Learning Across Cultures: How Minority Students Construct Identities That Foster Academic Success

Authors

MaryJo Benton Lee, Diversity Coordinator, College of Engineering, South Dakota State University

Date of this Version

October 2001

Abstract

In China, successful minority students are those who construct “achievement-oriented selves." Through interaction with significant others, these students develop perspectives of themselves as "successes." This, in turn, makes academic achievement possible. The "identity work" of Chinese ethnic students can serve as a model for those involved with minority education in the U.S.