The Stereotypes Of Asian-American Students

When you think of Asians-Americans in school, what are the things that come to the mind? They know math well? They are intelligent? They can help you with your homework? Well there are many stereotypes of Asians however the point is that Asians- Americans students are succeeding in school simply because it has something to do with the way they were raised and not the way they were born or even living up to their stereotypes. Asians- Americans put forth effort into their schoolwork and take education seriously. In reality no race is more intelligent than the other despite of what the public believes. Their parents brought them up to be respectable and obey their parents while the average America students are more focused on their hanging with
their peers and popularity. Also while the average American is focused on extracurricular activities, Asian-Americans are raised to study hard and the harder you study the more you will be able to succeed in school and secure your future.

The Asian-American parents are very strict and also they are the educators as well.
According to an article in greatschools.org “How Do Asian Students Get to the Top of the Class?” Dr. Soo Kim Abboud, Jane Kim implies that Asian parents do several things that allow their children to embrace the role of student, “They manage their children's time outside of school, they assume the role of educator after school hours, they teach their children that being a student is both fun and rewarding (with the help of their children's educators) and they have a genuine respect for educators.

The parents turn their home into a learning environment in order for their kids to excel in their education. Statistics say that the percentage of Asians, age 25 and older, who have a bachelor's degree or higher level of education. Asians have the highest proportion of college graduates of any race or ethnic group in the country and this compares with 27 percent for all Americans 25 and older that were raised by their Asian-American
parents.

Another thing that the Asian-American parents do is not to give them an A for effort like most American parents and teachers do. Most American parents feel if they are not positive enough or just a little too negative, they can damage kids self-esteem. However that’s not always the case with Asian-American kids. Asian parents tend to not care about the children self-esteem because they want them to do it the correct way or don’t do it at all. For example, Tony Hsieh, the co-founder of Zappos.com tells his life and how growing up with Asian-American parents and how they were always strict and how being a kid who was forced to play four musical instruments and pressured to study hard and to do things right or don’t do them at all. Even though he hated the piano practices and the pressure to study when he was young, now that he is older he knows that the way he was raised benefited him tremendously because he now owns a billion dollar company and understands they ways to become successful through the way he was taught from his parents.

Another example is Soo Kim Abboud is a surgeon and an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania. Her sister Jane is an attorney. They were born in the United States to parents who had emigrated from Korea with little money in their pockets but big dreams of a better life in their hearts. From the very beginning, Jane Kim says, her parents realized the importance of education for their daughters, and they made it their top priority. "When we were

younger, I mean in elementary and middle school, our parents were very involved," she says. So involved, she recalls, that they gladly assumed the role of teacher after.Thoa Hoang, 17, a Asian-American junior at Piedmont Hills High, said her Asian friends absorbed their hardworking attitudes from their parents. "We're brainwashed," she said. "Every one of us is afraid of being stupid or looking dumb." Even though the day at school ended, learning still went on in the home as her parents teach over what is important for her to know at school so she can be ahead. Peter Hoang states “In our culture, we believe hard work pays off, and we just want for our daughter to be the best at whatever she does.” It would seem like a lot of pressure to do the job right the first time however Thoa states, “I am motivated and determine to succeed not only for me, but for my family as well so they would be proud.”

Asian- American students aren’t any different from any ethnic group of students.
They aren’t in any special classes that will make them smarter than any other ethnic group neither were they born with the brain that has an IQ of a thousand. However, what makes them unique is their culture and tradition of learning. When it comes to education, they treat it like something of value while most Americans take for granted. Asian parents simply want their children to value their education like the parents do. Here is a personal example, when I was in high school my senior year, I had a real close friend that was Asian- American and education was very important to her and her family so she achieve everything from top ten percent to being in International Barrculare meaning that she would receive not only high school but college credit and when she graduate, she receive two diplomas. When it was time for our graduation ceremonies and parties almost everyone participated except for her. I asked her why didn’t attend any of the graduation parties she said she wasn’t interested however I didn’t believe her. I suggested that she have a party of her own since she received so many awards. She refused and told me that it isn’t in her tradition to celebrate something you must achieve anyway. At first I didn’t understand what she meant by that because when I graduated, that was a huge accomplishment simply because I just wanted to graduate. I asked her father how does he feel about his
daughter graduating he said this “Her education has not ended at all just because she graduated from high school. It is just the beginning of her life and her education to continue.” When I heard that I realized how important education was important to the family and how the parents are always there for her and letting her know that no matter what education comes first. That really let me know where we stand as Americans and how what must be done to at least have more effort toward education and not take it for granted.

America is the land of opportunity to become anything you want to be in life. It’s up to you to pursue. Can we as a nation mold into a nation where education is just as important to us as it is to the Asian-Americans? Or will we continue to take for granted and watch as opportunities that are meant for us be taken away because someone wanted the opportunity more than we did? If we allow ourselves to at least have the mentality for our students to have the best of grades like the Asian-Americans parents have the same mentality for their children, we as non-Asians or any other ethnic group can have more of an opportunity to prove ourselves than we can be smart as well if we only apply ourselves and receive the support from our parents and loved ones that we can achieve it if we believe it. Also the parents must become the educators as well as the parents