South Asian Students in Gifted Education

Abstract

This chapter explores US South Asian (SA) migrants' experiences with and perceptions about US schooling practices, with a particular emphasis on gifted SA students. The author draws upon oral history interviews with 100 SA immigrants in the Midwestern United States. Emergent themes include education, childrearing practices, and gender roles. Of particular interest is the finding many interviewees perceive SA youths' experiences in US schools and intergroup socialization as being detrimental to ethnic cultural maintenance, and therefore negatively impacting identity development.