Asian Americans are the highest-income, best-educated and fastest-growing racial group in the country. But not for the reasons you think. For too long, conservative pundits and the news media have pointed to Asian Americans as the "model minority." They cite the Ivy League admissions and educational success of many children of blue-collar Asian immigrant workers as evidence of a superior culture -- one of hard work and strong families -- that puts Asian Americans on a sure path to success.

But it isn't Asian "culture" or any other attribute of ethnicity that is responsible for this success. Instead, it's a unique form of privilege that is grounded in the socioeconomic origins of some -- not all -- Asian immigrant groups. Understanding this privilege offers insights into how we can help children from all backgrounds succeed.

In our new book, The Asian American Achievement Paradox -- based on a survey and 140 in-depth interviews of the adult children of Chinese, Vietnamese and Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles -- fellow sociologist Min Zhou and I explain what actually fuels the achievements of some Asian American groups: U.S. immigration law, which favors highly educated, highly skilled immigrant applicants from Asian countries.

Read more from Jennifer Lee, courtesy of CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/03/opinions/lee-immigration-ethnic-capital/index.html.

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