensionalizes Asian Americans as having only traits based around stereotypes and no other human qualities, such as vocal leadership, negative emotions (e.g. anger or sadness), sociopolitical activeness, risk taking, ability to learn from mistakes, desire for creative expression, intolerance towards oppression or being overlooked of their acknowledgements and successes.<ref name=":4" /> Asian Americans are labeled as model minorities because they have not been as much of a "threat" to the U.S. political establishment as black people, due to a smaller population and less political advocacy.<ref name=":4" /> This label seeks to suppress potential political activism through [[Euphemism|euphemistic]] stereotyping.<ref name=":4" />

Another effect of the stereotype is that American society may tend to ignore the racism and discrimination Asian Americans still face. Complaints are dismissed with the claim that the racism which occurs to Asian Americans is less important than or not as bad as the racism faced by other minority races, thus establishing a systematic [[racial hierarchy]]. Believing that due to their success and that they possess so-called "positive" stereotypes, many{{who|date=June 2013}} assume they face no forms of racial discrimination or social issues in the greater American society, and that their community is fine, having "gained" social and economic equality.<ref>{{cite web|date=5 July 2010|title=Yellow Face: The documentary part 4 – Asian Americans do face racism|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TOYT4JTea4|access-date=24 February 2013|publisher=Youtube.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=5 July 2010|title=Asians, Blacks, Stereotypes and the Media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqShFjk6BoE |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/sqShFjk6BoE |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=24 February 2013|publisher=Youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=5 July 2010|title=Racial Microaggressions and the Asian American Experience|url=http://psy6129.alliant.wikispaces.net/file/view/Sue,+Bucerri+et+al.+2007.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112140608/http://psy6129.alliant.wikispaces.net/file/view/Sue,+Bucerri+et+al.+2007.pdf|archive-date=12 January 2012|access-date=11 November 2013|publisher=Psy6129.alliant.wikispaces.net}}</ref>

The stereotyping of Asian Americans as a model minority and perfidious foreigner influences people's perceptions and attitudes towards Asians<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Suzuki|first1=Bob|date=2002|title=Revisiting the Model Minority Stereotype: Implications for Student Affairs Practice and Higher Education|journal=New Directions for Student Services|volume=2002|issue=97|pages=21–32|doi=10.1002/ss.36}}</ref> and also negatively affects students' academic outcomes, relationships with others, and psychological adjustments. For instance, discrimination and model minority stereotyping are linked to Asian American students' lower valuing of school, lower self-esteem, and higher depressive symptoms.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Kiang|first1=Lisa|date=2016|title=Model Minority Stereotyping, Perceived Discrimination, and Adjustment Among Adolescents from Asian American Backgrounds.|journal=Journal of Youth and Adolescence|volume=45|issue=7|pages=1366–1379|doi=10.1007/s10964-015-0336-7|pmid=26251100|s2cid=22637586}}</ref> 

Asian Americans may also be commonly stereotyped by the general public as being studious, intelligent, successful, elitist, brand name conscious, yet paradoxically passive. As a result, Asian Americans have felt as though they have higher and unreasonable expectations due to their race.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Wong |first1=Frieda |last2=Halgin |first2=Richard |title=The 'Model Minority': Bane or Blessing for Asian Americans? |journal=Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development |date=January 2006 |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=38–49 |doi=10.1002/j.2161-1912.2006.tb00025.x }}</ref> Also due to the model minority image, Asian American students are viewed as "problem-free" and academically competent students who can succeed with little support and without special services.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{cite journal|last1=Li|first1=Guofang|date=2005|title=Other People's Success: Impact of the "Model Minority" Myth on Underachieving Asian Students in North America|journal=KEDI Journal of Educational Policy|volume=2|issue=1|pages=69–86}}</ref> This emphasis that Asian Americans are being denial by their racial reality because of the assumption that "Asians are the new Whites"; therefore, they are being dismissed by their intelligence and experiences.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Racial Microaggressions and the Asian American Experience|url=https://www.apa.org/pi/oema/resources/ethnicity-health/asian-american/microaggressions-asians.pdf}}</ref> Thus, educators may overlook the instructional needs and psychological concerns of underachieving Asian American students. The model minority stereotype can also contribute to teachers' having a "blaming the victims" perspective. This means that teachers blame students, their culture, or their families for students' poor performance or misbehavior in school. This is problematic because it shifts responsibility away from schools and teachers and misdirects attention away from finding a solution to improve students' learning experience and alleviate the situation. Furthermore, the model minority stereotype has a negative impact on the home environment. Parents' expectations place high pressure on students to achieve, creating a stressful, school-like home environment. Parents' expressed worry and frustration can also place emotional burdens and psychological stress on students.<ref name="ReferenceB" />

Another result of Asian American's regarded as a model minority is limiting the amount of accepted applicants to certain colleges.<ref>{{cite journal |id={{ProQuest|1298115471}} |last1=Bunzel |first1=John H |last2=Au |first2=Jeffrey K. D. |title=Diversity or Discrimination?-Asian Americans in College |journal=The Public Interest |location=New York |volume=87 |date=Spring 1987 |pages=49–62 }}</ref>

Some educators hold Asian students to a higher standard.<ref name="asianamericanissues1" /> This deprives those students with [[learning disabilities]] from being given attention that they need. The connotations of being a model minority mean Asian students are often labeled with the unpopular "[[nerd]]" or "geek" image.<ref name="asianamericanissues1" />{{rp|223}} Asians have been the target of harassment, [[bullying]], and racism from other races due to the racially divisive model minority stereotype.<ref name="asianstudies3" />{{rp|165}} The higher expectations placed on East Asians as a result of the model minority stereotype carries over from academics to the workplace.<ref name="asianamericanissues1" />

The model minority stereotype is emotionally damaging to many Asian Americans, since there are unjustified expectations to live up to stereotypes of high achievement. The pressures from their families to achieve and live up to the model minority image have taken a tremendous mental and psychological toll on young Asian Americans.<ref>{{cite news|author=Elizabeth Cohen|date=2007-05-16|title=Push to achieve tied to suicide in Asian-American women|publisher=CNN.com|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/05/16/asian.suicides/|access-date=2015-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cheryan|first1=Sapna|author-link1=Sapna Cheryan|last2=Bodenhausen|first2=Galen|year=2000|title=When Positive Stereotypes Threaten Intellectual Performance|journal=Psychological Science|volume=11|issue=5|pages=399–402|doi=10.1111/1467-9280.00277|pmid=11228911|s2cid=915530}}</ref> The model minority stereotype also influences Asian American students' psychological outcomes and academic experience. The model minority image can lead underachieving Asian American students to minimize their own difficulties and experience anxiety or psychological distress about their academic difficulties. Asian American students also have more negative attitudes toward seeking academic or psychological help<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gupta|first1=Arpana|date=2011|title=The 'model minority myth': Internalized racialism of positive stereotypes as correlates of psychological distress, and attitudes toward help-seeking|journal=[[Asian American Journal of Psychology]]|volume=2|issue=2|pages=101–114|doi=10.1037/a0024183}}</ref> due to fear of shattering the high expectations of teachers, parents, and classmates.<ref>{{cite thesis |last1=Song |first1=Joanne |title=The Role of the Model Minority Stereotype in Asian American Students' College Experiences |date=2013 |url=http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1366659329 }}</ref>

====Possible causes of model minority status====
{{further|Stereotypes of South Asians#Model minority}}

=====Selective immigration=====
One possible cause of the higher performance of Asian Americans as a group is that they represent a small population in America so those who are chosen to move to America often come from a [[Selection bias|selective group]] of Asians. The relative difficulty of emigrating and immigrating into the United States has created a selective nature of the process with the U.S. often choosing the wealthier and [[brain drain|more highly educated]] out of those with less resources, motivation or ability to immigrate.<ref name="YananWang"/><ref name="The Source of the 'Asian Advantage' Isn't Asian Values NBC News">{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asian-america/editorial-source-asian-advantage-isnt-asian-values-n443526|title=Editorial: The Source of the 'Asian Advantage' Isn't Asian Values|access-date=February 21, 2016|first=Janelle|last=Wong}}</ref>

Asian Americans are the nation's fastest growing ethnic group due to their high rate of immigration. 59% of all Asian Americans are foreign born. The majority of Asian Americans are either 1st or 2nd generation immigrants, with the Asian-American population increasing from only 980,000 in 1960 to 22.4 million in 2019. Due to their high rate of immigration, the Asian American population nearly doubled from 11.9 to 22.4 million in the period between 2000 and 2019 – an 88% increase. For reference, the Black population grew by 20% during this span, while there was virtually no change in the White population.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/04/29/key-facts-about-asian-americans/ |title=Key facts about Asian Americans, a diverse and growing population |last=Budiman |first=Abby |date=Apr 29, 2021 |website=Pewresearch.org |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=November 2, 2021 |quote="The nation's Asian population rose to 11.9 million by 2000 and then nearly doubled to 22.4 million by 2019 – an 88% increase within two decades. "}}</ref>

Asia is a much larger pool of skilled workers as the continent has 4.2 billion people, 60% of the world population. This far outnumbers the next two most populous continents of Africa (15% total world population) and Europe (10%).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/world/ |title=World |date=Oct 19, 2021 |website=CIA.gov |publisher=U.S. Central Intelligence Agency |access-date=November 2, 2021 |quote="Asia is easily the most populous continent with about 60% of the world's population (China and India together account for over 35%); Africa comes in second with over 15% of the earth's populace, Europe has about 10%, North America 8%, South America almost 6%, and Oceania less than 1%"}}</ref> 82% of Asian American workers in [[STEM]] fields were foreign born, as well as 81% of the entirety of the Asian workforce.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2018/01/09/diversity-in-the-stem-workforce-varies-widely-across-jobs/ |title=Diversity in the STEM workforce varies widely across jobs |last=Funk |first=Cary |date= Jan 9, 2018 |website=Pewresearch.org |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=November 2, 2021 |quote="The vast majority of the Asian STEM workforce is foreign born (82%) as is the Asian workforce overall in the U.S. (81%)." }}</ref>

In 2016, Indian and Chinese nationals accounted for 82% of all issued [[H1-B visa|H1-B Visas]], a work permit that allows skilled foreign workers to go to the United States and work for American companies.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2017/04/19/india-and-china-accounted-for-82-percent-of-u-s-h-1b-visas-in-2016-infographic/ |title=India and China Accounted For 82% Of U.S. H-1B Visas In 2016 |last=McCarthy |first=Niall |date=Apr 19, 2017 |work=Forbes |access-date=November 2, 2021 |quote=82 percent of all H-1B visas issued in 2016 went to India and China. 85,000 H-1B visas are issued every year while 100,000 more are extended or re-issued. Last year, 126,692 of them went to recipients from India, 21,657 were issued to Chinese workers.}}</ref>

As of May 2016, 77% of the 1.2 million international students enrolled in the United States hailed from Asia.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/new-report-notes-77-percent-international-students-hail-asia-f-m-student-population-2 |title=New report notes 77 percent of international students hail from Asia |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=June 23, 2017 |website=Ice.gov |publisher=US Immigration and Customs Enforcement |access-date=November 2, 2021 |quote="Seventy-seven percent of international students hailed from Asia."}}</ref>

=====Cultural differences=====
Cultural factors are thought to be part of the reason why East Asian Americans are successful in the United States. East Asian societies often place more resources and emphasis on education.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Haibin|first1=Li|last2=Martin|first2=Andrew|last3=Yeung|first3=Wei-Jun|date=Summer 2017|title=Academic Risk and Resilience for Children and Young People in Asia|journal=Educational Psychology|volume=379|issue=8|pages=921–929|doi=10.1080/01443410.2017.1331973|doi-access=free}}</ref> For example, [[Confucianism in the United States|Confucian tenets]] and [[Chinese culture]] places great value on work ethic and the pursuit of knowledge. In [[Four occupations#Scholar-Officials|traditional Chinese social stratification]], scholars were ranked at the top—well above [[Businessperson|businessmen]] and [[Land tenure|landowners]]. This view of knowledge is evident in the modern lifestyle of many East Asian American families, where the whole family puts emphasis on education and parents will make it their priority to push their children to study and achieve high marks.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/06/19/the-rise-of-asian-americans/|title=The Rise of Asian Americans|date=2012-06-19|work=Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project|access-date=2018-04-10}}</ref> Similar cultural tendencies and values are found in South Asian American families,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Anh |first1=Nguyen The |title=New Lamps for Old: The Transformation of the Vietnamese Administrative Elite. By Truong Buu Lam with the collaboration of Mai Van Lam. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1982. (Occasional Paper, no. 66.) 60 pp. $7.45 (paper) |journal=The Journal of Asian Studies |date=May 1987 |volume=46 |issue=2 |pages=463–464 |doi=10.2307/2056074 |jstor=2056074 |s2cid=163512823 }}</ref> whose children similarly face extra pressure by parents to succeed in school and to achieve high-ranked jobs. Although pressure is often perceived as a way to help East Asian American descendants achieve greater success, it can be used as a way to provide better income and living status for families.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sue |first1=Stanley |last2=Okazaki |first2=Sumie |title=Asian-American educational achievements: A phenomenon in search of an explanation. |journal=American Psychologist |date=1990 |volume=45 |issue=8 |pages=913–920 |doi=10.1037/0003-066X.45.8.913 |pmid=2221563 }}</ref> In other words, much of the East Asian American success in the United States can be due to the stereotypical yet favorable characteristics that their background holds.<ref name="Goyette-Xie">{{Cite journal |last1=Goyette |last2=Xie |first1=Kimberly |first2=Yu |year=1999 |title=Educational Expectations of Asian American Youths: Determinants and Ethnic Differences |jstor=2673184 |journal=Sociology of Education |volume=72 |issue=1 |pages=22–36 |doi=10.2307/2673184 }}</ref> In most cases, East Asians such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and [[Taiwanese Americans]] hold a high position in terms of successful educational goals.<ref name="Goyette-Xie" />

Others counter this notion of culture as a driving force, as it ignores [[Immigration law|immigration policies]].<ref name="The Source of the 'Asian Advantage' Isn't Asian Values NBC News" /> In the mid-1800s, Asian immigrants were recruited in the United States as laborers for agriculture and to aid in the building of the first [[transcontinental railroad]]. Many worked for low wages in the harshest conditions. [[Confucianism|Confucian values]] were not seen as a key to success. It was only until the ''[[Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965]]'' changed the way Asians were seen, as Asians with higher education backgrounds were selectively chosen from a larger pool of the Asian population.<ref name="YananWang" /><ref name="The Source of the 'Asian Advantage' Isn't Asian Values NBC News" />

Further, it has also been argued the myth of the Confucian emphasis on education is [[Counterfactual thinking|counterfactual]]. It also implies Asians are a monolithic group, and ignores the fact that the most educated group of Asian immigrants in the U.S. are Indians, for whom [[Confucius]] is virtually non-existent in their upbringing.<ref name="YananWang" /> It has also been argued that [[Self-selection bias|self-selecting]] immigrants do not represent the actual Asian American population as a whole, nor the populations of their home countries. While 50% of Chinese immigrants in the U.S. have a bachelor's degree, only 5% of the population does in their native China.<ref name="YananWang" /> Lastly, if Confucian culture played a vital part of Asian culture, Chinese immigrant children would perform consistently around the world, yet [[Chinese people in Spain|second-generation Chinese immigrants]] in [[Chinese people in Spain|Spain]] are the lowest academic achievers among immigrant groups in the country, and less than half are expected to graduate from middle school.<ref name="YananWang" />

=====Asian American status in affirmative action=====
{{See also|Affirmative action|Asian quota}}

In the 1980s, one [[Ivy League]] school found evidence it had limited admissions of Asian American students. Because of their high degree of success as a group and over-representation in many areas such as [[college admissions]], most Asian Americans are not granted preferential treatment by [[affirmative action]] policies as are other minority groups.<ref name="Asian over-representation Washington Post"/>

Some schools choose lower-scoring applicants from other [[Race (human classification)|racial]] groups over Asian Americans in an attempt to promote racial [[Multiculturalism|diversity]] and to maintain some [[Proportionality (mathematics)|proportion]] to the society's racial [[Demographics of the United States|demographics]].<ref name="Asian over-representation Washington Post">{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55160-2005Mar21.html|title=Learning to Stand Out Among the Standouts|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=March 22, 2005|access-date=December 10, 2010|first=Jay|last=Mathews}}</ref><ref name="asianstudies3">{{Cite book|last=Ancheta|first=Angelo N.|title=Race, Rights, and the Asian American Experience|publisher=Rutgers University Press|year=2006|isbn= 978-0-8135-3902-7
}}</ref>{{rp|165}} In 2014, [[List of business schools in the United States|American business schools]] began a process to sort candidates based on their [[country of origin]] and region of the world they come from.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.stacyblackman.com/2014/11/14/separate-gmat-rankings-for-u-s-and-asian-applicants/|title=Separate GMAT Rankings for U.S. and Asian Applicants|website=Stacy Blackman Consulting – MBA Admissions Consulting|date=14 November 2014|access-date=2017-01-13}}</ref>