Week 2- Thuong Nguyen, A01

This week I read "Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety: Ethnic, Gender and Generational Differences in Asian American College Access and Choices," by OiYan Poon and Ajani Byrd. The article discusses the stereotypical view that Asian American college choices and decisions are heavily influenced by "Tiger Moms," described by an article from the American Psychological Association as "those who practice positive and negative parenting strategies simultaneously." The research study done to investigate this belief reveals that this is not the case. There are a complexity of factors that lead to a student's decision to attend a particular college or university-one of such is through the guidance of college counselors. I found this particularly true in my personal experience with college applications. Both of my parents found refuge in America during the Vietnam War; neither received higher education. Although I have been encouraged to attend and apply to university from a young age, the process to do so was unknown to both me and my parents. I relied heavily on my college counselors for guidance through this extensive process. They helped me research the information on each school, learn where to apply, and even proofread my personal statement. I can see how counselors can become such an important resource to first and second generation immigrant families. What surprised me about the research study described in the article however, is the lack of representation from Southeast Asian students. 80% of the students interviewed for the research study came from East Asian families such as China and Korea. This makes one wonder why this is the case.

Question: Of the 409 surveys completed, an overbearing 62.3% of surveys were completed by East Asian students. Why is there such a large difference in representation between Southeast Asian, Filipino, and South Asian students as compared to East Asian students? This trend continues as 80% of the students interviewed came from East Asian families. Is this simply because of the population of East Asian students that reside in America?

References:

Bacall, A. (2010). I read your college application essay. First of all, the word college has two l's.. Retrieved from http://nmcollegecounseling.com/images/cartoon.jpg

Kim, S. (2013). What is “tiger” parenting? How does it affect children?. Developmental Psychologist. Retrieved from http://www.apadivisions.org/division-7/publications/newsletters/developmental/2013/07/tiger-parenting.aspx

Poon, O., & Byrd, A. (2013). Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety: Ethnic, Gender and Generational Differences in Asian American College Access and Choices. School Of Education: Faculty Publication And Other Works, 23-30.