“I Just Feel the Need to be Good at Something, and that Thing Should be Math”: Acknowledging Asian/Asian American Identity in an Accelerated Mathematics Program

Abstract

The University of Minnesota Talented Youth Mathematics Program (UMTYMP) is a selective, five-year accelerated mathematics program for students in grades 6–12. During the program, students take college mathematics courses on University of Minnesota campuses, starting with algebra and continuing through logic and proofs, linear algebra, and multivariable calculus. The majority of UMTYMP students come from two demographic groups: White and Asian/Asian American. In 2020, we surveyed UMTYMP students to understand the impact of model minority stereotypes (MMS) on Asian/Asian American students, particularly girls, who are labeled as “gifted” and/or “talented.” In this paper, we reveal the preliminary results of this study, discuss their implications, and provide recommendations for addressing the MMS in mathematics programs.

Keywords:

• Asian American
• model minority stereotype
• accelerated programs
• stereotype lift

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The first author would like to thank Dr. Matthew Voigt for engaging discussions about gap-gazing and providing guidance on the literature review section of this paper.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 “Desi” is a colloquial term used to describe one's South Asian identity.

2 discrimination against individuals with darker skin tones

3 The low turn-out rate was expected, since the students rely on their parents for transportation.

4 Name has been changed for anonymity

5 For example, these experiences could include being children of immigrants, living in multigenerational homes, and/or gender norms that differ from mainstream, western culture.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anila Yadavalli

Anila Yadavalli is the STEM Program Coordinator at Mount Tamalpais College, an accredited community college serving incarcerated students at San Quentin State Prison. She was previously a postdoctoral scholar in the Center for Educational Programs within the School of Mathematics at University of Minnesota. She completed her PhD in mathematics in May 2019 at NC State University. She is interested in acknowledging and addressing racial inequities in mathematics through outreach programs and her scholarship.

J. D. Walker

J. D. Walker is a research associate in the Center for Educational Innovation at the University of Minnesota. His work focuses on investigating the impact of educational innovations on teaching and learning in higher education. In recent years, he has conducted studies of the role of gender and ethnicity in science classroom participation and course performance; the effectiveness of new, technology-enhanced classroom spaces; multimedia and mobile technologies; and the social context of teaching and learning.

Jeff J. Shi

Jeff J. Shi is a scientific computing consultant for the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute at the University of Minnesota. He received his PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Michigan in 2018. He is passionate about addressing issues of equity and inclusion in education, particularly for K–12 students, and seeks to amplify and uplift their voices whenever possible.

Jonathan Rogness

Jonathan Rogness began working with UMTYMP and enrichment programs as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, and later joined the University's Math Center for Educational Programs (MathCEP) as a director. His work within MathCEP focuses on sharing the beauty of mathematics and making complex mathematical ideas accessible to students of all ages.