A Case Study of AAPI and Their

Perceptions of AAPI Support

Services at AANAPISI
Presented by Mee Her & Kathy Moua
Meet the team

Kathy Moua Mee Her

 Table of contents

01 02 03
Introduction Importance & Purpose Research Question

04 05 06
Sample Terminology Lit Review

07 08 09
Methodology Implications Limitations
Introduction
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students at institutions of higher education have
traditionally been believed to be successful without intervention or support, yet research implies
that this is untrue.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs) were created in part to
battle these preconceived notions that AAPI students do not experience hardship that other
communities of color have in higher education.

This case study applies AAPI students’ narratives to investigate how effective AAPI-serving
support services at AANAPISIs are and whether these services combat the model minority
narrative.
Significance & Purpose
● AAPI students are highlighly misrepresented in educational research and
misunderstood in higher education
● The impact of the “model minority” myth has made AAPI student invisibile

Purpose of this case study is to understand how AAPI students are utilizing support
services at AANAPISI and how these services battle preconceived notions that create
resistance in support AAPI students.
 Research Questions

Research Question Secondary Questions

● Are students familiar with AANAPISIs?
Are AAPI-serving ● Do AAPI students perceive that
support services at AAPI-serving support services highlight
the AAPI student narrative?
AANAPISIs
● Do AAPI students perceive that these
effectively serving services are building resistance to and/ or
AAPI students? battling the model minority myth and its
effect?
 Key words

AAPI
Asian American and Pacific
Islander
Include a wide range of ethnic
groups: Chinese, Korea, Thai,
Cambodian, Hmong, Indian,
Hawaiian
AANAPISI
Asian American and Native American
Pacific Islander Serving Institutions
(AANAPISI) are defined under the Higher
Education Act as colleges or universities
with an undergraduate enrollment that
has at least 10% AAPI and at least 50% of
its total student population is receiving
financial assistance through programs
such as the Federal Pell Grant
Literature Review
1. AAPI students are highly misrepresented in educational research and
misunderstood in higher education (Museus and Kiang, 2009)
2. The term “Asian American” used in data is not inclusive
3. The model minority myth is a pervasive stereotype that denies the lived
experience of Asian Americans and other people of color, “often juxtaposing
notions of universal success against presumed failure of other racial minorities
(e.g., African Americans/Black, Indigenous peoples, Latina/o/x communities, and
Pacific Islanders)” (Kurland, n.d.)
a. By perpetuating this myth, the racist ideologies and practices are then
maintained, which harm the diverse AAPI communities and communities
of color by dismissing their triumphs and successes as expected
byproducts of their identity.
Literature Review
● To combat the aforementioned items, the AANAPISI designation was created in 2007
○ These specially designated institutions also receive federal funding to aid their AAPI
student population should they apply
○ This designation also, to some extent, makes sure that the institution recognizes the
population and supports the community through various methods
● Examples of support that AANAPISIs have implemented include institutionalizing supportive
programs, resources, and services (Alcantar et al., 2020)
○ AAPI living and learning communities.
○ Investment in centers of diversity, equity, and inclusion
○ Institutionalized positions such as the specialized AAPI Program Director position on
campus (Nguyen B.M.D., 2021)
 Research Design
Methodology:
● Qualitative single case study
● Semi-structured interview
● Purposeful and snowball sampling
● Zoom interview
Sample:
● 40 AAPI students from Central Valley
University
Instrument:
● Central Valley University (On-site
instrument)
● Online survey, phone calls, and paper survey
● Recording and transcription technology
(Smartphone and Zoom/Temi)
Data Collection and Analysis:
● Collected through interviews
● Recorded audio is transcribed
● Researchers took notes during the
interview
● Researchers highlighted and collected
quotes that address the research
questions, as well as compile common
themes that continue to appear.
● Common themes were analyzed with
Asian Crit theory and relevant literature
 Implications
Disaggregated
Data
Creates a sense of
AANAPISI belonging and breaks Pervasiveness of
down the narrative that
Designation AAPI are all the same Institutionalized
Racism against
Students aren’t aware of
the designation and AAPI Students
what it does for the There is still resistance
AAPI community, but to helping AAPI
they do know of services students: lack of
that help the AAPI dedicated AAPI services
community. and lack of AAPI spaces
Limitations
● While this sample size allows researchers to capture rich narratives, the
perspectives cannot not be transferred to other AANAPISIs
○ This method is only applicable to single case studies
● Sample size does not represent all the AAPI communities
○ Southeast Asians are the largest population at Central Valley University
● Our identities as a Hmong-American women researcher may affect the
participants willingness to cooperate
Thank you!
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