A qualitative study on Pilipino American students relative to their high school success and career choices

This research examines the pattern of career choices among first, 1.5, and second generation Pilipino students of immigrant heritage at a high school about eight miles from Downtown Los Angeles, California. This study reveals significant patterns that reflect their parents' immigrant heritage, Ogbu's cultural model of success and other folk theories of success that are shared between the same ethnic background and culture. The influence of the cultural model of success combined with literary works about Asian American students brings forth a better idea of how these immigrant-heritage Pilipino students view and shape their post-secondary plans.;The purpose of the study was to examine the pattern of career choices among Pilipino high school students and demonstrate how that pattern reflects the following: 1) The cultural model of their immigrant parents about what success means will be marked through their children's mindset; 2) How the school (environment and peers) is an identifier of academic engagement among and between Pilipino-heritage immigrant and non-immigrants; 3) How family values impact their career decision-making.;I searched for markers of academic engagement as well as family dedication among Pilipino High School students in Suburbia High School. I wanted to know their motivation as well as their plan post-high school. The literature from five prominent researchers gave me a solid theoretical foundation on how to understand family and institutional support. The lack of research on Pilipino students presented a challenge. In this research study, participants were asked using ethnographic interviews about their school engagement and familial expectations. The research was not intended to answer all pending questions about Pilipino students. I did not want to generalize the issues; instead, it is merely a study to provoke interest and maybe transferable to other contextually similar experiences.;There was a recurring theme that examined the pattern of career choices among Pilipino high school students. First, the cultural model of their immigrant parents about what success means will be marked through their children's mindset. Second, how the school (environment and peers) is an identifier of academic engagement among and between Pilipino-heritage immigrant and non-immigrants. Lastly, how family values impact their career decision-making. Through this research study, I found that participant rely heavily on their family's decision. Students coped by following their parents' advice. They also have to cope with an expectation of financially supporting the family upon completing their education.