Abstract
Although overall access to higher education has improved for underrepresented minority students (Engstrom & Tinto, 2008), there remains a persistent equity gap in college educational attainment for men of color from low socioeconomic backgrounds. In particular, Southeast Asian male students demonstrate higher attrition rates (Museus & Kiang, 2009; Um, 2003), lower college enrollment (de Brey et al., 2019; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center, 2013), and engagement with staff and faculty (Ramanujan, 2006; Xiong & Wood, 2016) compared to their counterparts. The purpose of this research was to examine success factors that contribute to the academic resilience of Southeast Asian college men who have successfully completed or are progressing toward completion of their bachelor’s degree from a California State University (CSU). This phenomenological research study took a qualitative approach and used an online student demographic questionnaire and semistructured interviews with Southeast Asian college men. Three primary research questions drove this study: (a) What barriers do Southeast Asian college men encounter at the CSU? (b) How do Southeast Asian men overcome attrition at the CSU level? (c) For Southeast Asian men, what factors cultivate resilience for academic success? The three primary conceptual frameworks that guided this research study included the socio-ecological outcomes (SEO) model (Harris & Wood, 2014), community cultural wealth (CCW) framework (Yosso, 2005), and academic resilience theory (Martin & Marsh, 2003). Based on the data collected along with the alignment of results and conceptual frameworks, this study revealed emerging themes and provided recommendations to enhance educational opportunities and academic success for Southeast Asian college men.