{"id":{"repo_id":"gmu","oai_identifier":"oai:MARS:1920/14827"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/gmu/oai:MARS:1920/14827","repository":{"repo_id":"gmu","name":"George Mason University","base_url":"https://mars.gmu.edu/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"DATA DISAGGREGATION AND THE INADEQUACIES OF PAN-ETHNIC INFERENCES: A MIXED METHODS EXPLORATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCES IN HIGH SCHOOL","abstract":"Data from the U.S. Census shows vast variation between Southeast Asian Americans (SEAA) and other Asian Americans (AA) in attainment outcomes, such as high school graduation rates and higher education matriculation. Yet, little is known about whether these differences exist in academic performance in K-12 due to the lack of disaggregated data on AA by ethnic background. This dissertation examines attainment outcomes of SEAAs relative to other racial and AA ethnic groups in the U.S. The first strand of this mixed methods study analyzes two nationally representative longitudinal datasets from the National Center of Education Statistics that allows for disaggregated AA data: the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 and the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002. I employ descriptive statistics and regressions on disaggregated AA data to reveal if vast differences exist in math achievement and course GPA. I follow up with decomposition models that specifically explores if these differences are attributable to student characteristics, such as English learner or recent immigrant. The second strand of this mixed methods study shifts to an asset-based approach to center SEAA student experiences, input, and recommendations. This methodological combination of econometrics and focus group thematic analysis is unconventional to sequential-explanatory research, the topic of racial data disaggregation, and with this specific ethnic population. AsianCrit and racial formation theory frame my exploration of ethnic experiences obscured by large pan-ethnic averages and dominant stereotypes, such as the Asian model minority. This study found that disparities exist between SEAAs and AAs in academic achievement measures of math and course GPA. When aggregated, AAs performed higher on math and GPA than other races. However, disaggregated AA ethnicities reveal that Chinese students overwhelming outperform the other AA subgroups while SEAAs performed much lower. I did not find that specific covariates, such as English learner and immigrant generation, contributed to these differences. The main contributor to achievement differences across AA subgroups was socio-economic status (SES) where SEAAs had the lowest SES. The qualitative interviews and focus groups with 21 SEAA high school students revealed that the students related to the quantitative results. Students struggled with feeling visible in school, navigating their academic struggles silently and independently, and feeling immense pressure to succeed to make their parents proud and to increase economic mobility for their families. Students believe that being English learners, recent immigrants, and low-income may influence their high school academic results and postsecondary education potential. Further, students list intergenerational trauma from their parents leaving Southeast Asia, the lack of role models, and lack of parental engagement in school due to cultural barriers as major setbacks that felt especially unique to SEAAs. This is exacerbated by the model minority stereotype that Asians in general are doing well academically and economically, leaving SEAA youth to feel isolated and invisible.","abstract_html":"Data from the U.S. Census shows vast variation between Southeast Asian Americans (SEAA) and other Asian Americans (AA) in attainment outcomes, such as high school graduation rates and higher education matriculation. Yet, little is known about whether these differences exist in academic performance in K-12 due to the lack of disaggregated data on AA by ethnic background. This dissertation examines attainment outcomes of SEAAs relative to other racial and AA ethnic groups in the U.S. The first strand of this mixed methods study analyzes two nationally representative longitudinal datasets from the National Center of Education Statistics that allows for disaggregated AA data: the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 and the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002. I employ descriptive statistics and regressions on disaggregated AA data to reveal if vast differences exist in math achievement and course GPA. I follow up with decomposition models that specifically explores if these differences are attributable to student characteristics, such as English learner or recent immigrant. The second strand of this mixed methods study shifts to an asset-based approach to center SEAA student experiences, input, and recommendations. This methodological combination of econometrics and focus group thematic analysis is unconventional to sequential-explanatory research, the topic of racial data disaggregation, and with this specific ethnic population. AsianCrit and racial formation theory frame my exploration of ethnic experiences obscured by large pan-ethnic averages and dominant stereotypes, such as the Asian model minority. This study found that disparities exist between SEAAs and AAs in academic achievement measures of math and course GPA. When aggregated, AAs performed higher on math and GPA than other races. However, disaggregated AA ethnicities reveal that Chinese students overwhelming outperform the other AA subgroups while SEAAs performed much lower. I did not find that specific covariates, such as English learner and immigrant generation, contributed to these differences. The main contributor to achievement differences across AA subgroups was socio-economic status (SES) where SEAAs had the lowest SES. The qualitative interviews and focus groups with 21 SEAA high school students revealed that the students related to the quantitative results. Students struggled with feeling visible in school, navigating their academic struggles silently and independently, and feeling immense pressure to succeed to make their parents proud and to increase economic mobility for their families. Students believe that being English learners, recent immigrants, and low-income may influence their high school academic results and postsecondary education potential. Further, students list intergenerational trauma from their parents leaving Southeast Asia, the lack of role models, and lack of parental engagement in school due to cultural barriers as major setbacks that felt especially unique to SEAAs. This is exacerbated by the model minority stereotype that Asians in general are doing well academically and economically, leaving SEAA youth to feel isolated and invisible.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Truong, Natalie"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025","date_published":"2025","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:51:52Z","subjects":["Asian American","Econometrics","Focus group interviews","High school students","Mixed methods","NCES dataset"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:1920/14827"],"render_values":[{"text":"hdl:1920/14827","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Asian American","Econometrics","Focus group interviews","High school students","Mixed methods","NCES dataset"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:1920/14827"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.other","label":"Dc Description Other","values":["Data from the U.S. Census shows vast variation between Southeast Asian Americans (SEAA) and other Asian Americans (AA) in attainment outcomes, such as high school graduation rates and higher education matriculation. Yet, little is known about whether these differences exist in academic performance in K-12 due to the lack of disaggregated data on AA by ethnic background. This dissertation examines attainment outcomes of SEAAs relative to other racial and AA ethnic groups in the U.S. The first strand of this mixed methods study analyzes two nationally representative longitudinal datasets from the National Center of Education Statistics that allows for disaggregated AA data: the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 and the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002. I employ descriptive statistics and regressions on disaggregated AA data to reveal if vast differences exist in math achievement and course GPA. I follow up with decomposition models that specifically explores if these differences are attributable to student characteristics, such as English learner or recent immigrant. The second strand of this mixed methods study shifts to an asset-based approach to center SEAA student experiences, input, and recommendations. This methodological combination of econometrics and focus group thematic analysis is unconventional to sequential-explanatory research, the topic of racial data disaggregation, and with this specific ethnic population. AsianCrit and racial formation theory frame my exploration of ethnic experiences obscured by large pan-ethnic averages and dominant stereotypes, such as the Asian model minority. This study found that disparities exist between SEAAs and AAs in academic achievement measures of math and course GPA. When aggregated, AAs performed higher on math and GPA than other races. However, disaggregated AA ethnicities reveal that Chinese students overwhelming outperform the other AA subgroups while SEAAs performed much lower. I did not find that specific covariates, such as English learner and immigrant generation, contributed to these differences. The main contributor to achievement differences across AA subgroups was socio-economic status (SES) where SEAAs had the lowest SES. The qualitative interviews and focus groups with 21 SEAA high school students revealed that the students related to the quantitative results. Students struggled with feeling visible in school, navigating their academic struggles silently and independently, and feeling immense pressure to succeed to make their parents proud and to increase economic mobility for their families. Students believe that being English learners, recent immigrants, and low-income may influence their high school academic results and postsecondary education potential. Further, students list intergenerational trauma from their parents leaving Southeast Asia, the lack of role models, and lack of parental engagement in school due to cultural barriers as major setbacks that felt especially unique to SEAAs. This is exacerbated by the model minority stereotype that Asians in general are doing well academically and economically, leaving SEAA youth to feel isolated and invisible."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["DATA DISAGGREGATION AND THE INADEQUACIES OF PAN-ETHNIC INFERENCES: A MIXED METHODS EXPLORATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCES IN HIGH SCHOOL"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:date.issued":["2025"],"dc:description.other":["Data from the U.S. Census shows vast variation between Southeast Asian Americans (SEAA) and other Asian Americans (AA) in attainment outcomes, such as high school graduation rates and higher education matriculation. Yet, little is known about whether these differences exist in academic performance in K-12 due to the lack of disaggregated data on AA by ethnic background. This dissertation examines attainment outcomes of SEAAs relative to other racial and AA ethnic groups in the U.S. The first strand of this mixed methods study analyzes two nationally representative longitudinal datasets from the National Center of Education Statistics that allows for disaggregated AA data: the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 and the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002. I employ descriptive statistics and regressions on disaggregated AA data to reveal if vast differences exist in math achievement and course GPA. I follow up with decomposition models that specifically explores if these differences are attributable to student characteristics, such as English learner or recent immigrant. The second strand of this mixed methods study shifts to an asset-based approach to center SEAA student experiences, input, and recommendations. This methodological combination of econometrics and focus group thematic analysis is unconventional to sequential-explanatory research, the topic of racial data disaggregation, and with this specific ethnic population. AsianCrit and racial formation theory frame my exploration of ethnic experiences obscured by large pan-ethnic averages and dominant stereotypes, such as the Asian model minority. This study found that disparities exist between SEAAs and AAs in academic achievement measures of math and course GPA. When aggregated, AAs performed higher on math and GPA than other races. However, disaggregated AA ethnicities reveal that Chinese students overwhelming outperform the other AA subgroups while SEAAs performed much lower. I did not find that specific covariates, such as English learner and immigrant generation, contributed to these differences. The main contributor to achievement differences across AA subgroups was socio-economic status (SES) where SEAAs had the lowest SES. The qualitative interviews and focus groups with 21 SEAA high school students revealed that the students related to the quantitative results. Students struggled with feeling visible in school, navigating their academic struggles silently and independently, and feeling immense pressure to succeed to make their parents proud and to increase economic mobility for their families. Students believe that being English learners, recent immigrants, and low-income may influence their high school academic results and postsecondary education potential. Further, students list intergenerational trauma from their parents leaving Southeast Asia, the lack of role models, and lack of parental engagement in school due to cultural barriers as major setbacks that felt especially unique to SEAAs. This is exacerbated by the model minority stereotype that Asians in general are doing well academically and economically, leaving SEAA youth to feel isolated and invisible."],"dc:identifier":["hdl:1920/14827"],"dc:subject":["Asian American","Econometrics","Focus group interviews","High school students","Mixed methods","NCES dataset"],"dc:title":["DATA DISAGGREGATION AND THE INADEQUACIES OF PAN-ETHNIC INFERENCES: A MIXED METHODS EXPLORATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCES IN HIGH SCHOOL"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:51:52Z"}