Is hyper-selectivity a root of Asian American children's success?

• Published in: Social science research 2023-07, Vol.113, p.102886-102886, Article 102886
• Main Authors: Kim, ChangHwan, Kim, Andrew Taeho
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Asian; Asian American; Child; Culture; Education; Educational Status; Emigrants and Immigrants; Ethnicity; Humans; Hyper-selectivity; Schools; Students
• ISSN: 0049-089X; 1096-0317
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2023.102886

Asian immigrants' children, even those from lower-backgrounds, tend to acquire higher levels of education than other ethnoracial groups, including White natives. Asian culture is often cited as a conventional explanation. The hyper-selectivity hypothesis challenges conventional wisdom by arguing that Asian American culture is an outcome of the community resources associated with hyper-selectivity. In this study, we assess the validity of the hyper-selectivity theory by examining the association between the magnitude of hyper-selectivity measured by the proportion of the BA + degree holders among the 1st generation Asian immigrants across communities and the likelihood of school enrollment for 1.5 and 2nd + generation Asian American children. Our results cast doubt on the hyper-selectivity theory. Asian American children's school enrollment is associated with the magnitude of educational selectivity among Asian immigrants for neither high school nor college. The benefits of hyper-selectivity do not seem to be cross-class or cross Asian ethnic groups. The higher the hyper-selectivity in a community is, the larger the education gap between upper- and lower-background Asian American children. The implications of these findings are discussed.