Beyond STEM: The Invisible Career Expectations of Asian American High School Students

The overrepresentation of Asian Americans in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) occupations can render invisible the early experiences of Asian Americans in other fields. In this study, we provide a national and longitudinal portrait of the occupational expectations of Asian Americans (n = 2,340) in high school and their postsecondary years. Multinomial logistic regression models confirm Asian Americans hold high occupational expectations in STEM fields overall. However, longitudinal results also reveal high occupational expectations in arts and sports in Grade 9 that decrease and occupational expectations in business and management that begin low but increase after high school. These longitudinal trends are similar for other students but reveal career trajectories of Asian Americans that receive less attention among researchers. Results show little evidence of misalignment between Asian American occupational expectations and academic subject interests in high school. Gaps in occupational expectations between students categorized as English Learner (EL) and those who are not (non-EL) are also mostly attenuated when accounting for individual and parent backgrounds. The study has implications for supporting Asian American youth interested in non-STEM fields, complicating a characterization of Asian Americans as model minorities uniformly predisposed for STEM fields, and improving Asian American career visibility beyond STEM.