Asian American Research Journal

“The “model minority myth” is an overgeneralized symbol for Asian Americans, definingthe characteristics and pursuits of Asian Americans based on their racial identity. They areportrayed as smart yet humble and, according to the stereotype, they enjoy a higher income inSTEM-related fields, which stands for “science, technology, engineering, and mathematics”.Meanwhile, the myth perpetuates an image of Asian women as feminine, caring, and gentle.Thus, the intersectionality of the racial and gender stereotypes creates overlapping pressure anddiscrimination against Asian female college students. Given the stereotypes of the Asian andAsian female community, this study seeks to answer the following research questions by addinga gender component: How do Asian American female college students choose their major(s)? &How do they react to racial and gender stereotypes when deciding their major(s)? This researchaims to navigate the variety of reactions of Asian American female students themselves whenthey choose a major in college. Using data from eight in-depth interviews with Asian Americanfemale college students aged 18 to 21, this study explores personal motivation, familyexpectations, and institutional influences as Asian American female students negotiate andbalance multiple factors that influence their major choice(s). While the existing literature mostlytalks about conformity to the model minority myth, this study explains how students developtheir unique strategies to take their agency when deciding on their college major(s). Thus, thisresearch extends the scope of the existing literature to explore students’ agency.