Beyond Compositional Diversity: Examining the Campus Climate Experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander Students

This mixed methods study examines the institutional mechanisms related to ethnicity that shape the differential experiences of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) students. By conducting in-depth interviews with AAPI students as well as analyzing data from the University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey, this study sought to gain a deeper understanding of the campus experiences of AAPI undergraduates at UCLA from a disaggregated perspective, as aggregate data may lead to erroneous conclusions that AAPI students are academically successful, well-adjusted, and satisfied with their college experiences-a rationale often used to exclude AAPIs from campus conversations regarding diversity, ethnic representation, and racial climate. The findings detail the unique and different experiences of various AAPI subgroups and suggest the need to overcome the harmful stereotype that AAPIs have escaped the racialized, and sometimes discriminatory, experiences of other racial minorities-even if they attend institutions that are compositionally diverse. As institutions of higher education continue to grapple with campus climate, there is an immediate need to consider how AAPI students fit within that narrative and into larger campus priorities.