This paper investigates factors influencing the emergence of a new ethnic identity for Asian Americans, replete with academic achievement and professional success. While Asian Americans were once considered "unassimilable heathens," they have been transformed from "cruel, enemy aliens" to "industrious, quiet, law-abiding citizens." For years, the press has portrayed Asian Americans as a model minority. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Asian Americans were depicted as achieving the American dream through hard work, attributing the model minority success to strong family values, structure, and stability. Asians have emerged as an affluent cultural minority as the result of values inherent in their culture, beliefs, customs, and traditions. Researchers contend that this image change is attributable to professional attitudes and upward social mobility among college educated Asian Americans, coupled with the new arrival of highly educated Asian immigrants. To investigate this image, many scholars have examined Asian Americans' academic achievement, since they do well as a group. Reasons posited for their academic excellence include social values, the importance given to education, parental factors, economic factors, and school factors. Persistent problems include communication/language problems, refugee waves, residence, discrimination, and the affirmative action quota system. (Contains 61 references.) (SM)