A study by the federal researchers has found no ethnic group values education more than others, reports KPCC
On the surface, Asian Americans spend more money on school than any other group–5o percent more than whites– and some might project that shows AAPIs put a higher value on education.
On the other hand, blacks spend 70 percent less on college than whites and Latinos spend 60 percent less.
But analysts from the Bureau of Labor Statistics say a closer look at the numbers reveals a major equalizer.
When researchers compared members of all four groups with persons of similar educational and economic background, all four groups spend equal amounts on education.
“When you put everyone on a level playing field, if you will, in terms of education and income, they all all make very similar decisions in terms of the amount they want to invest in higher education,” said Richard Holden, regional commissioner for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But what about Amy Chua’s much publicized theory that culture plays a major role in how well different groups do?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics looked at that as well. You can read about that on KPCC.