White privilege and asian-bashing

[Anonymous]

I live in an area that used to be primarily white UMC and white MC residents but has over the past 10 years become increasingly Asian-American. I've been noticing more and more coded and not so coded asian bashing comments from teachers, school administrators, and other parents.

The new trend seems to be finding ways to reduce competition, move to grading systems that don't reveal who performed higher the 70%, remove acceleration, and destress the schools. While I don't agree or disagree with some of these things depending on how they are implemented, these ideas or changes are almost always articulated as being a response to the changing nature of the community or making statements about how some parents who grew up in other education systems are pushing too much. Outside public announcements, its way more blatant with administrators and teachers being frustrated that parents who send their kids to outside academic programs, frequently use the term Tiger mom, don't like that these new kids win the spelling bees and the regular kids no longer have chance (yes they are implying that being white is regular).

Its as if parents, teachers and administrators of white kids, especially white boys are having a collective break down that asian American kids are stealing awards ranks and spots that belong to them. This is in a liberal area not conservative so it really has zero to do with politics.

[Anonymous]

Do you have a question?

[Anonymous]

Yep.

[Anonymous]

We're an Asian family living in Bethesda with kids from elementary to high school, and while I definitely see the mindfulness, low-competition, anti-comparison trend surging in neighboring elementary schools, it is not explicitly or even implicitly linked to Asian families. It's more because our area attracts wealthy, educated families from all ethnicities and nationalities, who have high educational standards and demand more challenge from the schools, and the schools and some progressive parents push back to protect young students' mental health.

In middle and high school, you can bet that all that stuff goes out of the window as college applications start looming in the most progressive parents' heads...

[Anonymous]

OP here. I guess my question is what should I do about it? I'm as white as you can get and not Asian American.. It just bugs me when the statements are clearly aimed at criticizing or blaming Asian American kids. Quite frankly I know many white European and black African families who are just as intense and focused on academics over sports so its not accurate to lay all the blame for pressure on kids at the feet of Asian Americans. I also know that many kids get stressed over not getting good grades because they loose privileges like video game or TV time when they don't bring home As. I honestly do not think this is a bad thing. People are naturally driven by reward and consequences.

If a teacher, admin or parent was making racist comments about how an AA kid must have only gotten into whichever school or program due to affirmative action I would 100% call them on that statement. Most people know not to disparage AA or latino students out loud though many may hold prejudices against them. For the Asian Americans though it seems 100% acceptable to disparage them openly and freely. No one seems to speak up or out about it.

I'm not sure what to say though. Do you come out and say stop that is a racist remark and while I am not a member of the race you are targeting I am still offended .Do you say Hey I'm a white chick and I totally agree with the groups that you appear to be bashing?

[Anonymous]

This must be somewhere in western Fairfax County. That’s where credentialism is is carried to its most bizarre extremes, both by school obsessed Asians and school obsessed whites.

[Anonymous]

Hmm. You are linking the de-stressing of school to a push-back against Asian families, but I’m not sure it’s the case.

Where I live there have been suicides in middle and high schools (due to stress), and the school district has responded by eliminating HW in elementary school, and reducing it in middle school.

I don’t believe it has anything to do with Asian students. Your post felt disingenuous to me.

[Anonymous]

Yeah,well,you know,this is how the white elites started reacting to Jewish success too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I guess my question is what should I do about it? I'm as white as you can get and not Asian American.. It just bugs me when the statements are clearly aimed at criticizing or blaming Asian American kids. Quite frankly I know many white European and black African families who are just as intense and focused on academics over sports so its not accurate to lay all the blame for pressure on kids at the feet of Asian Americans. I also know that many kids get stressed over not getting good grades because they loose privileges like video game or TV time when they don't bring home As. I honestly do not think this is a bad thing. People are naturally driven by reward and consequences.

If a teacher, admin or parent was making racist comments about how an AA kid must have only gotten into whichever school or program due to affirmative action I would 100% call them on that statement. Most people know not to disparage AA or latino students out loud though many may hold prejudices against them. For the Asian Americans though it seems 100% acceptable to disparage them openly and freely. No one seems to speak up or out about it.

I'm not sure what to say though. Do you come out and say stop that is a racist remark and while I am not a member of the race you are targeting I am still offended .Do you say Hey I'm a white chick and I totally agree with the groups that you appear to be bashing?

WHERE IS THIS?

Because in my Bethesda neck of the woods, it would be shockingly racist to call out Asian specifically, and I would not hesitate to say something in the moment, and to call them racist.

Please do so, OP. We have to fight against this.

[Anonymous]

What should you do about it? What are Asians doing about it? Follow their lead.

[Anonymous]

Hmm. You are linking the de-stressing of school to a push-back against Asian families, but I’m not sure it’s the case.

Where I live there have been suicides in middle and high schools (due to stress), and the school district has responded by eliminating HW in elementary school, and reducing it in middle school.

I don’t believe it has anything to do with Asian students. Your post felt disingenuous to me.

OP here again. I'm linking them because the people making these statements are linking it. They will make statements like:

-Our community is changing. While we like the new diversity, we will not tolerate the intense pressure being placed on students to succeed. Please remember that they are only children once. Grades do not matter as much as you think they matter. Everyone does not need to go to the best possible school. Everyone shouldn't get As or top scores on the SAT.

It was adding the sentence about this being the changing community and the diversity comment that made everyone know who the principal was talking about in terms of pressure.

I have heard several math teachers complain that regular smart kids just can't keep up with kids that go to outside math tutoring two hours a day and then refer specifically to tiger moms. I have heard them complain and make comments about spelling bee winners like- of course you will win if you are forced to study hours a day, its not fair that the truly talented kids are being left behind.

[Anonymous]

I'll add that one mom who used to coordinate the spelling bee every year dropped out because it had been taken over by others so what is the point. It is pretty blatant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll add that one mom who used to coordinate the spelling bee every year dropped out because it had been taken over by others so what is the point. It is pretty blatant.

She has the right to stop participating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Hmm. You are linking the de-stressing of school to a push-back against Asian families, but I’m not sure it’s the case.

Where I live there have been suicides in middle and high schools (due to stress), and the school district has responded by eliminating HW in elementary school, and reducing it in middle school.

I don’t believe it has anything to do with Asian students. Your post felt disingenuous to me.

OP here again. I'm linking them because the people making these statements are linking it. They will make statements like:

-Our community is changing. While we like the new diversity, we will not tolerate the intense pressure being placed on students to succeed. Please remember that they are only children once. Grades do not matter as much as you think they matter. Everyone does not need to go to the best possible school. Everyone shouldn't get As or top scores on the SAT.

It was adding the sentence about this being the changing community and the diversity comment that made everyone know who the principal was talking about in terms of pressure.

I have heard several math teachers complain that regular smart kids just can't keep up with kids that go to outside math tutoring two hours a day and then refer specifically to tiger moms. I have heard them complain and make comments about spelling bee winners like- of course you will win if you are forced to study hours a day, its not fair that the truly talented kids are being left behind.

So speak out about it. What do you want us to do? This has been trend for years in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I'll add that one mom who used to coordinate the spelling bee every year dropped out because it had been taken over by others so what is the point. It is pretty blatant.


She has the right to stop participating.

Yes she has the right to stop participating. It is still racist though to not want to run an event because the white kids are no longer winning the awards.