Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/515703
Beyond the myth of the 'model minority' ASIAN AMERICANS: By Sherry Posnick-Goodwin An Vu says most people assume she is a whiz at math, just because she is Asian. But for her it's a challenge; she recently received a B in her class at CSU East Bay. "But I'm happy with that," smiles Vu, a student of Korean and Vietnamese heritage. As an educator, you know you can't judge a book by its cover, but do you make assumptions about your students based on their ethnicity? People take it for granted that Minh Ly is majoring in science or accounting at CSU East Bay, and are surprised to learn she's enrolled in the hospitality program. But crunching numbers or looking down test tubes has no appeal to Ly, who's a "people person" at heart — along with being Chinese and Vietnamese. Kevin Khau, a student at James Logan High School in Union City, says the expectation for him to excel at everything he does sometimes feels like a chain around his neck. "Just because you are Chinese, people expect you to do really well, but the chain keeps getting tighter and tighter." 9 V O L U M E 1 9 I S S U E 9 Feature