ERIC ED416273: An Invisible Crisis. The Educational Needs of Asian Pacific American Youth.

54 Pages·1997·1.2 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 416 273
UD 032 136
Olsen, Laurie
AUTHOR
An Invisible Crisis. The Educational Needs of Asian Pacific
TITLE
American Youth.
Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, New York,
INSTITUTION
NY.
1997-00-00
PUB DATE
NOTE
53p.
Reports Evaluative (142)
PUB TYPE
EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage.
*Asian Americans; Cultural Awareness; Cultural Differences;
DESCRIPTORS
Curriculum Development; *Disadvantaged Youth; Elementary
Secondary Education; Ethnic Groups; *Immigrants; *Language
Minorities; Multicultural Education; *Pacific Americans;
Poverty; Racial Discrimination; Refugees
*Model Minority Thesis
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
An urgent educational crisis threatens the futures of a
growing number of Asian Pacific American students, both immigrant and
American-born. This crisis is largely invisible to most Americans, even to
many in the teaching profession, because many see all Asian Pacific American
students as members of a model minority destined to excel. This image is a
destructive myth for the many Asian Pacific American children the schools are
failing. The number of Asian Pacific American students is large and growing
rapidly, and the context for educating these students effectively is
changing. While immigrants who came to this country after 1965 were
well-educated and well-off, more recent groups of Asian Pacific Americans are
poor and poorly educated. The schools' task is complicated by historic
problems of poverty and racial discrimination. Language and literacy issues
are foremost in the problems of these students. In addition, most schools do
not have curricula appropriate to educate multilingual and multicultural
student populations. Support for families and youth development is
inadequate. Community groups and foundations can offer much-needed support to
school's efforts to help this underserved population. Recommendations for
foundation help to Asian Pacific American students center on:
(1)
community/school/family partnerships; (2) institutional change and
(4) language development research
accountability; (3) curriculum development;
and programs; and (5) teacher recruitment and training. Appendixes lists 19
resource organizations for program information and 13 other resource
organizationS. (Contains 4 tables, 2 graphs, and 61 references.)
(SLD)
********************************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
********************************************************************************
U:0
0
AN
VISIBLE CRISIS
ttf
411
The
Educational
Needs of
Asian
Pacific
American
Youth
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
°Mice of Educational Research end Improvement
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
BEEN GRANTED BY
XTros document has been reproduced ea
received from the person or organization
F)1
Mot:jot-16
originating d
0 Minor changes have been made to imprOve
AA PLP
reproduction Quality.
Points of new
oPnien$ stated ", th.$ dOcu*
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
ment do not necesseniy represent Official
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
OERI position or policy.
ASIAN AMERICANS!
IN PHILANTHROPY
O4f4,C-1S1.-ANIci
I.
LITE
BEST COPY AVM
2
Li\dmicmiDecignierfAs
Vale pcodgira@upy aluZiago of this report is Laurie Olsen, co-director, California Tomorrow. The
report drew upon the research of Kenji Ima, Professor, San Diego State University, and Hanh Cao
Yu, Social Scientist, Social Policy Research Associates.
The report was guided by the dedication
O Brian Malloy, Minneapolis Foundation
and insights of the AAPIP education committee
6 Craig Mc Garvey, James Irvine Foundation
chaired by Dianne Yamashiro-Omi, formerly
Don Nakanishi, University of California, Los
t
with the Gap Foundation, composed of:
Angeles
AAPIP; David Fukuzawa,
Marjorie
Fujiki,
Lallie O'Brien, Pew Charitable Trusts
Song, Joyce
Foundation;
Skillman
Unmi
O Michael Omi, University of California,
Foundation; Ruby Takanishi, Foundation for
Berkeley
Child Development; and Sylvia Yee, Evelyn &
Wendy Puriefoy, Public Education Network
t
Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.
O Jane Quinn, DeWitt-Wallace Reader's Digest
The report was skillfully edited and brought
Fund
together by Lynne Constantine and Suzanne
Scott of Community Scribes. Julie Wong pro-
O Sophie Sa, Panasonic Foundation, Inc.
vided swift proofreading skills.
0 Donna Sherlock, St. Paul Foundation*
AAPIP would also like to thank the follow-
t- Ralph Smith, Annie E. Casey Foundation
ing individuals for sharing of their time and
O Tani Takagi, formerly with the Ms.
expertise during the various stages of develop-
Foundation
ment of this report (*affiliations are indicated at
O Lance Tsang, ARC Associates
the time of the individual's involvement with
0 Ellen Walker, Zellerbach Family Fund
our report):
O Debbie Wei, School District of Philadelphia
O Amy Agbayani, Hawaii Community
O Patricia White, New York Community Trust,
Foundation
Association of Black Foundation Executives
0 Joe Aguerreberre, Ford Foundation
0 Katherine Kam, Beth Bernstein, Mamie
O Cynthia Boynton, McKnight Foundation
Chow-Wang and other staff of California
Eleanor Clement Glass, San Francisco
O
Tomorrow.
Foundation
1(0 Lucia Corral, consultant*
This report was designed by Elaine Joe.
O Henry Der, California Department of
Many of the photographs were provided cour-
Education
tesy of California Tomorrow, Asian Pacific
O Christine Green, Boston Foundation
Environmental Network, and Oakland Asian
Cultural Center.
O Kenji Hakuta, Stanford University
We would like to thank the Pacific Telesis
O Bill Ong Hing, Stanford University*
Group for its support towards the printing of
O Peter Kiang, University of Massachusetts,
this report, and general support from: The Ford
Boston
Gerbode
Foundation,
Alexander
Wallace
O Jane Kretzman, Bush Foundation
Foundation, Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund,
Nancy Latimer, McKnight Foundation
Edward W. Hazen Foundation, James Irvine
tUi
O Stacey Lee, University of Wisconsin,
Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, John D.
Madison
& Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Charles
O Joe Lucero, AAPIP
Stewart Mott Foundation, Pacific Telesis Group,
Foundation,
Packard
David
Lucile
O Antonio Maciel, Emma Lazarus Fund,
&
Rockefeller Foundation and San Francisco
Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants
and Refugees
Foundation.
CRISIS:
AN IiIMW:2111B'ai
The Educational Needs of
Asian Pacific American Youth
0
0
ASIAN AMERICANS/PACIFIC ISLANDERS IN PHILANTHROPY
1997
4
Uzlhae cy0 Contents
Executive Summary
al
7
Introduction: From Model Minority to Children in Crisis
The Changing Context of Effective Education for Asian Pacific Americans:
0 0
Demographic Trends
Population Trends
0 0
Income and Poverty Status
0 0
Immigration Trends
0 33
Obstacles to Effective Education for Asian Pacific American Children
0 6
Language and Literacy
20
School and Curriculum
2S
Support for Families and for Youth Development
The Challenge for Philanthropy: Recommendations and Conclusion
3 0
Recommendations
33 2
Conclusion
33
Appendix I: Resources for Program Information
339
Appendix II: Resource Organizations
433
Endnotes
414
Bibliography
416
AAPIP
PAGE 3
EmamatOwe Saammact7
Pacific
n urgent educational crisis threatens the futures of a growing number of Asian
American students, both immigrant and American-born. Although schools should be
a nurturing, learning environment for all children, most schools are ill-equipped to
with
cope with the language needs of children who speak an Asian language at home and
racial, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity in the classroom.
to most
which they immigrated, their social, eco-
This crisis
invisible
largely
is
nomic and educational status before and
Americansmost significantly, even to many
after immigration, and the American com-
in the teaching professionsbecause most
munities in which they find themselves.
see all Asian Pacific American students as
members of a "model minority" destined to
The context for effectively educating
excel. But for many Asian Pacific American
Asian Pacific American students is
students, this image is a destructive myth. As
changing. Although many among the first
these children
them,
schools
their
fail
groups of Asian Pacific immigrants who
become increasingly likely to graduate with
the
restrictive
after
came
to
U.S.
rudimentary language skills, to drop out of
immigration laws were changed in 1965
school, to join gangs, or to find themselves in
were well-educated and well-off, more
low-paying occupations and on the margins
recent groups of Asian Pacific immigrants
of American life.
often are poor and poorly educated. Most
of the new immigrant parents may not be
The number of Asian Pacific American
aware of, or accustomed to, their role as
students is largeand growing rapidly.
the
within
advocate
their children's
The Asian Pacific American population
American school system. Estimates are that
doubled between 1980 and 1990, and the
by the year 2000, 75 percent of Asian
number of Asian Pacific American school-
Pacific American school-age children will
age children grew sixfoldfrom 212,900
be foreign-born or the children of recent
to almost 1.3 millionbetween 1960 and
immigrants.
1990. By the year 2020, it is estimated that
there will be 4.4 million Asian Pacific
1(G The schools' task is complicated by
American children between the ages of 5
historic problems of poverty and
and 17. These children come from very
racial discrimination. Overall, 14 per-
diverse backgrounds: the Asian Pacific
cent of Asian Pacific Americans live below
American population includes members of
the poverty line, compared with 13 per-
34 ethnic groups who speak more than
cent of the U.S. population. Although
300 languages and dialects. Even within
place Asian Pacific
statistics
aggregate
individuals and families
differ
groups,
Americans at the top of the family income
greatly based on the conditions from
data are misleading unless the
charts,
6
AN INVISIBLE CRISIS
PAGE 4
number of wage earners per family, the
4 The diversity of Asian Pacific Americans
average per capita earnings, and the
complicates language instruction and bilin-
poverty level within a community are
gual education, particularly when schools
taken into account. Poverty levels are dis-
have small numbers of students who
proportionately high among Asian Pacific
speak a range of Asian Pacific languages.
Americans
Southeast
from
Asia.
4 Highly motivated children may excel in
Additionally, Asian Pacific Americans are
math and sciencesubjects that require
discriminated against on the basis of race
less sophisticated language skillswhile
and immigrant status, and are frequent tar-
their lack of proficiency in reading, writ-
gets of bias-motivated violence.
ing, and speaking skills is neglected.
Despite the increased presence and grow-
4 Asian Pacific American students often are
ing needs of Asian Pacific Americans in the
Learning disabilities
misclassified.
often
classroom, school districts, teachers, and par-
are attributed to the student's limited pro-
ent-teacher associations have not yet begun
ficiency in English, and children with no
to match needs with resources for these chil-
learning problems except language-relat-
dren. The most significant barriers facing
ed ones may find themselves in special
Asian Pacific American students are in three
education classes.
areas: language and literacy, school and cur-
riculum, and support for families and for
4 There is little support for children's main-
their home lan-
youth development.
taining proficiency
in
guage, although research suggests that
strong literacy in the home language pro-
Langazage and Literacy
motes literacy in a second language.
4 Bilingual education resources for Asian
Pacific Americans who need them are
School] and Caarrticuknon
largely unavailable.
4 Most schools do not have curricula appro-
There has been little research into the spe-
(
priate to educating multicultural, multilin-
cific language development challenges of
gual student populations. Few schools
children whose home language
an
is
offer students opportunities for serious
Asian language.
AAPIP
PAGE 5
Such obstacles can only be overcome
study of multigenerational Asian Pacific
through initiatives that understand education
hold
they
Inter-
Instead,
Americans.
as a process that does not stop at the school-
national Days that are intended to honor
house door. AAPIP believes that strengthen-
students' home cultures but that may rein-
ing families and fostering community leader-
force stereotypes.
facets to ensure healthy
ship are
critical
a major shortfall of bilingual,
4 There is
youth. Community
development for
all
bicultural Asian Pacific American teachers.
groups can serve as culturally competent,
Even fewer Asian Pacific Americans are
bilingual resources to help Asian Pacific
school administrators and counselors.
youth bridge home and school cultures and
4 Teachers, administrators, and counselors
become the well-educated, bicultural, bilin-
leaders needed in
an increasingly
generally do not have training to under-
gual
diverse nation. Such community groups can
stand Asian Pacific cultures and languages.
serve as resources for schools committed to
4 Even when teachers make efforts to teach
educational equity. In addition, they can
about Asian Pacific cultures, they have dif-
hold schools accountable for meeting the
locating appropriate teaching
ficulties
needs of Asian Pacific American students and
materials to support the curriculum.
their families and for their progress (or lack
4 School personnel do not understand how
of progress) toward the goal of equal educa-
integrate the teaching and learning
to
tional access for all children.
strategies of the child's home culture.
4 Schools have not yet developed adequate
IReconnmendatOons
institutional responses to issues of race
foundations
that
AAPIP recommends
and racial violence, class, and gender, all of
the needs of Asian
respond to
Pacific
which deeply affect Asian Pacific students.
American students by funding initiatives in
five areas:
$aapport Vag° Famines and gar
1. Community/school/family partnerships,
Vogath DeveDoponent
2. Institutional change and accountability,
t Asian Pacific children struggle to balance
bicultural identities, maintaining their ties to
3. Curriculum development,
traditional family and cultural values while
4. Language development research and pro-
learning the ways of American culture.
grams, and
4 Many Asian Pacific children struggle with
5. Teacher recruitment and training.
family problemssome resulting from
conditions in their home countries, others
AAPIP views efforts in the area of com-
from the violence and poverty common in
munity/school/family partnerships as funda-
neighborhoods where many Asian Pacific
mental to the success of the other recom-
Americans livethat teachers and coun-
mendations. Such efforts reduce barriers to
selors are unaware of or oblivious to.
educational equity and create an enriched
4 Schools rarely have ties to Asian Pacific
learning environment for children by bring-
community organizations that can help
ing together the full complement of a com-
Meet students' and families' needs.
munity's resources for each child's benefit.
8
AN INVISIBLE CRISIS
PAGE 6
011111.`,
2f.1:
,
ry
I. COMMUNITY/SCHOOL/FAMILY
Pacific Americans, and of anti-racism curricu-
PARTNERSHIPS
la that supports direct and honest dialogue
Recognize and develop Asian Pacific
among students.
American community, parent, and youth
leadership, and support the development of
4. LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
RESEARCH AND PROGRAMS
community-based service organizations that
Support research, program development,
focus on providing extended opportunities
and evaluation in the area of language devel-
for youth and their families. Support efforts
opment for Asian Pacific Americans to better
to partner these resources with their local
inform schools and improve teaching strate-
schools.
gies. As an essential adjunct, more funding
2. INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE AND
should be directed to community-based
ACCOUNTABILITY
efforts focused on dual literacy and language
Encourage efforts that commit schools to
development.
make institutional responses to issues affect-
ing Asian Pacific American children's educa-
S.TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND
TRAINING
tional equityincluding language needs of
Fund recruitment and training of more
the limited English proficient, racism and
Asian Pacific American teachers, administra-
and gender
anti-immigrant
bias,
class,
tors, and counselors, with particular empha-
issuesand fund efforts that monitor school
sis on those with bilingual skills and knowl-
accountability for meeting the educational
edge of new and unrepresented Asian Pacific
needs of Asian Pacific American students.
American populations. Also, fund training for
3. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
non-Asian Pacific teachers to develop the
Promote research, development, and staff
knowledge and skills they require to under-
training in the use of multicultural curricula
stand and be responsive to Asian Pacific
that portray the history and culture of Asian
American students' needs.
.,
PAGE 7
AAP I P
ElritT©daagtOgIlin
FT0E1) MgasEl MongrOtv t 0 ChnOdogen on Cdr Ossos
n urgent educational crisis threatens the futures of a growing number of
Asian Pacific American students, both immigrant and American-born. These
Asian Pacific American students, like children of other ethnic and racial backgrounds,
look to their schools to help them learn to read, write, and think, to prepare them for high-
er education or for a good job, and to equip them to be happy, productive adults.
but they often don't find it.
All too often, however, their schools are ill-
Asian Pacific American students often are
equipped to cope with racial, cultural, and
placed in the wrong grade level, placed in
socioeconomic diversity in the classroom and
with the language needs of children who
the wrong bilingual classroom, or misplaced
speak a language other than English
in special education. Teachers do not have
at
the training and resources to deal with lan-
home. As their schools fail them, these chil-
guage and cultural differences in their class-
dren become increasingly likely to graduate
rooms. School administrators do not know
with rudimentary language skills, to drop out
how to reach non-English-speaking parents
of school, to join gangs, or to find themselves
who may not be aware of, or accustomed to,
in low-paying occupations and on the mar-
their role as their children's advocates within
gins of American life.
to most
the American school system.
largely invisible
crisis
This
is
Americanseven to many in the teaching
it hard to
professionsbecause they find
WG"Dv $11vOadd this tinvOstaDe
believe that Asian Pacific American students
crisis lye og pressOng concern
For nearly
decades,
three
at
are
risk.
to gmanclatton grantmakers?
American media have created a one-dimen-
sional image of Asian Pacific students as
The number of children potentially at
risk is largeand growing rapidly.
"model minority" students: quiet, hardwork-
ing, smart, self-sufficient, and high achiev-
The Asian Pacific American population
The myth
that
Pacific
Asian
all
ers.1
doubled between 1980 and 1990, and the
Americans are alike and that all will experi-
number of Asian Pacific American school-
ence the same success in school obscures the
age children grew sixfoldfrom 212,900
struggles of recent immigrants, of average or
to almost 1.3 millionbetween 1960 and
1990.2 Estimates are that, by the year
below-average students, of students from dis-
advantaged backgrounds or troubled fami-
will be 4.4
million Asian
2020, there
lies, and of students who have difficulty find-
Pacific American children between the
ing their place as bicultural Americans. These
ages of 5 and 17.3 In some school districts
students need help to succeed in school
Pacific
Asian
Northern
California,
in
0
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
1