In the American imagination, Asian Americans are considered an immigrant success story. Vivian Louie challenges the idea that race and class do not matter. Though most Chinese immigrants see higher education as a safeguard against racial discrimination, Louie finds that class differences do indeed shape the students' different paths to college.

"In this important book, Vivian Louie explores the variable educational experiences among the second and 1.5 generation children of Chinese immigrants....this study makes an important contribution to studies of the second generation, as well as to the scholarship on higher education. It breaks new ground..."--Ethnic and Racial Studies
"Compelled to Excel makes an important contribution ot the literature of sociology of education and race relations. It is clearly organized, convincingly argued, and well written. The frequent interview excerpts preserve the articulate, thoughtful, and dynamic voices of the respondents, opening doors to individual lives and voices we rarely hear."--Canadian Journal of Sociology Online