Why Asian Americans Excel at Academics - Pacific Standard: The Science of Society: The researchers find that “differences in immigration status” are the biggest factor, followed by “differences in cultural orientation.”
“Regardless of ethnicity,” they write, “immigrants are self-selected in terms of their motivation to succeed and their optimism for future success.”
“Given their marginal position as relative newcomers to the U.S. with few political and social resources, Asian Americans may see educational credentials as not only having symbolic value in terms of conferring social prestige, but as having great instrumental value as the surest way to attain upward mobility,” the researchers add.