First-generation Asian American college students must be resilient to
overcome the many challenges they face in their college experience. Because
these students are first-generation students of color and are also
Asian American, they experience unique challenges and complexities.
First-generation students of color often navigate the college experience
with families who have little to no context surrounding higher education,
may have varying levels of college readiness upon entry, and frequently
encounter financial challenges and other barriers to education. At the
same time, Asian American students must grapple with high expectations
set by society because of the model minority myth. How are these
students expected to meet the high standards set by others while facing
so many barriers to their success in higher education? In this article, I
explore the challenges that students who hold these intersecting identities
face, and I provide recommendations for institutions to better support
these students
