Asians are arguably one of the most misunderstood groups in higher education. Even categorizing “Asian” students can be quite confusing. For example, should data be disaggregated by different Asian subgroups?

The confusion over the seemingly simple task of reporting the proportional representation for this group extends beyond just considering students, but also concerns the reporting of faculty, staff and administrators. How institutions choose to categorize this population has serious implications associated with access to educational and professional opportunities. A major problem is that those choices are often based on deeply rooted racial stereotypes instead of hard facts.

Fortunately, significant progress has been made in recent years toward improving understanding of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In 2007, Congress passed a provision to create an AAPI Higher Education Serving Institution designation as part of the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. This also provides funding for some institutions to address the educational challenges facing many AAPI communities. Additionally, the University of California (UC) system established the University of California Asian American and Pacific Islander Policy Multi- Campus Research Program in 2007. This collaborative develops a network of faculty researchers who are committed to supporting and conducting applied research relevant to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. These and other efforts in the last decade concerning Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders contribute significantly to a richer and more accurate understanding of this fast-growing college population.

Still, those efforts must contend with at least two formidable and unwavering trends. One is what I call the myth of “Asian invasion” and the other is “Asian evasion.”

The myth of Asian invasion concerns the widespread belief that Asians have “overtaken” or “invaded” colleges and universities. While there has certainly been tremendous growth in the enrollment of AAPI students, a 2008 College Board report, “Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Facts, Not Fiction: Setting the Record Straight,” claims that No. 1 their increasing presence parallels similar increases experienced by other student populations (e.g., African-American & Hispanics); No. 2 the AAPI student population is concentrated in a small percentage of institutions, giving a false impression of high overall enrollment.