Hidden in Plain View: An Overview of the Needs of Asian American Students in the Public School System (2004)

For many immigrant families, the public school system is one of the first and largest government entities with which they interact. With its many regulations and policies on the wide assortment of education related services, it is also one that is quite difficult to understand and navigate.

In New York City, the Asian American population is currently over 11 percent of the total population. At 78 percent, the vast majority of all Asian American New Yorkers are immigrants. Because the Asian American population has many young families, Asian Americans constitute 12.4 percent of the New York City public school student population. The growing Asian American presence raises concerns about the ability of the educational system to adequately address the needs of our Asian American students and their families.  

While broad-reaching, it is important to recognize that this report is not exhaustive, but rather a first step to raising critical issues confronting the Asian American community. CACF’s objectives for this report are to dispel myths and compel schools and policy makers to examine further the situation facing Asian American students and remove some of the obstacles to success that face many of our students. It is also important to recognize where commonalities with other racial and ethnic minorities exist. Many of the issues described in the report facing Asian American families  parallel those experiences of any family dealing with the struggles of immigration, social isolation, stereotypes, and limited English proficiency.  

Schools provide opportunities for children and youth to gain the skills they need to lead productive lives. Yet, questions are raised because stereotypes and biases about Asian American students abound and may cloud judgment. Some teachers and administrators see Asian American students as the “model minority” — overachieving immigrant success stories with few struggles. High standardized test scores and graduation rates fuel stereotypes of Asian American students as uniformly successful.  

This seemingly “positive” stereotype has detrimental effects on both Asian American students and other minority  students that are judged in comparison to the model minority. Policy makers and school staff may expect other minority students to meet the same level of success without providing the necessary support. Struggling Asian American students may not access much needed services because their difficulties remain highly invisible in the eyes of both policy makers and school staff.  

In addition, some school personnel see Asian American parents as aloof and uncaring. A stereotype fueled perhaps by cultural misunderstandings on the part of parents about the parent-school relationship expected in the American educational system. On the other hand, misunderstandings and biases equally taint Asian American families’ thoughts about the American educational system. Many parents see teachers as too lenient and curricula not appropriately imparting successful learning skills.  

Improved understanding of the Asian American community includes knowledge of its extensive diversity, the  impossibility of uniform success, and the impact of culture on learning and parent involvement. Asian American  families’ ability to understand the educational system can result in improved parent-school partnerships and  greater success for all students. 

While the Asian American population has grown and diversified, Asian American students are still facing the same  difficulties as a decade and-a-half ago. Fifteen years ago, the Asian American community made up 7.3 percent of the New York City population. At that time, the Chancellor of the Board of Education convened a Task Force to study the needs of the Asian American community. The Task Force found language and cultural conflicts, ineffective outreach to parents, and stereotypes hindering equal access to educational services.II Despite the report, these barriers still exist. 

New York City public schools can no longer ignore the plight of many Asian American students. Asian Americans  are diverse in culture, language, socioeconomic status, and immigration history. To better serve these students entails a better understanding of who they are, what has influenced their lives, where they come from, and why they are here.