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I agree moreso the last paragraph here. As for the initial paragraph, it certainly seems Asian families prioritize the essential and necessary practice to do well on the standardized tests/school entrance exams.
It is important to understand in most other parts of the world "free" public education as Americans know it does not exist. Where it does even if the schooling is free books, uniforms and whatever must be paid for which can eat up funds a poor family does not have. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_China
Had a few Asian professors in college (mostly Chinese and for science and math) who during breaks would tell us about their education. All said to a one that the average American kid wouldn't survive a year or less in Chinese schools, especially high school and certainly not college.
China like other countries runs their education system basically on a "track" basis. Those who demonstrate ability via grades and test results get into better high schools and onto colleges thus assured a "good" future. Usually tuition at high and or college level is then reduced, free, scholarship provided or whatever. However students have to have the grades.
So you are sitting in a lecture hall with say seventy or more students for finite math. Teacher calls on you to answer a question; don't know it ? Bye, bye..., you are out.
Long story short with completion in the labor market very tight (just look at the population size in China), parents and everyone else knows the key to a "good life" is education, especially higher levels. You won't get there in China unless you have the goods, and are able to demonstrate so via exams. Not the watered down multi-choice ones American kids are used to either.
Again Asian and Indian parents view the American education system for what it is; a chance for their children to realize the American Dream *and* it is free from K-12.
It isn't just in New York nor high school level but all across the USA even mostly white/elite colleges both pubic and private are worried about the "Asian problem". Some places are being accused of attempting to limit Asian enrollment: Harvard
White liberal/elites have no problems it seems with blacks/Latinos and or at least aren't threatened by their presence. Asians and Indians OTOH are a different matter and it is an issue that is coming more to the fore as the Asian and Indian demographics increase in the USA. The Myth of American Meritocracy | The American Conservative
Educating a kid is a very personal responsibility of the family. As I enter my 30's I have discovered the best way to network is talking about child education. Many of my peers and seniors can go on some epic rants in terms of the complexity of the process and the frustration with NYC pubic schools. For me it a sign of the devotion and effort parents are willing to put in order to get their kids ahead, being as at the end of the day we are all competing for limited resources.
I find the teaching profession rather unique and ironic in the sense you are rewarded for taking the easiest job. In many ways I can be emphatic towards teachers who don't want to deal with troubled children as from a practical sense it similar to admitting that like in sports, a teacher/coach is only as good as the students/players on the team.
Boom, there it is.
That's the main difference right there.
Do factors like poverty, opportunity,etc. play a role? Of course they do.
Have families in inopportune positions shown time and time again that they can overcome such positions? More than we can count.
It's very doable but the commitment needs to be there. The commitment to forego a vaction or forego buying that new TV or forego that renovation and INVEST in your children.
When I have children, their progress and education will come first. Just as it was with my parents.
Whether I'm well of or I'm not, that will be the first priority.
Like the SAT and similar exams you don't wake up in the 7th or 8th grade and decide to ace such exams. In particular ones heavy on math and sciences. Quite frankly if you haven't got the academic chops down by sixth grade or so, forget it. These exams measure cumulative knowledge. Yes, you can cram and work extra hard to bring up results, but that merely builds upon a foundation that is already laid.
It is even more complicated than that. There are compelling studies that children of lower-income families are exposed to far fewer vocabulary words, and fewer complex grammatical constructions, than higher-income children and that this impacts brain development from early childhood. Along with diet and related things; how much sleep a child is permitted. Many of the lower-income people around here have their children up and out on the streets at all hours. You will see them in the movie theater very late at night.
How well someone does in life has quite little to do with "connections," as at least one ridiculous litigant tried to argue in order to receive compensation for his own failure. It has everything to do with these foundations which, apparently, lower-income people are far less likely to provide. There are always exceptions, but we should try to reach those people who do not seem to "get" it. Or won't, even for the sake of their children.
It is even more complicated than that. There are compelling studies that children of lower-income families are exposed to far fewer vocabulary words, and fewer complex grammatical constructions, than higher-income children and that this impacts brain development from early childhood. Along with diet and related things; how much sleep a child is permitted. Many of the lower-income people around here have their children up and out on the streets at all hours. You will see them in the movie theater very late at night.
How well someone does in life has quite little to do with "connections," as at least one ridiculous litigant tried to argue in order to receive compensation for his own failure. It has everything to do with these foundations which, apparently, lower-income people are far less likely to provide. There are always exceptions, but we should try to reach those people who do not seem to "get" it. Or won't, even for the sake of their children.
NYT or some other media did a story on Asian public high school students awhile back. It may have been in response to the initial outcry about their numbers being over represented at NYC "elite" public high schools compared to blacks and Latinos.
You had plenty of first or second generation Asian kids living in crowded apartments from places like China Town, Flushing, etc.... where they sleep basically on a cot squeezed in some small spot *and have to sleep in shifts because so many are in that place. In addition these same kids have to often help at the family business (dry cleaners, laundry, restaurant, etc....), have chores around the home, take care of elderly grandparents/relatives who live with them or elsewhere and so it goes. Yet somehow these kids manage to have almost straight A's. Even better they often attend the same public elementary and middle schools as some of the very same blacks/Latinos who are complaining about not getting into selective high schools.
Again, why is that??????
For the record Asians have the highest and fastest growing poverty rate in NYC. So again we must ask ourselves if this group is so "disadvantaged" why are they acing the exams for special high schools.
NYT or some other media did a story on Asian public high school students awhile back. It may have been in response to the initial outcry about their numbers being over represented at NYC "elite" public high schools compared to blacks and Latinos.
You had plenty of first or second generation Asian kids living in crowded apartments from places like China Town, Flushing, etc.... where they sleep basically on a cot squeezed in some small spot *and have to sleep in shifts because so many are in that place. In addition these same kids have to often help at the family business (dry cleaners, laundry, restaurant, etc....), have chores around the home, take care of elderly grandparents/relatives who live with them or elsewhere and so it goes. Yet somehow these kids manage to have almost straight A's. Even better they often attend the same public elementary and middle schools as some of the very same blacks/Latinos who are complaining about not getting into selective high schools.
Again, why is that??????
Well some Asian cultures obviously place a LOT of emphasis on education and it's been like that for a long time
So even a poor Asian kid will likely do well in school.
It is important to understand in most other parts of the world "free" public education as Americans know it does not exist. Where it does even if the schooling is free books, uniforms and whatever must be paid for which can eat up funds a poor family does not have. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_China
Had a few Asian professors in college (mostly Chinese and for science and math) who during breaks would tell us about their education. All said to a one that the average American kid wouldn't survive a year or less in Chinese schools, especially high school and certainly not college.
China like other countries runs their education system basically on a "track" basis. Those who demonstrate ability via grades and test results get into better high schools and onto colleges thus assured a "good" future. Usually tuition at high and or college level is then reduced, free, scholarship provided or whatever. However students have to have the grades.
So you are sitting in a lecture hall with say seventy or more students for finite math. Teacher calls on you to answer a question; don't know it ? Bye, bye..., you are out.
Long story short with completion in the labor market very tight (just look at the population size in China), parents and everyone else knows the key to a "good life" is education, especially higher levels. You won't get there in China unless you have the goods, and are able to demonstrate so via exams. Not the watered down multi-choice ones American kids are used to either.
Again Asian and Indian parents view the American education system for what it is; a chance for their children to realize the American Dream *and* it is free from K-12.
It isn't just in New York nor high school level but all across the USA even mostly white/elite colleges both pubic and private are worried about the "Asian problem". Some places are being accused of attempting to limit Asian enrollment: Harvard
White liberal/elites have no problems it seems with blacks/Latinos and or at least aren't threatened by their presence. Asians and Indians OTOH are a different matter and it is an issue that is coming more to the fore as the Asian and Indian demographics increase in the USA. The Myth of American Meritocracy | The American Conservative
Not being antagonistic, just want to clarify. Do you hold the belief that white liberals are more tolerant of African Americans and Latinos because their growth won't have as much an impact on them, as say, the Chinese or Indian populations?
It is even more complicated than that. There are compelling studies that children of lower-income families are exposed to far fewer vocabulary words, and fewer complex grammatical constructions, than higher-income children and that this impacts brain development from early childhood.
This is such a lame science to prove anything. Children of many immigrants do not speak any english at home yet they all come out just fine. Rubio, for one example, grew up in poor settings and he went to community college first before went to a mediocre law school. He out performs most of his politician peers from rich families, and he is not the only example.
Again, if one looks for excuses to support an agenda, one can always find a handful, but that won't fix the problem.
At the high school I went though, it seemed like both black and non-ESL Latino kids performed about as well as the white kids, and there weren't enough Asians there for me to compare. Although I don't have statistics to back this up, it really did seem to be the case based on the demographics of the honors classes, and the top ten of the graduating class.
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