This study analyzed how the model minority stereotype effectively masks the marginalization of Asian Americans even in multicultural educational discourse. The study examined issues related to academic achievement, career choice, and identity confronting Indian American high school students in New York City. Researchers interviewed 10 Indian American students, 5 from each of 2 contrasting schools (a competitive public high school and a private school). Students completed a series of three in-depth, semi-structured interviews that focused on the messages from school and home that these students said they received in relation to academic achievement, career choice, social behavior, and identity. Additional data came from an event sampling guide, used for observing each of the participants. Results indicated that, in relation to academic achievement and career choice, these students experienced pressure to excel and plan ahead for careers that would ensure future financial success and security. In relation to social behavior and identity, given the differences in the home and school contexts and cultures, students experienced interracial, interethnic, and intercultural dissonance and tensions in negotiating self-representation and identity in each setting. (Contains 29 references.) (SM)