ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the cultural, gender, socioeconomic, familial, and language characteristics of Asian American children and adolescents. It explains the "model minority" stereotype and its effects on Asian American children and adolescents. The chapter also describes Asian American learners and their development, achievement levels, language problems, and learning styles. It also offers several concrete suggestions for improving Asian American learners' self-esteem and cultural identities. The four major groups of Asian Americans include East Asian, such as Chinese, Japanese, and Korean; Pacific Islander; Southeast Asian, such as Thai and Vietnamese; and South Asian, such as Indian and Pakistani. The term Asian American is commonly used today, it did not exist before the mid-1960s. Socioeconomic diversity divides Asian Americans along class lines. Asian Americans' socioeconomic status as a group shows both the financial success of some and the dismal level of accomplishments of others. Asian American parents seem to structure their children's lives for academic success more than Caucasian parents do.
