The narrative that “Asians are good at math” is pervasive in the United States. Young children are aware of it. College students’ academic performance can be affected by it.
In the midst of an upsurge in violent attacks against people identified as Asian, it’s worth remembering that the core of anti-Asian racism has always been dehumanization.
On the surface, the “Asians are good at math” narrative sounds like a compliment. After all, what’s wrong with saying that someone is good at something? But as I have explained in a journal article, there are two problems. First, the narrative is false. Second, it is racist. And in the midst of an upsurge in violent attacks against people identified as Asian, it’s worth remembering that the core of anti-Asian racism has always been dehumanization.
I’m an experienced teacher and researcher of STEM education. Research tells us that racism is a part of students’ classroom experiences in these subjects.
If we don’t understand how racism works – even in supposedly “neutral” areas like STEM – we might unintentionally recycle racist ideas.
Debunking the myth
As with many racial stereotypes, people are genuinely curious whether the “Asians are good at math” narrative could be true. There are videos on YouTube with several million views asking that question.
Don’t test scores prove the narrative? In fact, they don’t. On international exams, it’s true that Asian countries are among the top performers in math. But it’s also true that other Asian nations rank 38th, 46th, 59th and 63rd. Interestingly, those top performers also lead in reading – but there isn’t a narrative that “Asians are good at literature.”
Research shows considerable variation in mathematical performance among different Asian ethnic groups in the U.S.
Domestically, it’s the same story. ...
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