That Asian-Americans are the smartest racial group by educational achievement in the United States is not something that is suspected or surmised, it has been verified, and it is emphatically true. Asian-Americans have by racial classification, per the Pew Research Center, the highest percentage of Bachelor Degrees in America, the highest median income of any group, the highest work ethic, believe strongly that the United States offers a better opportunity to get ahead, and have been able to achieve all of this despite the fact that the majority of Asian-Americans, with the exception of the Japanese, are foreign born, and consequently that English is not their native tongue.
The achievements of 1st generation Asian-Americans is absolutely phenomenal, and there are only three basic possibilities as to why they have been so successful in America, which are: they are genetically superior mentally, their immigration to America is selective so consequently American is only permitting the immigration of the cream of the crop, and finally that their work ethic and their study habits are superior to the average American.
According to photius.com the top three countries ranked by IQ are all Asian countries, but those same three countries which are Singapore, Japan, and South Korea, are also the top three countries in per capita GDP, leading to the supposition that there is a high correlation between per capita GDP and higher IQ scores. Next, we have to consider as to whether Asian-American immigrants are so successful because American selectively allows the immigration of only the best and the brightest of them to our shores. Although the most common path for Asian American immigration is actually through family connections, there are a substantial amount of Asians that are recruited each year by major colleges and universities in America so that these campuses can meet both their enrollment goals as well as their financial obligations, and since American universities are held in high regard as well as America being a destination that is strongly desirable, top international students are educated here.
Finally, there is the question about work ethics, and the supposition that your own effort, initiative, and dedication help you to achieve meritorious success in education. It almost goes without saying that if one student desires only to spend their time playing mindless video games, gossiping, watching TV or the like, whereas another student attends to their studies, dedicates themselves to their craft, and is culturally conditioned to give their best and to represent their family well, that the devoted student, if not initially, will over time surpass the slacker student, in test scores and ultimately worth in the marketplace of employment.
While there are, no doubt, a myriad of reasons why Asian-Americans are smarter than any other racial classification in America, it would be a gross mistake, to attribute their intelligence and success solely to genetics, and thereby to excuse oneself from even attempting to engage in trying harder at learning and applying oneself to becoming a more complete and a better person. The real lesson to be learned here, is that your effort matters, your struggle matters, your grit matters, and that if you make it matter, you too can more easily find success.