Case studies and episodes are presented that indicate the adjustment of Asian American language minority students to the mainstream U.S. culture. Chapter 1 places the study in the context of macro- and micro-ethnographic research on immigrant and minority educational achievement. Chapter 2 compiles demographic data and background on each major Asian Pacific Islander group in California. Chapters 3, 4, and 5 examine critical educational issues in relation to the ethnohistorical and sociocultural contexts of Asian Pacific Islanders, integrating theoretical perspectives with case studies, and describing issues such as language proficiency and academic achievement in the light of cultural conflict. Chapter 6 provides recommendations by which teachers can strengthen the participation of Asian Pacific Islander students in their educational processes. Chapter 7 then returns to some theoretical perspectives introduced in Chapter 1, showing how the situation of Asian American and Pacific Islander students illustrates the importance of ethnohistorical and ethnographic approaches to improve student opportunities to learn. Sixteen tables and three maps present information about the Asian and Pacific Islander populations. (Contains 234 references.) (SLD)