The Education of White, Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese Students: A Look at “High School and Beyond”

A frequent topic of scholarly interest and discussion in the field of education has been the extraordinary educational attainment of the Asian population in the United States. The “High School and Beyond” data set was used to examine in greater depth the educational characteristics of the Asian high school senior student population. Differences among white, Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese students in social and demographic characteristics, academic characteristics, extracurricular activities, and sociopsychological characteristics (i.e., educational perceptions, aspirations, expectations, and influences) were analyzed. Asian students had equivalent or higher educational achievements or were rated more favorably than white students on almost every measure. Regression analyses suggest that father's plans for the child after high school, high school grades, the number of hours spent on homework, mother's plans for the child after high school, and socioeconomic status had a significant impact on the educational expectations of Asian and white students. Unresolved issues in the education of Asians in the United States are discussed.