Explores ways that educators can rethink attitudes – racial, educational, political, economic, and social – about the welfare of Asian Pacific American (APA) families and helps them develop competence in effectively teaching APA students. The book challenges the generalizations many teachers make about APA students, especially those that inadvertently hinder success. The refugee experience and subsequent trouble adjusting to mainstream culture can manifest themselves in difficulties in school. Moreover, confusion about ethnic identity along with anxiety and other psychological problems can give teachers a false reading of both students’ abilities and their real needs. Individual chapters cover: (1) cultural differences between Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Southeast Asian American children; (2) coping strategies of APA children; (3) mental health issues; (4) particular characteristics of delinquency; (5) suggestions for enhancing multicultural literacy; (6) special topics in education, including overcoming cultural barriers to children with disabilities, developing language assessment and instructional strategies for limited-English-proficient children, and meeting the needs of at-risk students; and (7) recommendations for teachers, including promoting student empowerment, creating positive APA images for the media, and educating the whole child–that is, developing cognitive talents as well as self-esteem, leadership skills, emotional stability, and interpersonal skills.
