ASA 2 A03
Blog 3
"Complicating the Image of Model Minority Success: A Review of Southeast Asian American Education" by Ngo and Lee
This paper presents research on Vietnamese Americans, Lao Americans, and Cambodian Americans. Ngo and Lee examine the strengths and weaknesses of these Southeast Asian communities in their children's education. The research presented for their strengths and weaknesses often contradicted each other; there is research that declares that Vietnamese students have family conversations about school and yet there is also research claiming they lack family support.
This difference means there is disparity within ethnic groups and not just within the APIr category. The need for disaggregated data is even more crucial. A danger that can result from that ignorance is that people in relative positions of power will operate on Southeast Asian stereotypes.
Recently, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed Assembly Bill AB-176, which calls for California to have "AAPI demographic data requiring at least the inclusion of categories for Bangladeshi, Hmong, Indonesian...". His reasoning falls short: apparently it will not yield "greater wisdom about what actions should follow". He claims focusing on ethnic identity is not enough. I believe the state does not want to discuss race because that means discussing power. To be discussing power between the state and the people means that we examine and interrogate more closely the unequal power structures that Ngo and Lee urge us to look at.
My question is: Why do you think the governor thinks that "focusing on ethnic identity is not enough"?
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