Pathways and experiences of Asian American community college presidents in California

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the experiences, events, and circumstances that affected the ascension of Asian Americans to the community college presidency in California. Through in-depth, conversational interviews, the researcher recaptured the rich personal, professional, and cultural stories shared by each of the seven current Asian American presidents. At the time of this writing, the seven Asian American college presidents represented only six percent of all college presidents in the California community college system. A fundamental question that guided this study is why do Asian Americans, despite their recognized success in academia, have the lowest representation of all ethnic groups at the presidential level in higher education? What discrimination, if any, did Asian Americans experience in their quest to become a college president? By exploring the pathways, experiences, and situations of the seven sitting Asian American presidents, the aim is to discover whether these Asian Americans, given their racial identity, encountered any unfair treatment in their ascension to the presidency. The study utilized the Critical Race Theory and glass ceiling model as a lens to examine the under-representation of Asian American educators at the top executive level. The stories, as told by these seven Asian American presidents, revealed that while they had encountered some form of racial discrimination in their personal lives and professional careers, those challenges however did not impede their attainment of the presidency. Instead, the findings revealed this select group of Asian American educators was determined to excel in their careers and managed to overcome certain racial micro-aggressions and stereotypes through persistence, hard-work, and other values imparted upon them by their bicultural identity. Contrary to the common belief that the paths to the college presidency for Asian Americans are hindered by some degree of institutional barriers and racism, the accounts by these seven Asian American presidents suggest that personal factors, including but not limited to communication styles, leadership qualities, personal comfort, family consideration, and tolerance for failure are the reasons for the under representation of Asian Americans at the top administrative echelon in higher education. What emerged from the study is a model of the pathway to the college presidency; a model that incorporates both the glass ceiling theory and critical race theory. The study concluded with a list of recommended actions that Asian Americans aspiring to become college presidents can take to increase their representation at presidential level. The recommendations contain implications of transformational leadership and public policy. This study contributes to the paucity of literature on Asian American leadership in higher education and highlights the values of a diversified college administrative team.