Much attention has been given to the success and achievements of Asian Americans. A pattern of Asian Americans outpacing Whites has helped support the popularly held image that Asian Americans are a successful minority group facing little discrimination and racial barriers. When a closer examination of the data is taken into account, the success of Asian Americans is overestimated. While it is true that growing numbers are middle-class professionals, they are less likely to be in decision-making positions compared to Whites with similar levels of education and skills and more likely to receive lower pay. Even more damaging is that the model minority image hides the fact that a significant portion of the Asian American and Pacific Islander population is poor, with Samoans, Cambodian, Laotian, and Hmong refugees especially in need of immediate attention. Some community-based Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations believe that they have been overlooked and underfunded precisely due to the widely held model minority image. The realities are that many Asian American and Pacific Islander organizations are underserved and in need of special services (Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, 2011). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: chapter)