Three Chinese-American students at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) killed themselves during a three-month period. Two died from helium More than 50 percent of Cornell’s student suicide victims have been Asian American. “Out of 4,790 Cornell undergraduates surveyed in 2005, Asian-American/Asian students seriously considered or attempted suicide at higher-than-average rates. Also, 13 of the 21 Cornell student suicide victims since 1996 have been Asian or Asian-American – and Asian/Asian-Americans comprise only 14% of the total Cornell student body.”[2]
These suicides were not isolated incidents. Many people view Asians and Asian Americans as being super achievers. Asians have a reputation for achieving high SAT scores, attending highly ranked universities, and working in highly paid professions. However, the unfortunate fact is that, compared to American society as a whole, Asians are much more likely to commit suicide (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)).[2]
