Education and the Model Minority Myth
The label “model minority” has been used for decades. It perpetuates a detrimental stereotype that Asian Americans (AA) are more academically and financially high achieving than other racial and ethnic groups. This has multiple damaging effects:
- The expectation from teachers, peers and others that one is academically high achieving can create psychological stress and pressure. Young people who intensely internalize the model minority myth are especially vulnerable to its harmful effects at this formative stage of life. A 2021 study in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence also notes that it is “dehumanizing as it punishes those who deviate from the stereotype and the narrow definition of success.”
- According to a recent report from the Center for American Progress, Pacific Islander youth have also reported experiencing the “model minority” stereotype from teachers. These young people describe being perceived as either:
- model students with their academic needs ignored; or
- disappointments if they don’t live up to expectations and are discouraged from attending four-year universities.
Education Data on Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Students
Read on for disaggregated stats on the experiences of AA and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) students.
Young Adults Without A High School Degree
The latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics show that while the share of all AA young people ages 18 to 24 without a high school degree was 7% in 2022, below the national average of 12%, this figure was 23% for Thai young adults and 12% for both Cambodian and Burmese young adults. These data reveal wide variation in high school completion among AA populations. For Pacific Islanders, the share of young adults who had not completed high school was 18%, six percentage points above the U.S average (this statistic was not available by NHPI population).
School Discipline
Punitive or unfair school discipline practices, such as disproportionate suspensions from school, are associated with poor student outcomes like dropping out of school. A 2022 Center for American Progress report found that Pacific Islander students, specifically, were suspended at a higher rate (4.5%) than AA (1%) and white (3.4%) students. This is consistent with findings from other research. Pacific Islander boys were suspended at an even higher rate — 6.2%. (While these data were not disaggregated by NHPI population, little national attention has focused on school discipline for NHPI students.)
English Proficiency
A Pew Research article reported that fewer than 4 in 10 Americans of Bhutanese (36%) and Burmese (38%) descent ages 5 and older were proficient in English, compared to more than 8 in 10 Americans of Japanese, Filipino and Indian descent (85%, 84% and 82%, respectively). Pew Research also found that among all Asian immigrants ages 5 and above who were living in poverty, only 44% spoke English proficiently, compared to 61% of those living above the poverty line.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Asian students comprised 10% of those classified as English Learners in public elementary and secondary schools in 2021, and Pacific Islander students comprised nearly 1%. Among the 15 most common home languages spoken by English Learners were Chinese, Vietnamese, Hmong, Korean, Urdu and Tagalog.
College Attendance and Attainment
As shown in the table below, the National Center for Education Statistics also reports that more than two-thirds (68%) of all AA young adults ages 18 to 24 have completed at least some college, although the same is true for less than half of Thai (43%) and Cambodian (49%) and just over half of Laotian (53%) and Burmese (55%) young adults. The figure was much lower — 36% — for Pacific Islanders, well below the national average of 53%.
Table: Asian American and Pacific Islander Educational Attainment by Select Groups (2022)
Population |
Ages 18 to 24 Completing at Least Some College |
Ages 25 and Older with a Bachelor’s or Higher Degree |
| U.S. Average | 53% | 36% |
| All Pacific Islanders Combined | 36% | 21% |
| All Asian Descent Combined | 68% | 58% |
| Asian Indian | 73% | 78% |
| Bangladeshi | 61% | 52% |
| Bhutanese | S | 21% |
| Burmese | 55% | 23% |
| Cambodian | 49% | 24% |
| Chinese (including Taiwanese) | 73% | 59% |
| Filipino | 62% | 53% |
| Hmong | 58% | 27% |
| Japanese | 70% | 56% |
| Korean | 70% | 61% |
| Laotian | 53% | 19% |
| Nepalese | 68% | 53% |
| Pakistani | 68% | 59% |
| Sri Lankan | 68% | 59% |
| Thai | 43% | 48% |
| Vietnamese | 66% | 35% |
| Other Southeast Asian (Indonesian and Malaysian) | 66% | 57% |
S: Figure not reported due to either too few cases for a reliable estimate or the coefficient of variation was 50 percent or greater. Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, 2024 Table 104.40.
Similar disparities exist in college attainment among AA populations, as shown in the table above. While the majority (58%) of all AA adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher, substantially above the U.S. average (36%), this figure ranges widely among AA groups — from 19% to 78%. Those of Indian descent are the most likely to have a bachelor’s degree or more, while those of Laotian, Bhutanese, Burmese and Cambodian descent are the least likely.
Among Pacific Islander adults 25 and older, just over 1 in 5 (21%) have completed this level of college, 15 percentage points below the national average. A 2023 research report on Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders in Higher Education found that certain NHPI groups — including Tongans, Samoans and Marshallese populations — had even lower college attainment rates than the Pacific Islander average. Additionally, some NHPI students struggle with college attrition more than others. For instance, among those who attend college, 58% of Samoans, 54% of Tongans, 50% of Native Hawaiians and 47% of Guamanians or Chamorros leave without getting a degree, according to the report.
Using Disaggregated Data and an Intersectional Lens to Understand Student Needs
These findings illustrate the importance of disaggregating student data to understand the challenges facing different AA and NHPI groups — a critical step in order to strengthen systems to support their educational success. In addition to disaggregating data by racial group, experts recommend further examining data by other factors, such as gender, language and socioeconomic status, which can shed more light on students’ unique needs. This intersectional approach to understanding NHPI and AA students allows for a more nuanced understanding of their varied experiences and can help education leaders effectively target resources and services to meet their needs.
Read the Rest of Our Series on AA and NHPI Young People
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Children Are Not a Monolith
- Asian and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Child Poverty and Economic Well-Being
- Mental Health and Asian American and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Youth
- The Adverse Effects of Racial Discrimination on Asian American Kids
Access Related Data and Policy Information
More resources from the Foundation:
- Race for Results, 2024
- Understanding the Children in Immigrant Families, 2024
- Equity and Inclusion Resources
- KIDS COUNT Data Book
- All Data by Race and Ethnicity on the KIDS COUNT Data Center
Additional data, research and policy resources about AA and NHPI populations:
- Center for American Progress: Education Policies Need To Address the Unique Needs of Asian American and Pacific Islander Communities, 2022
- APIA Scholars and UCLA: Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders in Higher Education, 2023
- Pew Research Center: Asian Americans
- Asian American Research Center, UC Berkeley: AAPI Data
- Census Bureau: Asian American Data Links
A Note About Language
We use the term “Asian Americans” in this post to refer to both Asian immigrants and U.S. citizens of Asian descent, as the term reflects the vast majority of this population, especially among children.
