Browsing by Subject "Asian Americans"

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Busting the “model minority” myth: Academic performance and substance use varies widely across Asian American youth ethnicity and sexual orientation
(University of Texas at Austin Population Research Center, 2023) Russell, Stephen T.; McCurdy, Amy L.
Community Engagement in 21st Century Museums: A Case Study of the Wing Luke Museum, the Japanese American National Museum, and the Museum of Chinese in America
(2023) Duong, Anna Catherine
Twenty-first century museums are moving away from the concept of neutrality and self- consciously heading towards more socially informed practices. However, racially sensitive and community-oriented frameworks have existed in ethnic museums for decades. The Wing Luke Museum in Seattle, Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, and Museum of Chinese in America in New York were founded in the post- Civil Rights Era by Asian American museum professionals to address and combat anti- Asian racism and to preserve the histories of Asian American communities. These museums responded to a modern moment of diasporic change and elevated the voices, stories, and everyday objects of Asian Americans. However, in the fifty years from when their doors opened until now, the neighborhoods and communities in which each museum was founded have transformed. This thesis will look at the politics of change and issues of representation at the above-mentioned Asian American museums that arose contemporaneously. The overarching question I explore is: how has each museum evolved through the twenty-first century? This thesis is situated in a larger body of scholarly work focused on revolutions in museum practices. Yet, my methodology also includes original research in the form of interviews and in-person observations. The culmination of this thesis shines a spotlight on three Asian American institutions that pioneered the kind of engagement work many other museums are attempting to replicate in 2023. This thesis offers a direct response to contemporary social, cultural, and geopolitical issues that are changing the landscape of community engagement pedagogy at three institutions that have always been at the forefront of the field. This work highlights the revolutionary histories of three radical Asian American institutions while simultaneously offering important critiques and considerations for how museums are and will continue to evolve in today’s cultural context.
The complexity of Asian American identity: the intersection of multiple social identities
(2005) Chen, Grace Angel; Gilbert, Lucia Albino.; Guzmán, Michele R.
The current study investigated the complexity of identity within the Asian American population in order to broaden the definition of Asian American identity beyond race and ethnicity. Using the Multidimensional Identity Model (Reynolds & Pope, 1991) as a conceptual framework, the study examined how individuals manage the multiple social identities of age, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class and the saliency of their various social identities. Participants were 287 Asian Americans, ranging in age from 18 to 63 (M = 28.48). Sixteen Asian ethnicities were represented in the sample, including Chinese, Korean, Indian, Filipino, and others. Participants completed a demographics form, the Rosenberg (1965) SelfEsteem Scale, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985), and the Social Group Identification Scale (developed for this study). The Social Group Identification Scale asked respondents to rate social group categories on a Likert scale based on two instructional conditions – self-view of social identities and perceived societal view of one’s social identities. This scale also examined participants’ experience of conflict regarding their social identities as well as the difference between their perception of societal views and their self-view of social group identities. The results indicated that the most salient social identities for the Asian American participants were ethnicity, race, and gender. The least salient social identity was religion. Four cluster profiles created through a k-means cluster analysis varied in terms of the level of salience of various social identities but did not differ significantly in selfesteem or life satisfaction. Some participants experienced inner conflict regarding their social identities and used various strategies to manage them. Participants generally perceived that certain social identities (i.e., race, ethnicity, gender, age, and socioeconomic status) were assigned more strongly by society than by the participants themselves. The results provided empirical evidence supporting some of the Multidimensional Identity Model in that the salience of multiple social identities varied, and the intersection of multiple social identities was evident in individuals’ selfdefinition. The results suggest expansion of the Multidimensional Identity Model regarding conflict and the influence of the social environment on self-definition.
Drumming Asian America : performing race, gender, and sexuality in North American taiko
(2011-05) Ahlgren, Angela Kristine; Canning, Charlotte, 1964-; Dolan, Jill, 1957-; Paredez, Deborah; Jones, Joni L.; Wong, Deborah
Taiko is a highly physical and theatrical form of ensemble drumming that was popularized in 1950s Japan and has been widely practiced in Japanese American and other Asian American communities since the late 1960s. Taiko’s visual and sonic largesse—outstretched limbs and thundering drums—contrasted with pervasive stereotypes of Asians as silent and passive. This dissertation uses ethnographic participant-observation, archival research, and performance analysis to examine how North American taiko performance produces and is produced by the shifting contours of racial, gender, and sexual identity and community. Taiko groups create, re-shape, and challenge familiar notions of Asia, America, and Asian America through their public performances and in their rehearsal processes. While sometimes implicated in Orientalist performance contexts, taiko players use performance strategically to commemorate Asian American history, to convey feelings of empowerment, and to invite feminist, anti-racist, and queer forms of spectatorship. This dissertation explores taiko’s roots in the Asian American Movement of the 1960s and 1970s, its implications for 1990s multiculturalism, as well as its intersections with contemporary queer communities. My analysis focuses on three case study groups whose origins, philosophies, and geographic locations offer a diverse view of North American taiko and the Asian American/Canadian communities with which they are associated. Chapter One considers how San Jose Taiko’s early articulation of their identity as an Asian American taiko group continues to influence its practices and performances, particularly their taiko-dance piece, “Ei Ja Nai Ka?” and their national tours. Chapter Two examines how Minneapolis-based Mu Daiko negotiates its members’ diverse racial, ethnic, and gender identities within a Midwestern context that values multiculturalism. Chapter Three considers how the all-women’s group Jodaiko conveys Asian American lesbian identity and invites queer spectatorship through theatrical performance choices and its members’ everyday gender performances. My analysis extends from my ethnographic participant-observation, which includes personal interviews, attendance at workshops and performances, and spending time with performers; archival research in formal collections, groups’ internal documents, and my personal archive of taiko programs, posters, photographs, DVDs, and other ephemera; and performance analysis that is informed by my twelve years of experience as a taiko performer.
Formation of educational aspirations among Asian American students
(2015-05) Lee, Kye Hyoung; Saenz, Victor B.; Sharpe, Edwin R; Reddick, Richard J; Chen, Wenhong; Marti, Nathan
This study explores how Asian Americans’ educational aspirations are different from other racial groups as well as uncovers differences among Asian American subgroups. This study developed a hypothesized model on the formation of educational aspiration. Among factors affecting educational aspirations that were derived from the literature review, students’ academic effort and performance, students’ perceived academic self-efficacy, and support received from students’ significant others were hypothesized to have direct effects on students’ educational aspirations. In addition, students’ perceived self-efficacy and academic effort were hypothesized to have indirect effects on students’ educational aspirations through students’ academic performance. Students’ demographic and socio-economic characteristics were controlled to examine if they had any direct and indirect effects on educational aspirations. In order to test validity of the hypothesized model on educational aspiration, this study adopted structural education modeling (SEM) to analyze the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09). As a result, the hypothesized model was confirmed because of its adequate model fit. In addition, this study found that Asian American students’ educational aspirations were different from other racial groups. First, neither academic effort nor performance affects Asian Americans’ educational aspirations whereas both affect aspirations significantly in the entire sample. Second, there was a positive effect of academic self-efficacy on Asian Americans’ educational aspirations whereas efficacy did not affect aspirations in the entire sample. Third, there was a positive effect of support with college information from significant others on Asian Americans’ aspirations, which was not statistically significant in the results of the entire sample. This indicates that Asian American students’ educational aspirations are more influenced by subjective or perceived factors such as academic self-efficacy and support with college information received from significant others, rather than objective indicators such as academic performance and academic effort. Moreover, there are differences in aspirations by Asian American ethnic subgroups even after controlling for other variables. Compared to Filipino Americans, all other four Asian American subgroups show significantly higher educational aspirations. The findings of this study help to understand how high school students’ educational aspirations are formed in general by examining the conceptual model with the entire data. In addition, the findings help to fill the gap in the literature about debunking the model minority myth about Asian American students by proving that they are heterogeneous.
The heterogeneity of Asian Americans' racial experiences : how relevant is Helms's people of color racial identity attitudes scale?
(2011-08) Lephuoc, Paul Ian; Rude, Stephanie Sandra; Cokley, Kevin; Guzm�n, Michele; Rudrappa, Sharmila; Schallert, Diane
This study tested the construct validity of the People of Color Racal Identity Attitudes Scale (PCRIAS) for Asian Americans using a mixed methods inquiry. The study produced mixed results with regard to the construct validity of the PCRIAS; Conformity and Immersion-Emersion statuses were somewhat corroborated by the qualitative data and provide tentative construct validity for these statuses of Helms’s model. Though statistically insignificant, results for the Internalization status,purportedly the most mature and developed of all racial identity statuses, were opposite to what racial identity theory would predict. Although some dimensions of the PCRIAS may be meaningful for Asian Americans, findings cast doubt upon the overall applicability of PCRIAS scale for Asian Americans. Results draw attention to the importance of race-specific experiences for Asian Americans and highlight the within-group heterogeneity of Asian Americans’ racial experiences. Qualitative analysis yielded critical theoretical points that illuminate how the historical, political, and economic context of Asian Americans has led to a multitude of options for the management of racial stimuli. Emergent themes revealed that Asian Americans have discursive options—factors such as the model minority myth and recourse to ethnic identity—that may offer possible detours around the recognition of racism or the incorporation of race into their sense of identity. These detours, however, may not necessarily be experienced as maladaptive or ego-dystonic. Nonetheless, one of the most prevalent emergent themes involved an endorsement of subjective distress caused by some racial experience, highlighting the clinical significance of Asian Americans’ racial identity and their management of racial stimuli. Emergent themes also revealed that the salience of race is externally imposed upon Asian Americans through the experiences of being (mis)recognized as a racial other. Limitations of the current study are discussed and suggestions for future research are explored.
The impacts of individualism and collectivism on Asian Americans' philanthropic behaviors : a preliminary study
(2005-08-15) Kim, Yeo Jung, active 21st century; Lee, Wei-Na, 1957-
The study attempts to explain how Asian Americans give and volunteer in comparison to Anglo Americans using the constructs of individualism and collectivism. By comparing 218 Asian Americans and 218 Anglo Americans who are similar in demographic characteristics, the study reports 4 findings. First, Asian Americans were higher in collectivism and lower in individualism than Anglo Americans. Second, Asian Americans tended to give more to the ethnic group than to the rest of the nation. Ethnic specificity in giving increased with collectivism. However, Anglo Americans tended to volunteer more time for the ethnic group than for the rest of the nation. Ethnic specificity in volunteering decreased with collectivism. Finally, there was no significant ethnic difference in terms of whether they preferred personal or organizational philanthropy. Both ethnic groups slightly favored organizational philanthropy over personal philanthropy
In their own words : a qualitative study of Asian American college student suicide
(2010-08) Tran, Kimberly K., 1974-; Cokley, Kevin O. (Kevin O'Neal), 1969-; Awad, Germine; Brownson, Chris; Drum, David; Guzman, Michele
Although the amount of interest and research on college student suicide has increased in recent years, there remains a paucity of knowledge focused on issues of suicide for college students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. This study aimed to expand the limited knowledge of Asian American college student suicide using archival data from a larger national study titled The Nature of Suicidal Crisis in College Students. The survey was administered collaboratively online by the National Research Consortium of Counseling Centers in Higher Education and included 70 U.S. colleges and universities. Guided by the interpersonal-psychological theory of attempted and completed suicide and a cultural frame salient to Asian Americans, this study employed qualitative research methods to capture the lived experience of fifty-eight Asian American suicidal college students. More specifically, the present investigation explored the factors that positively and negatively influenced Asian American college students with serious suicide ideation from progressing to behaviors with higher risk of lethality, such as suicide attempts and completions. Findings from a culturally grounded phenomenological analysis of participants’ narrative responses revealed protective factors including:(a) a desire not to hurt or burden others, (b) social support, (c) fear, (d) self reliance and assistance, and (e) insight and meaning. Factors that participants found least helpful in resolving their suicidal crisis were (a) academics (b) lack of social support and (c) experiences with mental health providers. The results of this study provides information that should be of interest to mental health practitioners working with Asian American college students as well as have the potential to contribute towards the formulation of a theory for this specific ethnic minority group. Additionally, it is the intention that these findings will enable design of both culturally appropriate prevention and intervention programs.
Migration and regional factors affecting the wages of Asian American men
(2010-05) Takei, Isao; Sakamoto, Arthur; Powers, Daniel A.; Robinson, Keith; Falbo, Toni; Ono, Hiroshi
Prior research shows that race remains a significant factor of inequality in the U.S. The extent to which Asian Americans face discrimination in the labor market is also a subject of considerable debate. Thus, studying labor market inequality of Asian Americans is important for our better understanding of current/future race relations in the U.S. In doing so, the role of region and migration remain key factors that have not been much taken into account in the prior research, although they play an important role in assessing whether Asian Americans have reached labor market parity with non-Hispanic whites. This research therefore investigates migration and regional aspects affecting the wages of Asian American men. More specifically, this study investigates whether wage determination and regional migration are indeed interrelated among Asian Americans, and the extent to which important migration and regional characteristics of Asian Americans differ from those of whites. Because prior research has limited scope examining these important factors, this study investigates various hypotheses together, to broadly understand the complicated processes across migration patterns, regional aspects, and labor market outcomes among Asian American men. Using the 5-Percent Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) from the 2000 U.S. Census and the 2003 National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG), the results indicate the significance of region of residence and migration processes for understanding the wages of Asian American men, as well as the extent to which they differ from whites. For example, this research finds that region and regional distribution matter in the wages of Asian Americans, because cost of living expense is significantly higher for Asian Americans. Indeed, this study finds that Asian American men do not face a substantial disadvantage in the U.S. labor market, net of cost of living, demographic, and class factors. Prior research shows that Asian Americans had faced significant direct and overt racial discrimination in the labor market before World War II. Then this achievement of parity represents a historic change for Asian Americas. Namely, racial and ethnic discrimination in the post-Civil Rights era has been ameliorated at least for Asian Americans. Findings of this research show that taking regional migration into account does not alter this fundamental and significant conclusion. Furthermore, the regional aspect (i.e., higher cost of living for Asian Americans) does not explain why Asian Americans have socioeconomic parity with whites. Although what this conclusion implies about race relations for other minority groups remains debatable, the post-Civil Rights era appears to be characterized with the greater acceptance of Asian Americans, rather than the extensive and persuasive occupational disadvantages and other forms of discrimination that were commonly found in the pre-World War II era.
New York City Bitch: Linguistic Appropriation and Awkwafina’s Negotiation of Ethnic Identity Through Rap
(2022) Kung, Caitlyn
Chinese-American actress and musician Awkwafina has operated in a novel cross-cultural language space due to her unique position as a non-Black person of color who grew up familiar with African American English (AAE). Previous works have evaluated the authenticity of AAE by white and immigrant speakers, but so rarely has its usage by American-born people of color been examined. Awkwafina’s entire discography was examined in comparison to various interviews and spoken dialogue clips in order to assess the authenticity of her employment of AAE. Phonological and grammatical accuracy were evaluated in addition to Awkwafina’s usage of AAE slang terms in order to determine whether her on-stage persona was simply a face put on at the expense of African American culture or if her intimate knowledge of AAE in conjunction with her engagement with her Asian American identity provides new understandings of multi-ethnic social spaces.
Parental contributions to perfectionism, depressive symptoms, and perceived social support in Asian American adolescents : investigation, intervention, and evaluation
(2011-08) Wan, Judith T.; Borich, Gary D.; Cawthon, Stephanie W.
The purpose of the study is to examine the influence of parental contributions to perfectionism on depressive symptoms for Asian American adolescents and whether perceived parental support and/or social support may buffer/moderate the relationship. Perceived support from parents and peers may serve as protective factors from experiencing distress associated with the high pressures experienced by Asian Americans to succeed academically and be perfect in school. Asian American adolescents will fill out self-report measures for dimensions of perfectionism, depressive symptoms, and perceived parental and social support. Multiple regressions will be used to test the hypothesis of this study. Implications for the proposed study suggested the development of an intervention to help cultivate coping skills related to parent-driven stress for Asian American adolescents.
The Rise of Asian American Cinema
(2016-05-05) Adeline, Stephanie
Stephanie Drenka Interview
(2022-08-19) Institute for Diversity & Civic Life; Department of Religious Studies
This interview is with Stephanie Drenka is a writer and non-profit founder living in Dallas, TX. Stephanie talks about her life as a transracial adoptee and her relationship with Korea and the Korean culture of her biological family. She shares her experiences of racism and her involvement in Asian and Korean activism and history spaces. Stephanie also describes the goals of her non-profit organization the Dallas Asian American Historical Society, and what her work looks like and draws inspiration from. Content Warning: The following interview contains sensitive material. Please note that the interview includes discussion of anti-Asian racial slurs. These subjects will be discussed at 17:12-18:56 (in the transcript p. 6).
Understanding underutilization of mental health services by Asian Americans : culture and interventions
(2010-05) Wang, Molly Zhoumo; Rude, Stephanie Sandra; Awad, Germine
It is well documented that Asian Americans exhibit the lowest utilization rates of mental health services compared to the general population. Despite the infrequent use of mental health services, the Asian American community demonstrates a need for such services. The majority of research on Asian Americans and mental health have primarily focused on identifying cultural factors associated with underuse, but limited research exists to explain how culture affects mental health and the ways in which culture influences the process of illness. This review examines culture’s dynamic influence on the development, progression, and treatment of mental illness for Asian Americans and recommends strategies to improve outreach and delivery of services.
Willingness to seek professional mental health service in Asian Americans
(2023-09-10) Yoon, Hyunwoo; Jang, Yuri; Schwab, Arthur James; Cubbin, Catherine; Kim, Miyong; Angel, Jacqueline
The discrepancy between mental health needs and service use has been particularly pronounced in Asian Americans. Given the negative consequences of untreated mental health problems, ways to promote their mental health service use deserve attention. Using Andersen's behavioral model as a conceptual framework, the study explored factors associated with willingness to seek professional mental health service across ethnic-subgroups of Asian Americans. The data were drawn from the 2002 National Latino and Asian American Study. Asian Americans aged 18 over (total n=2,095) were included in the analyses with Chinese (n=600), Vietnamese (n=520), Filipino (n=508), and other Asians (n=467). Logistic regression models were conducted with sets of predictors: (1) predisposing (age, gender, marital status, education, and nativity), (2) mental health needs (diagnosis of psychiatric disorders), (3) enabling variables (health insurance, English proficiency, perceived stigma, social network, and prior exposure of mental health services), and (4) an interaction term between mental health needs and enabling variables. Mental health needs reduced the odds of having willingness to seek service in the sample of Chinese Americans. Vietnamese Americans with no perceived stigma were more likely to be willing to seek professional service. A significant interaction between mental health needs and social network was found in the Vietnamese sample. The linkage between the presence of mental health needs and willingness to seek service in the Vietnamese sample was less likely when they had higher level of social network. Findings highlight similarities and differences between and within subgroups of Asian Americans in the predictors of willingness to seek professional service. The insignificant or negative relationship between mental health needs and willingness may suggest the lack of recognition of mental health problems in Asian Americans. Social network is generally considered as a facilitator for help-seeking behavior, but the combined effect of the presence of mental health needs and higher level of social network may potentially impede Vietnamese Americans from seeking professional service. The distinctive culture of Asian Americans being a collectivistic group needs to be incorporated when developing intervention programs.