*5.1. The Importance of Expanding the Race/Ethnicity Variable for People of Color*

In no uncertain terms, homogenized racial and ethnic categories do little to help understand cultural nuances between and among different races and ethnicities. A crucial example of the problematic nature of how the U.S. has gathered educational data related to race and ethnicity is the current situation facing Asian Americans. Within the racial fabric in the United States, Asian Americans find themselves in a peculiar position [35]. Beginning in the 1960s, Asian Americans, who were once viewed as a threat to White Americans regarding jobs and sheer numbers in specific regions, became the model minority due to their quiet demeanor, work ethic, and educational prowess [36]. However, inequitable data collection initiatives have grouped Asian Americans into an inauthentic homogenized group that does not allow for pointed, accurate data analysis and disaggregation by race or ethnicity.

To begin with, many Westernized data collection instruments do not gather race or ethnic data beyond homogenized categories, typically including White and/or Caucasian, Black and/or African American, Hispanic and/or Latinx, and Asian American. These categories are problematic, as researchers have articulated many equity gaps between racial and ethnic groups within these broader categories [37,38]. For instance, in Western contexts, especially the United States, the model minority myth portends that "Asian Americans achieve universal and unparalleled academic and occupational success" which "perpetuate ignorance and distorted perceptions of the realities that this population" faces [37] (p. 6).

Here, the way in which researchers and other stakeholders gather racial and ethnic data may perpetuate the model minority myth, especially as it relates to Asian American educational achievement data. For instance, the United States' National Center for Education Statistics recently published disaggregated statistics regarding Asian American postsecondary success, finding that 54% of Asian American adults aged 25 or older held a bachelor's degree or higher. However, when parsed by ethnic group, these achievement data reveal that 74% of Asian Indians aged 25 or older held a bachelor's degree or higher, while Cambodian (16%), Hmong (18%), Laotian (18%), Burmese (21%), and Vietnamese (29%) adults have different levels of education experience [39]. Here, researchers in developing countries must build survey instruments that allow for survey respondents of color to narrowly define their racial and/or ethnic group to best represent the population and allow policymakers to allocate resources equitably given educational access and success gaps.
