Compelled to Excel makes an important contribution ot the literature of sociology of education and race relations. It is clearly organized, convincingly argued, and well written. The frequent interview excerpts preserve the articulate, thoughtful, and dynamic voices of the respondents, opening doors to individual lives and voices we rarely hear.
Canadian Journal of Sociology Online This book ... Read moreis noteworthy in two respects. First, it presents original empirical materials on issues that are much discussed but have not been subject to detailed qualitative investigation. Second, by doing so, it sheds light on a topic that is both familiar and yet murky to social scientists: the educational achievements of Asian Americans. In short, I see the book as a major contribution to the sociology of education, ethnicity, and Asian Americans; it will be widely consulted by specialists in these areas.
Nazli Kibria
Boston University
In this important book, Vivian Louie explores the variable educational experiences among the second and 1.5 generation children of Chinese immigrants . . . [T]his study makes an important contribution to studies of the second generation, as well as to the scholarship on higher education. It breaks new ground.
Ethnic and Racial Studies [T]his is an excellent contribution to studies of Asian Americans and the sociology of education. Louie is a persuasive interviewer and will become an important scholar in these areas. This book would also be an excellent addition to any syllabus.
American Journal of Education This book addresses a timely topic, reviews a considerable body of relevant contemporary literature, and presents a large number of richly detailed, sensitive and poignant interviews with Chinese-American college students and their families.
Steven Gold
Michigan State University
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