The Role of Internalized Stereotyping, Parental Pressure, and Parental Support on Asian Americans' Choice of College Major

Abstract

The author explored the relationship between internalized stereotyping, parental pressure, and parental support on major choices among 315 Asian American undergraduate and graduate students. Results indicated that parental support, but not parental pressure, toward certain majors was associated with more stereotypical major choices. In addition, internalization of academic and career stereotypes was associated with more stereotypical major choices. El autor exploró la relación entre los estereotipos internalizados, la presión de los padres y el apoyo de los padres en la elección de estudios universitarios de 315 estudiantes de grado y posgrado asiático‐americanos. Los resultados indicaron que el apoyo de los padres, pero no la presión de los padres, hacia ciertas carreras está asociado con elecciones de estudios más estereotípicos. También, la internalización de estereotipos académicos y de carrera laboral está asociada con elecciones de estudios más estereotípicos.

What it means to fail : exploring how the model minority makes sense of academic struggles in college

“…Perspectives involving race that are relevant to Asian American college students include immigration patterns and legal treatment on a sociohistorical group level, and racial microaggressions and stereotypes on an individual level. The second section considers literature dealing with identity development for Asian American college students (Alvarez, 2002;Castillo, Zahn, & Cano, 2012;Castro & Rice, 2003;Dundes, Cho, & Kwak, 2009;Kawaguchi, 2003;Kim, 2001;Kim, Yang, Atkinson, Wolfe, & Hang, 2001;Lee & Zhou, 2014;Maramba & Velasquez, 2012;Museus, 2008;Museus, 2013;Museus, 2014;Okubo, Yeh, Lin, Fujita, & Shea, 2007;Saw, Berenbaum, & Okazaki, 2013;Shen, 2015;Sue & Okazaki, 1990;Wong, Brownson, & Schwing, 2011;Wong, Koo, Tran, Chiu, & Mok, 2011;Wong, Kim, Nguyen, Cheng, & Saw, 2014;Xie & Goyette, 2003). Central to this strand is the notion that Asian American culture is intimately linked with identity for Asian American college students and is exerted through parenting practices and evidenced in value adherence.…”

“…Parental influence over career choice. Parental pressure is also exacted during the process of choosing a college major and career path for Asian Americans (Dundes et al, 2009;Lee & Zhou, 2014;Okubo et al, 2007;Shen, 2015;Xie & Goyette, 2003). In research conducted by Dundes, Cho, and Kwak (2009), Asian American students placed greater priority on prestige than happiness when compared to White students when choosing a college and academic major.…”

“…In this case, the experience of an academic setback was selected as the focal topic. Given the pressures placed on Asian American students to be academically successful by their families and society Lee & Zhou, 2014, Li, 2005Shen, 2015), it is likely that for many students an academic setback would be a significant matter. It follows that participants should have valuable insights to share about their experiences, yielding a robust body of evidence to be analyzed.…”

“…Lastly, this study recruited participants that were pursuing careers in the health sciences at the time they experienced their academic difficulty. Several studies have discussed the tendency for Asian American parents to encourage their children to enter college majors that will lead to high paying, stable, and socially prestigious careers (Dundes, Cho, & Kwak, 2009;Lee & Zhou, 2014;Poon, 2014;Shen, 2015). Consequently, Asian American families often endorse careers in the health sciences whether or not their children display intrinsic talent or interest in the field.…”

“…Several studies have examined the conditions that contribute to selecting a college major for Asian American students (Dundes et al, 2009;Ma et al, 2014;Min & Jang, 2014;Museus, 2013;Okubo et al, 2007;Poon, 2014;Shen, 2015;Tseng, 2004;Xie & Goyette, 2013). These studies suggest that Asian Americans consider a different set of priorities than their non-Asian peers when deciding on a major.…”