The Model Minority Myth: Examining the Role of Ethnicity, Socio-economic Status, and Gender on Attributions Made for the Low Academic Achievement of Asian American Students

This study examines the role of ethnicity, socio-economic status (SES), and gender on attributions made to academically poor performing students. Furthermore, this study focuses on the attributions made for Asian American students and how this relates to the detrimental effects of the Model Minority Myth. One hundred thirty-four undergraduates from Southern California participated in this study. The results indicate that parents of low SES children were seen as having a less severe emotional reaction to the child's problem than parents of middle SES children. Latinos were seen as having significantly more difficulty in school compared to Asian Americans. Additionally, lower SES Asian Americans and European Americans were seen as having more interpersonal problems than lower SES Chicano/Latinos. Implications of the data relevant to educators, researchers, and administrators are discussed.