Representing Asian Americans: Making Better Educational Material Choices

It has been six months since we observed Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. As education institutions and organizations continue to emphasize the importance of including Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) throughout the year, reviewing and understanding research regarding experiences of people within these communities offers guidance on how educators can improve learning experiences for students.

Because there are several racial and ethnic groups within the AANHPI communities, delving into research regarding one or two racial groups at a time is a good place to begin. Two recent studies, the Pew Research Center project “What It Means to be Asian in America” [1] and LAAUNCH’s (Leading Asian Americans to Unite for Change) STATUS Index (Social Tracking of Asian Americans in the United States) [2], can remind us of the importance of being inclusive of Asian Americans in educational materials. While they gather information in different ways, both studies reveal insight information about perceptions of and knowledge about Asian Americans and how Asian Americans identify themselves.

The Pew Research Center project conducted focus groups with people of Asian heritage to learn about their experiences, while the STATUS Index used surveys to gather perceptions and knowledge of Asian Americans from Americans who are Asian, White, Black, and Latino. Responses from the STATUS Index seem to support this notion of “model minority” [3] with common descriptions of Asian Americans as “kind/ nice/ thoughtful/ friendly/amicable,” “hard-working,” “intelligent/ smart,” and “entitled/ privileged."

Perceptions of and Knowledge about Asian Americans

Pew study participants remarked on the disconnect between their self-perception and those of other people who are non-Asian and Asian, such as Asian Americans perceived as a monolith or having a certain look. Some also remarked on the harms of the “model minority” stereotype often attributed to Asian Americans and remarked on how their experiences contrasted this myth. This includes growing up impoverished or not fulfilling teacher’s expectations of their math and science performance.

Participants also stated Asian Americans may be treated as “forever foreigners” and outsiders based on their physical appearance, even if they were born in America or resided in the country for a long period of time. This seemed to complement responses from the survey. Of all the racial and ethnic groups surveyed, Asian Americans were the least likely to feel belonging and acceptance in the U.S. with the 18 - 24 year age group being the lowest at 27 percent.[4] In addition, people’s perceptions and misunderstandings of Asian Americans can develop into contentious encounters and maltreatment towards them or their families, such as physical attacks and verbal abuse.

Identifying themselves

Pew participants noted the complexity of defining their identities. For example, while some identified as “Asian” due to a lack of ethnic choices on forms asking for demographic information, others explained they preferred this term because of people’s unfamiliarity with a country or geographic location. Many described how “Asian” is too broad and doesn’t reflect their identities, and would rather be identified by the region or ethnic group of their heritage. They also remarked on how different aspects of their identity were important as well, such as faith, gender, language, and sexual orientation. Additionally, some focus group participants discussed the importance of blending their family heritage with American culture.

To counter limited knowledge and lack of understanding of Asian Americans, recommended approaches include shifting narratives in media that portray multidimensional and accurate Asian American characters and depict acceptance and belonging of Asian Americans. They also mentioned incorporating the histories and different experiences of Asian Americans in education. Additionally the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders noted that promoting “the culture, rich heritage, diversity, and contributions of AA and NHPI communities will help dispel bias, prejudice, and hate.” However, the STATUS Index stated that 42 percent of respondents could not identify specific events or policies related to Asian American history and people and more than half could not name a prominent Asian American.

Keeping experiences and responses from these studies in mind are useful when reflecting on representation within educational materials. More specifically, we can inquire if educational materials challenge limited knowledge and understanding of Asian Americans or help perpetuate these notions. This understanding can offer guidance for locating materials.

Asian Americans in Educational Materials [5]

New America’s research report on social group representation in U.S. educational materials complement the research about Asian Americans discussed in the Pew and STATUS findings. Several studies referenced in the research report revealed a lack of presence and limited portrayals of Asian descent characters. Analyses of children’s books and classroom reading materials found that Asian heritage made up almost 10 percent of the main characters or the primary race/ethnicity of the books. Asian heritages are most commonly associated with East Asian countries, with little references to South Asian and Southeast Asian heritage, or blended together.

Studies also found characters of Asian descent may perpetuate the “model minority” stereotype and the “foreigner” image, though there are more narratives with positive and culturally authentic and nuanced characters and contexts. Materials that present American history often decontextualized, or inaccurately, incompletely, or completely omit policies and events that impacted Asian Americans, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, participation in the labor and Civil Rights Movement, and involvement in World War II.

Even though there are problematic portrayals, there are some texts that refer to the contributions of Asian Americans to society and present texts from an Asian American perspective. There are also instances of authenticity in storylines and characters, such as depicting family dynamics when preparing a specific dish or characters portraying a variety of hairstyles reflective of real life. Characters depict the diverse physical traits of Asian Americans, which include eye shape, hair, body shape, and clothing.

The research report on educational materials demonstrates a lack of diverse roles and traits and acknowledgment of different cultural and ethnic groups within the Asian American community.

Findings from the research report as well as the Pew and STATUS studies remind us that if we are not consistently intentional about selecting educational materials, we can perpetuate people’s limited portrayals of and knowledge about Asian Amerians and harmful ideas of who belongs in the U.S. Therefore, developing multiple strategies to gather and use accurate and authentic content about and by Asian Americans are essential.

Recognizing Asian Americans Throughout the Year

Celebrating Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander heritage month and festivals can be helpful in learning more about the community and identifying questions to explore. At the same time, we need to integrate Asian American people, stories, and history into different content areas, like science, art, and history, and other celebrations that recognize American people, like Veteran’s Day and Pride. Some ways to do this are:

• Curate materials that present a fuller depiction and contributions of Asian Americans and integrate them in educational experiences. Such materials could be about the Delano Manongs & grape boycott, Asian Americans’ participation in the military, horticulturist Dr. Roy Nakayama, and activists Grace Lee Boggs.
• Review the history of Asians in the United States using CUNY’s Asian American Timeline, Ancestors of America Timeline and Overview, and the Filipino American National Historical Society website. These materials include information about the first recorded arrival in the 1500s, settlements in the 1700s, and how trading and relations with China supported the growth of the United States.
• Learn the perspectives and creative expressions of Asian Americans by checking out online exhibitions and resources from the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and reviewing Cambodian American stories, segments from the series Asian American Life, and LGBTQ narratives from the Asian Pride Project.
• Take time throughout the year to explore, discuss, and share knowledge about the variety of traditions, countries, and culture within the Asian American community with peers, children, or youth. Consider topics like the American records of people of Chinese and Japanese heritage, materials from the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA), and research guides on historical and contemporary experiences.
• Add more materials by Asian American authors and scholars to your library, such as those by Helen Zia, Ronald Takaki, Erika Lee, and children’s book writers. Learn more about Asian Americans involved in public service, like Sen. Hiram Leong Fong and Reps. Dalip Singh Saund, Patsy Mink, and Pramila Jayapal.

Footnotes

1. The Pew Research Center conducted 66 focus groups with 264 people of Asian descent in the U.S. The participants recruited were of 18 Asian origin groups. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and translated. The data coded by topic, such as racial or ethnic identity, experiences growing up in America for people born in the U.S., and early experiences after coming to the U.S. for those who immigrated. To learn more about the methodology, see By Neil G. Ruiz, Sunny Shao and Sono Shah’s “Methodology”, Pew Research Center, Aug. 2, 2022, https://www.pewresearch.org/race-ethnicity/2022/08/02/what-it-means-to-be-asian-in-america-methodology/
2. In partnership with its Academic Advisory Committee, LAUNCH gathered data using an online survey from 5,113 responses from a sample size representative of the U.S. population.
3. According to the Pew Research Center, “The label ‘model minority’ was coined in the 1960s and has been used to characterize Asian Americans as financially and educationally successful and hardworking when compared with other groups.
4. In the responses to feelings of belonging and acceptance in the U.S. society, the percentage of age groups who responded in the affirmative are as follows: 18 - 24 years 19 percent, 25-34 years 27 percent, 35-44 year 31 percent, 45-54 years 31 percent, 55-64 years 38 percent, and 65 years and more 51 percent.
5. Refer to The Representation of Social Groups in U.S. Education Materials and Why it Matters, published recently as a brief and research overview for citations.

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