Could other minorities learn a thing or two from Asian-Americans?

Question

The success of Asian Americans as a group has occurred despite severe discrimination in the previous century, such as, prior to the 1950s, being stereotyped as cheap, uneducated laborers. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many Americans feared that the western part of the US would be overrun by the "Yellow Peril," prompting initiatives to reduce immigration from Asia, and during World War II thousands of ethnic Japanese citizens were held in "internment camps" in the USA

Constituting only 4% of the U.S. population in 2000, Asian Americans have exceeded 15 to 20% of some of America's most prestigious private universities including the Ivy League, Stanford University, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, etc

As of 2000, about 44% of Asian Americans ages 25 or above held a bachelor's degree or higher , as compared to 24% of the whole population

Why do Asians seem driven to excel instead of being sidetracked by an ideology of Victimhood?

Answer 1

Its a fair point. I would summarize things differently.

What most admirable is that, while Asian Americans are aware of prejudice against them, they make almost no noise in the public arena. They complain amongst themselves, but dont give the offenders the satisifcation of hearing their complaints.

Even better, they get even via achievement and action. It appears to me they inherently recognize the struggle that is life, as accept it, as opposed to playing the victim.

In fairness to "other minorities" however, the left has saturated their ranks with the powerful uncle tim technique. Anyone who dares to stand outside the dogma of the dems is labeled and uncle tom, and largely made an outcast.

Answer 2

Hey! I have a degree or higher!

"I wish I could give the white man an award too...for running the world and such." - Uncle Ruckus from The Boondocks

To the guy right below me, I think 100% of the groups on this planet value education. It's all universal, all the stats are pure coincidence. We could say black people are all great athletes, but I've met many that aren't. We could say all Asians are smart, but I've met a bunch of dumb ones. It's the problem of generalizing based upon a numbers study. It's dangerous because it sets stereotypes. The problem is when negative stats come out negative stereotypes are set.

I tend to try to judge people on personal experience. But if someone is of a certain group and dresses a certain way, listens to a certain kind of music, I tend to make a few assumptions. Like if a guy wore a cowboy hat, drove a truck, and listened to country I'd think he was a republican, haha.

I think many Asians came to this country from very poor countries. In those countries an education is valued because it gets you off the farm. I think these countries were older and realized this before the much younger country the U.S. Look at the technology boom in the US when people realized the value of an education. The problem is this country is so wealthy, a lot of times you didn't need a degree to get by, it's still that way. In the other countries it means you don't have to work in the rice paddy, rice paddies suck. So I think it was a slight lapse in US culture that produced a void which Asian's filled quietly. However, this country has done a 180 considering the shear number of people who have or are pursuing a higher education.

Answer 3

Yes, you are correct in your question, & your analysis. Other minority groups in the U.S. can learn from the success & prosperity that Asians have had in the United States. East Asians have been discrimanted against in America. It was mostly Chinese immigrant laborers that built the Central Pacific track of the First Transcontinental Railroad. They were treated horribly, & some of them starved to death. During World War II, Japanese-Americans were interned in special camps. But almost every race/ethnicity of people has been discriminated against, or has been treated unfairly in society. If you get an education, are honest, work hard, & are law-abiding then you should be able to lead a comfortable lifestyle. That's how all Americans regardless of their race, ethnicity, or religion should lead their lives. I think it's very counter productive to dwell on past oppression, & to think of yourself as a victim. I don't think any ethnic group is being oppressed in the United States in the year 2007.

Answer 4

I think its how much a group values education! Some minority groups as a whole can connect the dots and see that an education is a stepping stone to success. Also education in Asian American and European American communities is a point of pride! In other cultures they make fun of each other for tring to succeed in school by saying "you trying to be white?" or making fun of Asians for being smart. Popular culture does more to keep "the black man down" more than racism or any other external negative.


To add, I believe that so called leaders like Al Shatpton and Jesse Jackson need to go away and be replaced by individuals who are a good examples of success created by hard work and education not notoriety created by grandstanding and being racist themselves. Doesn't that personify the victim ideology?

Answer 5

Many Asian Americans come from intact families, that stress strong family values.

If you ever did business with an Asian American run family liquor store or other business, you would discover that they work considerably longer hours than the average American.

Not to take the tarnish off of your commendable statistics, but what about the statistics of another minority in this country: the American Jew.

I would give you 2:1 odds that this group's statistics are even more lofty than those of Asian Americans.

With many Jews around the world needing to learn at least three languages: Hebrew, Yiddish and the language of their adopted homeland, education is the focus in the Jewish home.

Want to take my bet?

Answer 6

I agree with Dead Marxist. It is not that Asians are genetically superior but their culture of hard work, education and family ties make them much more successful then the Nation at large.

It may be uncomfortable to see a group excel above the others; especially if you are not a part of that group like me. But instead of wagging fingers and hanging that scarlet letter around someones' neck calling them a racist, lets find out why that group is succeeding so that we can all employ their techniques.

Answer 7

The stereotype of the hyper-smart asian is a severely held assumption that became into extra fueled by potential of the dominance of the eastern automakers and the present chinese language business revolution. The stereotype became right into a fashion of rationalizing the humiliation. Stereotypes constantly have 2 faces. There are generalizations that upload and ones that detract. Asians are great-smart. yet what are they lacking? The stereotype is that the boys are no longer as endowed interior the decrease-area. For the girls human beings, they have been taught to be submissive and due to the shortcoming of length of their men, they don't be attentive to what a real stable time is. think of of the stereotype of the Black guy. Black men have vast penises, yet they're supposedly dumb. so as which potential white men are... basically ideal? you notice the place this is going? this is all ludicrous, yet so the stereotypes circulate. what's worse is that Political Correctness potential that we don't talk approximately it.

Answer 8

Generally speaking, the success of Asians is a HUGE embarrassment to the minorities exploited by democrats. The socialist hand is extended to any group who looks to government, not themelves, to earn their way in life. Asians have rejected the concept of affirmative action, welfare, entitlements and other social programs intended to benefit people who prefer not to earn their own rewards in life.

The best example of the contempt liberals and the minorities who have bought into the socialist path of life- the Rodney King riots. The disciples of socialism rioted, looted and burned down the Asian stores as a message of hatred towards a minority who rejects the liberal message- these people worked harder, overcame language barriers and were successful despite having no support from government.

Like the union workers who beat up a co-worker for embarrassing them by producing much more, the "south central liberal lemmings" took out their wrath, proving to the world, socialism is never the answer.

Answer 9

And when a citizen has been conscripted these issues are dispersed in the wind.When the American dream can become reality for all her citizens the new world will begin.When these issues are placed into a past that is willingly forgotten by the offspring we produce.My personal life and that of my country has been side tracked to repair the world.There yet stands an element which reserves the right to command my activity against another.Where will this contest end?

Answer 10

Boy,this is all we needed. As if we didn't all hate each other enough already. Now the ¨compare the minority group¨game is going to be played? Choose your most valued immigrant group,multiple choice.

EVERYBODY has a contribution to make and it isn't measured by strings of letters after your name. You couldn't run a country with 300 million Ph.ds. and no ditch diggers.

Nice, though, that you reminded us about all the horror stories about the Yellow Peril(THAT HAVEN'T COME TRUE). The same stories are circulating today about the country becoming an off-shoot of Mexico.

Get real everybody. Everyone in this country came from somewhere else or his daddy or his grand-daddy or his great,great,great grand-daddy did. The big difference is that most of them came by choice. Only one group was hauled over here against its will. I don't think we should be asking them to learn anything from another immigrant group. That is not our place,not our call to make.