Different Voices, Different Strategies: Teaching and Learning for Asian Pacific American Students

Abstract

Over the past three decades, the proportion of Asian and Pacific Americans (APA) has increased faster than any other group in the United States. Yet, many educators know too little about this multidimensional group to provide the best possible teaching and learning experiences, especially in higher education. Aggregate data reports often perpetuate the "model minority" myth, but this article describes three important problems for the APA populationcommunication, refugee waves, and generational identity-that can have negative impact on specific APA ethnic groups and important implications for teaching and learning strategies. Educational practitioners might well consider alternate and more appropriate strategies, some of which are suggested here, to avoid neglecting some segments of this diverse group.