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.6 In other words,the higher the grades prior to admission, the more likely Asian American first-yearstudents will persist.However, for some Asian Americans, such pre-college per-formance is difficult.For example, many Southeast Asian students face barriers tosuccess in college.Many Southeast Asian students are first-generation college stu-dents, live in low-income neighborhoods, and/or attend low-performing schoolsprior to college factors that often detrimentally affect academic performance andplace these students at a disadvantage upon entering higher education.Academic preparedness is important to retention because it influences AsianAmerican academic practices.Asian Americans are more likely than their peers toparticipate in study groups, as well as to seek out tutoring.For example,researchers found that Asian American students are more likely to study with otherstudents than their white counterparts.7 In context of the classroom, however, AsianAmericans are less likely to participate in classroom discussions.Although someAsian Americans come into college with high levels of academic preparedness,their ability to persist during college is influenced by their ability to translate theirstudy skills into greater academic engagement in the college environment.Thus,while some Asian Americans benefit from academic preparedness, their academicbehaviors at the college level better shape their retention potential. Education 239PERSISTING TOWARD EDUCATIONAL GOALSAsian Americans enter college with high educational aspirations; however,they also express feeling greater levels of pressure to perform academicallywell.Asian American student self-concept is complex.Although these studentshave high educational aspirations, internal and external pressures to performoften lead to personal doubt.Further, when they seek institutional support,Asian Americans often use academic and career support services rather thanthose for personal or social support, such as counseling services.While Asian Americans have high academic aspirations, they are less certainabout their vocational identities, which in turn may shape their persistence dur-ing college.8 Having a strong vocational identity entails having a clear under-standing of one s interests, talents, and subsequent professional goals.Amongthe characteristics portrayed by those without a strong vocational identity is dif-ficulty in addressing psychological issues and barriers related to one s careerdecision-making.Students with less vocational clarity also were more likely toexperience interpersonal problems and stress while in school.Asian American women in their first year and Southeast Asians overall areoften less academically confident than their counterparts.They often reportfeeling inadequately prepared for college and more uncertain of their majors,and they anticipated difficulties in adjusting to personal and academic chal-lenges.9 Such retention concerns are attributed to inconsistencies in student per-ceptions of their family expectations and what constitutes a competitive student,as expressed via the culture of individualism that characterizes U.S higher edu-cation institutions.As such, Asian American retention issues are influenced bythe clarity and overall commitment to their educational goals.FINANCIAL AIDFor all students regardless of race, socioeconomic background can signifi-cantly affect one s retention potential.Like many low-income students of color,the retention of low-income Asian Americans can suffer from competing familyand educational expenses.10 Low-income students often work to offset the costsof college.Asian American students reported that they are expected to work arange of fifteen to fifty hours each week to contribute to their family incomes.11In many cases when Asian American students come from families in whichtheir parents and other caregivers work multiple jobs, they are subject to otherfamilial obligations, such as caring for siblings and other relatives, as well asother household responsibilities.Low-income status may affect the ability of Asian American students to liveon campus.Commuting from home in combination with work and/or familialresponsibilities lessens the amount of time students can dedicate to their aca-demic endeavors, and thus can increase the risk of attrition for Asian Americans.Paying tuition and fees, as well as the necessary books and materials required tocomplete coursework, can also add financial strain.Low-income students often 240 Encyclopedia of Asian American Issues Todaydemonstrate a lack of financial aid literacy, which can result in many students notbeing familiar with and not pursuing the various funding opportunities targetingthese students.CAMPUS RACIAL CLIMATE AND SENSE OF BELONGINGWhile it is important to identifiy the factors that affect Asian American reten-tion, it is also necessary to acknowlege the limitations of contemporary highereducation research on Asian Americans.Traditional retention discourse oftenattributes student persistence to an individual s ability to socially integrate into thecampus culture, but it does not consider the way that institutional culture shapesretention.12 The campus racial climate generally refers to the overall environmentof an institution in the context of diversity.Students of color, who are considerednontraditional college students, often perceive campus racial climate more nega-tively than their white counterparts because the culture of the institution reflectsthe dominant culture of those considered traditional college students.Student per-ceptions of campus racial climate affect their sense of belonging and ultimately,retention.Studies have found that Asian Americans have greater perceptions of anegative campus racial climate than their racial counterparts.13Asian American students often experience marginalization in college early intheir academic careers.14 Within the first year, Asian American students expressless sense of belonging than their white counterparts.Sense of belonging refersto the extent to which students feel they are a part of the campus community
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