ABSTRACT
Asian Americans comprised approximately 20 million or 5% of the total United States population in 2018 and represent the fastest growing racial or ethnic group, with demographic projections indicating that they will be the largest immigrant group by 2055. While Asian Americans are comprised of diverse ethnic groups and self-identified heritages from more than 20 countries spanning Asia, they are often perceived as a homogeneous group in American schools and stereotyped as “model minorities.” Despite contrary evidence, particularly for certain sub-groups (e.g., children of refugees), these students are typically portrayed as successful in academics, overrepresented in gifted and talented programs, self-sufficient, and mentally healthy. These perceptions can negatively affect access and equity for gifted Asian Americans. In this chapter, we present strategies for identifying and serving Asian American students in gifted programs. We also consider the wide diversity of Asian American students and the human capital they may bring with them into their gifted and advanced academic classrooms. Finally, we examine issues fundamental to the fostering of a successful learning environment for this group of gifted and talented learners and offer our recommendations designed to address unique challenges relating to the instructional environment.
