Persistent Educational Advantages of Asian Immigrants’ Children, 1940 to 2015–2019

Abstract

The educational achievements of Asian American children, especially those from lower backgrounds, are substantially higher than other ethnoracial groups. Hyper-selectivity theory finds the origin of such an advantage in the double selectivity of Asian immigrants after the passage of the 1965 Immigration Act and the formation of cross-class community resources. Utilizing the 1940 linked full-count Census, 1940–2000 decennial censuses, and the 2008–2012 and 2015–2019 American Community Survey, this study tracks changes in the educational advantages of Asian immigrants’ children. Our results show that in contrast to the anticipated dependence of the educational achievements of Asian immigrants’ children on structural conditions, the educational advantages of Asian immigrants’ children have remained remarkably persistent over time and across geographical locations. The influx of highly educated Asian immigrants is not associated with an increase in the educational advantages of lower-background Asian Americans. The implications of these findings are discussed.