Three areas of concern relative to Tongan Americans' acculturation to the United States are the focus of this paper. First, Tongan Americans believe that a high school education is sufficient. Although Tongan families come to the United States in the name of education, once they are here their objectives change. Seeing that high school graduates…

Six symposium papers are included in this document. The first paper, by Henry Chang, is a brief profile of Asian/Pacific American (APA) librarians, emphasizing the need for more data on this group and the need for the group to become more assertive of their rights to equal opportunity in the field. The second paper, by Jane Katayama, addresses…

Discusses the current social reality for Asian and Pacific Islanders, a rapidly increasing minority group in the United States, as background information to assess the validity of claims that they no longer qualify as an underrepresented or disadvantaged group. Urges reassessment of societal and professional views to establish a less stereotypical…

Conducting educational research is a complex endeavor, even within familiar contexts. Researchers conducting studies in the Pacific region face such challenges such as multiple languages and time zones, frequent shifts in political power, social interactions based on traditional extended family connections, great distances, and cultural factors…

Examines the concept of Asian Pacific pan-ethnicity in light of the growing numbers and diversity of this population in the 1990s. While revised immigration laws, new immigrant groups, and continued hostility have brought new challenges, it is argued that Asian Pacific Americans can provide important leadership for the transformation of the United…

The concept of cultural pluralism and how it is being applied to education, particularly in terms of its implications for Asian/Pacific Americans, is addressed in this paper. First, historical background to the emergence of cultural pluralism as a concept in education (and its institutionalization as multicultural education) is briefly reviewed.…

Papers presented at a 1976 conference on Asian-Pacific American women are collected in this report. Most are directed towards the purpose of the conference, which was to produce an agenda for research that will shape policy on Asian-Pacific American womens' educational and occupational needs. In addition to 14 papers, the report includes a general…

Misconceptions about Asian and Pacific American students are common. The educational status of all minorities will be more comprehensibly assessed by investigating characteristic academic and social needs and problems and giving greater attention to social and personal development, adjustment processes, educational trade-offs, and long-term career…

This paper results from a research project that investigated the problem of inter-ethnic relations between Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, as they are bound together under the label, "Asian/Pacific Americans" (APA). A basic thesis is that by identifying these two groups with one label, significant cultural and socioeconomic differences are…

This excerpt from a presentation at the National Council for Children and Television seminar describes the Asian and Pacific American community's make-up; examines stereotypes related to immigration recency, language, educational attainment, economic status, and personality traits; and discusses some tragedies in this community that might make…

Principals in the Pacific region face a variety of challenges that may be different from those in other regions. In October 2000, principals of Pacific schools were invited to attend a regional summit to address questions on instructional leadership. Participants listed characteristics they felt were important in a Pacific school instructional…

Issues facing higher education around the Pacific Rim are considered in 12 conference papers. Titles and authors include the following: "Developing Linkages around the Pacific Rim" (Stephen Foster); "A Cooperative Approach to Professional Development: The Canadian Connection" (Peter Murphy); "Using Film in Teaching…

Analyzes the status of Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) in higher education compared to their representation in chief executive positions, describing a glass ceiling effect and common stereotypes regarding APAs. Reviews characteristics of chief executive officers in California community colleges. Provides strategies for increasing APA representation…

Ethnographic assessment is recommended in the language evaluation of Asian-Pacific American students. Procedures are outlined for collecting data representative of the student's repertoire; for determining how cultural, linguistic, and experiential factors affect student behavior; and for taking the perspective of the student as well as that of…

Proposition 209 is a statewide constitutional amendment initiative in California, which, if passed in November 1996, will eliminate all statewide affirmative action programs. It is argued that, contrary to its title, this amendment is an extreme and unnecessary measure that will actually undermine further advances in civil rights. There are…