Chloe Ma L&S Social Sciences
Undocumented Asian American Experiences in Higher Education
The term “model minority” became increasingly relevant as the number of Asian Americans rapidly grew in prestigious higher education institutions like UC Berkeley; Many people associate model minority stereotypes – hard working, STEM oriented, intelligent – with Asian American students, and this phenomenon further reinforces this bias.
Many scholars are dedicated to demystify and separate the model minority stereotypes with Asian American communities by demonstrating the diversity within the community and rejecting its hegemonic appearance, and one of the approaches is to examine their experiences in higher education institutions.
As scholars have studied socioeconomic factors such as income, class, and level of education, immigrant status has been overlooked both higher education and the larger context given stereotypes. What is it like to be perceived as a “model minority” and undocumented? How do undocumented Asian American students perceive and process the model minority stereotypes? What does it mean to be Asian American to them? By answering questions, scholars can obtain a deeper insight on the Asian American community and advocate for further social and policy changes.
Message To Sponsor
Dear Shin, Thank you so much for your generous donation to fund my research project. I've learned a lot this summer through the SURF program and I have a clearer vision to continue my research into the academic year through my honor's thesis. Through this experience, I also learned more about what it is like to conduct full time research and started to planning for my journey to graduate schools. I really appreciate this amazing opportunity and experience because it helped me understand more about my positionality in this society. Thank you again for the generous funds! Best regards, Chloe