Why the kids of Asian immigrants excel – and what it teaches us about stereotypes

Why the kids of Asian immigrants excel – and what it teaches us about stereotypes
- April 10, 2014
- Research by Jennifer Lee, sociology professor, is featured in The Globe and Mail (Canada) April 10, 2014
From The Globe and Mail:
In Canada, statistics show that second-generation children of immigrants outperform
their native-born peers. But that’s not the full story. Some ethnic groups do very
well when it comes to education attainment and professional occupations, while others
struggle. Why do kids with parents from places such as China often top the achievement
lists? The simple answer: because their parents expect them too. But that’s only the
simple answer, according to a fascinating new paper published in the Journal of Race
and Social Problems which takes a deep dive on these questions, and comes up with
a much more nuanced answer than the cultural-superiority argument put forth by Yale
professor and ‘Tiger Mom’ Amy Chua. As one of the study’s authors, Jennifer Lee, noted
in an interview this week, the Asian-American success narrative has its costs as well
– both for students who don’t make the grade, and for how society perceives the achievements
of other ethnic groups.
For the full story, please visit http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/study-stretches-past-tiger....
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