Blog 8 | C. Nguyen (Section 1)

Casey Nguyen
Blog 8

"I am a man with a heart"

Stories like Thi's remind me of why it's important to continue advocating for more resources to assist Southeast Asian youth. His story raises an interesting catch-22 that many SEA community members are often victims of. As a Southeast Asian, you are simultaneously expected to succeed due to your association with the model minority myth, but you are also assumed to be a delinquent because many members your community often to turn to violence and drugs as an alternative to an education that doesn't serve them. Because of the model minority myth, SEA students are held to unrealistic standards set by a community with stories are vastly different than their own but are not given any assistance or extra support to get there. Southeast Asian youth are likely to more be at-risk than any other group of Asians. This can be tied to diasporic communities forming mostly in low-income areas and children seeking fulfillment in spaces where they feel validated for their identities (despite this resulting in students opting into gangs and violence). Public education systems need to do a better job of making learning environments more inclusive by integrating SEA histories and narratives into the curriculum. Many SEA students' families and ancestors have all shaped the America and their experiences deserve to be heard.

Q: What other factors affect the success of Southeast youth besides socioeconomic status?

UC Davis Southeast Asians Furthering Education Youth Conference aimed at outreaching to SEA students coming from underfunded school districts and living in impoverished communities.