Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI)
Mission Statement
The Asian Pacific American Student Success (APASS) program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI) initiative, is designed to enhance the capacity of Laney College to serve its large and diverse Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) student population, increasing student engagement and improving educational outcomes for this student cohort. Overall, Laney College aims to challenge the model minority myth and contribute to the emerging field of community college API research through its new APASS program.
Background Information
The model minority stereotype first appeared in publication in 1966 and has since portrayed the Asian American community as a monolithic group, often typecasting members as silent, hardworking overachievers.
While stories of Asian Americans and their academic success have proliferated in the United States mainstream media, new research in the field of education, however, suggests that there are a number of inaccuracies to this myth and that, in fact, it may obscure the experiences of many Asian students in the U.S., particularly low-income and those enrolled at two-year colleges.
At Laney College, a two-year community college located in Oakland, California, API students represent the largest, and among the most diverse student populations on campus.
*25% of the student population at Laney College self-report as API.
*API students comprised about 40% of the College’s Financial Aid recipients.
*In 2008-09, Asian students made up 69% of the students enrolled in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses at Laney.
In other words, perceiving this student cohort as a homogeneous group means overlooking critical disparities with respect to immigration history and status; levels of income and education; language needs; and access to cultural capital and opportunities.
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Education awarded Laney College with its second AANAPISI Grant.
Benefits of connecting with APASS
Students who avail themselves of the resources that APASS provides are more successful in completing their educational goals because they:
➤ Are on track to complete all required course units.
➤ Are more focused on a path toward earning better grades.
➤ Form stronger relationships with instructors, counselors, tutors, and other students who serve as an effective support system.
➤ Receive one-on-one academic and career counseling support.
➤ ESOL students get additional help to improve their English skills.
➤ Receive updates about important information about Laney events, job & internship listings, and scholarships!
Source of Data: Peralta Facts (3/10/10), Peralta Community College District Institutional Research Office
Sign up Today
Office (510) 464-3203
apasslaney@peralta.edu
Gym Room 112 (Across from the Pool)
Click here to join our APASS Facebook Group.
