Unfortunately the story of Asian Americans and higher education is not one of unqualified success. This paper attempts to overview the historical significance and present the problems of Asian Americans in higher education. The first problem is the lack of oral and writing skills among Asian Americans. Part of this problem is cultural, referring to traditional Asian values of obedience and subordination. A second problem is the stress resulting from pressures for high levels of school achievement from families and communities. A third problem area concerns the reluctance of universities to hire qualified Asian American administrators, faculty, and staff, to actively recruit Asian American graduate and professional school students, to provide financial assistance and support services in line with Asian American student needs, and to include the history, contributions, and problems in the college curriculum. Asian Americans are often not seen as legitimate minorities, either because of their small numbers in a particular locale, or because of their mobility in the middle class. Further work is needed to examine all the topics presented, but hopefully new research will be mindful of the general context outlined here. Reproduced from best available copy. (Author/PG)