The dramatic increase in alcohol misuse by underage (18-19) young adult women in the past few decades signals a growing similarity of alcohol use patterns and behaviors to men. Alcohol use among Asian American women in particular has been escalating at an alarmingly high rate over the past decade. This presents an emerging public health concern as women often experience alcohol-related problems disproportionate to men’s level of use. Therefore, it is essential to understand the gender-specific factors that contribute to this rise in alcohol use among Asian American women, with particular emphasis on the peak age of use during late adolescence. As a factor that may be particularly important for understanding alcohol use among Asian American women, feminine norms or expectations about how women are supposed to act, think, and feel may explain gender differences in drinking behaviors better than biological sex alone. Moreover, Asian American women are often stereotyped as hyperfeminine-i.e., being viewed as “sexually exotic” and “submissive” by the media and society. Accordingly, the aims of the study are to develop a core understanding of the key theory-driven feminine norms factors on prospective alcohol misuse and related problems, and to test the specificity of this model with Asian Americans and Caucasians by examining racial and sex differences in the development of alcohol use.