SOC Short Questions 2,3,4 (35)

Question 2

Lee’s argument about immigrant selectivity reflect a social constructionist view of race. Social constructionism examines the growth or development of jointly-built understandings of our world forming the premises for a shared assumption regarding reality. Characteristics such as sexuality, race, gender, and class are thought to be solely biological and immutable. In the social constructionist view of race, Lee (n.p.) sees it as a product of human definition as well as interpretation as shaped by geographical, historical, and cultural contexts. For example, Lee (n.d) defines the success of Asian Americans in the US as a product of historical requirements for granting of immigration status. In her social constructionist view of race, Lee notes that selectivity ensures that Asian immigrants import cultural and class frames, mindsets, and institutions from their countries of origin, hereby introducing aspects of history, geography, and culture to explain the phenomenon of successful Asian Americans in the education sector.

In other geographical areas such as in Japan, China, and Spain, Professor Lee expresses that “51% of US Chinese immigrants have a college degree compared to only 4 percent of adults in China, meaning that Chinese immigrants in the United States are more than 12 times as likely to have graduated from college as their non-migrant counterparts.” In the social constructionist view employed by Lee, there is a deep connection between historical contexts of immigration laws and the current status of highly educated ad highly selected Asian immigrants. The fact that Chinese immigrants in the US are more educated than the general population in America points to a positive immigrant selectivity. Lee terms this selectivity as hyper-selectivity, a phenomenon that is similar across all major Asian immigrant groups in the US including Vietnamese, Chinese, and Koreans.

Question 3

Sociological research questions examine the social patterns of an experience or happening. They involve social groups such as ethnic and economic class groups rather than individuals. They are narrowed down to questions from topics of interest. The impact of ethnicity on educational achievement in the United States seems to be the main guide for Professor Lee’s research. The question could be used to study how different ethnic groups performed to achieve education success compared to their counterparts in countries of origin (Lee n.p.). According to Lee, ethnicity is the independent variable (X), while education is the dependent variable (Y), meaning ethnic group affects the level of education one can achieve. The Asian ethnic groups of interest are Korean, Chinese, and Vietnamese. More Koreans will achieve a higher degree in the united states than in the country of origin. The minority ethnic groups have high chances of attaining a higher degree and bachelor’s in the United States than their home country. Quantitative data was used, and historical data analysis was used while conducting the research (Khan and Sharp 9). Data is collected from education institutions both in the country and countries of origin of the ethnic groups.

The impact of high selective immigration on college graduation in Los Angeles in the United States. The question is used to study why Asian students graduate from college at a higher rate than other immigrants. The immigrant is an independent variable, while college graduation is the dependent variable. The interested immigrants are blacks, Asians, Latinos, and whites, the Asians in Los Angeles graduate at higher rates than all groups. Qualitative data is gathered from colleges in Los Angeles, and historical data analysis was used in the study.

Question 4

Achieved status is earned based on qualification, a position that is achieved and exhibits personal efforts, skills, and abilities. For example, doctors, athletes, and college professors achieve their status in society through hard work and their own efforts. Ascribed status surpasses individual control, and one is not able to control. It is not achieved, but instead, one is born with or has no control over race, sex, and age, or the background of one’s parents. Children have more ascribed status than adults since they do not have an option in most situations but rather find themselves in the situations they are born in. Social-economic status in a family would be ascribed for children and achieved for parents. Parents are obligated to ascribe to their children good status in society to take care of them.

The Mexican Americans are hypo selected; hence they have low chances of graduating than their immigrant fellows and low chances of getting a college education. Out of the 17% Mexican adult population, only 5 percent have graduated from college (Lee n.p.). Their children are disadvantaged since their parents lack the resources to build institutions that are useful in educating them. Also, a majority of their parents are undocumented, thus making them more disadvantaged. The Mexican children ascribe to a low social class. Nevertheless, the children have made remarkable progress as they have doubled their parents’ high school graduation rates. There is also a significant contrary among Latino immigrants and those born in the country as they have more chances of finishing high school and college. Their education mobility is outstanding.

Work cited

Halasz, Judith, and Peter Kaufman. Social Structure and The Individual. 2021.

Khan, Shumus, and Gwen Sharp. Research Methods.

Lee, Jennifer. “It Takes More Than Grit: Reframing Asian American Academic

Achievement”. Items, 2018, https://items.ssrc.org/from-our-programs/it-takes-more-than-grit-reframing-asian-american-academic-achievement/