Abstract
Recent studies by Jennifer Lee and Min Zhou claim that “hyper-selectivity” is the primary causal factor accounting for the high average educational attainment of second-generation Asian Americans. We critically assess hyper-selectivity, which has not been carefully evaluated in prior research. We argue that hyper-selectivity is inadequately conceptualized and is not clearly supported by data on immigration or income mobility. Hyper-selectivity ignores accumulated facts about Asian American family processes relating to cultural factors and educational attainment. Rather than being a class phenomenon, Asian cultural factors have important effects for most second-generation Asian Americans regardless of the socioeconomic status of their parents. Overemphasizing hyper-selectivity inadequately acknowledges the cultural heritage of Asian Americans and ignores the agency of immigrant Asian American families.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3-21 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Chinese Journal of Sociology |
Volume | 7 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2021 |
Scopus Subject Areas
- General Social Sciences
User-Defined Keywords
- Asian Americans
- educational attainment
- immigration
- racial inequality
- second generation
- selective migration