May 11, 2015
When one thinks of Asian Americans, for most people what comes to mind are well-educated, high-income earners; overachievers; and hard workers whose children are destined for spots at elite Ivy League schools.

But this model minority perception is just that: a perception. It also overlooks one big issue: Asian Americans are far from homogenous.

“­The Asian American Pacific Islander community is comprised of over 48 different ethnicities,” notes Joy Yoo, associate director of marketing and communications for the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, a Washington, D.C.- based organization that provides hundreds of scholarships each year to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). “­There are hundreds of different languages. It’s very diverse. ­There’s also immense diversity in need and immense diversity in educational need.”

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