Part one of this series reviewed what five decades of research does and does not tell us about the model minority stereotype (MMS). We learned that Asian Americans were intentionally selected to be model minorities and that the positive stereotype of Asian Americans is not positive since it masks the mental health and social difficulties this heterogeneous population experience.
This final installment shares five policy recommendations that professors, administrators, policy makers, and student service providers may find useful in their fields of influence: (1) disaggregating data, (2) counterstory telling, (3) developing datasets, (4) conducting interdisciplinary research, and (5) critiquing fellow Asian Americans who reify the MMS.
1. Discontinue the Racial and Ethnic Homogenization of Asian Americans (Disaggregating Data)
Since Asians are often lumped together, it becomes difficult for higher education to differentiate its student population or understand its needs. For administrators and admission committees, a pragmatic policy solution to this homogenization is to disaggregate student enrollment figures in order to determine what ethnic and racial groups are enrolled. By harnessing disaggregation practices with equity initiatives, colleges and universities have the opportunity to be more inclusive and multicultural. New York University Associate Professor of Higher Education Robert Teranishi comments, “There are a number of stubborn and persistent stereotypes that guide the treatment of Asian American Pacific Islander students in higher education. Research and disaggregating data play a key role in overcoming these stereotypes in order to raise awareness about the population and their unique needs.”
