Rendered invisible: Are Asian Americans a model or a marginalized minority?

In 1992, the United States government expanded a 1978 decision to observe Pacific Heritage Week to a month-long recognition of the contributions of Americans to the country's history and ongoing cultural milieu. Since 2000, the population in the United States has grown by 72%-the fastest rate of any racial/ethnic group in the country. Today, the Census reports that Asians comprise 22 million United States residents. Despite this unprecedented growth, Americans remain largely invisible in the national dialogue and in scientific research. This special issue features theoretical, empirical, and policy articles that highlight Americans in psychology. Americans remain marginalized and invisible in scientific endeavors for several reasons. For example, consolidating many ethnic groups under an Asian American pan-ethnic umbrella masks meaningful cultural, linguistic, ethnic, migration, gender, sexual/gender identity/expression, and socioeconomic differences. These intersectional identities result in experiences that are multiply marginalized, contributing to invisibility. The model minority stereotype highlights high-achieving and successful individuals, rendering the segment of the population that is struggling irrelevant and unworthy of attention. This special issue directly interrogates sources of invisibility to synthesize theory, research, and policy focused on Americans. The articles in this special issue focus on the intersectional spaces that Americans occupy, unpacking the diversity behind the Asian American pan-ethnic label, experiences of identity and discrimination across a range of groups, and areas of theory/research/policy where experiences have been overlooked. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).