Asian American Students in Higher Education by Samuel D. Museus (review)

Although there has been a great deal of research addressing race and ethnicity in higher education in recent years, much has focused on the Black-White dichotomy, with far less attention to Asian Americans. Sam Museus attempts to tackle this lacuna in his book, Asian American Students in Higher Education. As the first comprehensive overview of Asian Americans in postsecondary education, this text provides an intimate glimpse into the complexities of Asian American history, identity, collegiate experiences, and interracial relations.

This text is perhaps best suited as a reference for those working with college students, as well as those doing research on students of color. Museus identifies three main purposes for this text: (a) to encourage conversations about Asian Americans and their experiences; (b) to challenge the oversimplified model minority myth; and (c) to provide a foundation for researchers and practitioners to better understand the complexity of Asian American students’ needs. Through his integration of empirical research with perspectives from a variety of disciplines, Museus successfully addresses these goals.

The text is organized into seven chapters. In the first three, Museus provides theoretical, historical, and demographic information, which sets the context and maximizes the understanding and applicability of the remaining chapters. In chapter 1, which provides background on race relations in the US, Museus utilizes interdisciplinary perspectives to explain critical race theories. He introduces Asian Critical Theory (AsianCrit), which centers Asian Americans in discussions about race and racism and provides seven tenets: (a) Asianization; (b) transnational contexts; (c) (re)constructive history; (d) strategic (anti) essentialism; (e) intersectionality; (f) story, theory, and praxis and; (g) commitment to social justice. AsianCrit is used to frame the rest of the text, and the contribution of this critical view is one of the greatest strengths of Museus’s work.

Chapters 2 and 3 focus on Asian American history and demographic trends. Chapter 2 grounds readers in key terms, with a focus on the socially constructed nature of race and the historical roots of the development of the term “Asian American.” In chapter 3, Museus highlights the problematic nature of Asian American invisibility, particularly in relation to racial discussions and challenges. In these two chapters, Museus implores readers to develop a better grasp and understanding of a history and present reality that includes Asian American voices, acknowledging their status as a minority population that faces challenges, to promote equity and inclusion.

The remaining chapters address unique aspects of the Asian American college student experience and can be read separately, beginning with Asian American students’ identity exploration in college in chapter 4. Efforts are made to distinguish between immigrants and refugees and how these different identities, along with generational status and English language acquisition, can influence how students develop and perceive their identity. Chapter 5 offers readers a nuanced understanding of interracial interactions among Asian Americans, and Museus argues both the importance of campus diversity and highlights challenges Asian Americans face as they engage. Chapter 6 addresses the limitations of Astin’s (1984, 1999) student involvement theory and Tinto’s (1975, 1987, 1993) student integration theory as they relate to Asian Americans. These frames do not account for cultural differences, and Asian American students are expected to behave in the same manner as White students in a predominately White environment, despite their minority status. To address these limitations, Museus argues students’ cultures must be incorporated in student success models as well as in campus cultures. Accordingly, he introduces models of success that build on Astin’s and Tinto’s work. Of note is the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Model of Success, which fills in a critical gap in the literature by incorporating students’ cultural backgrounds into the formula for determining their potential level of success in college. Lastly, in chapter 7, Museus focuses on the need to conduct more empirical research on this population, particularly on the intersectionality of race and other social identities (e.g., sexuality, citizenship status, military). Additionally, chapter 7 pushes for...