Asian students dominate admissions to elite Thomas Jefferson High School

[Anonymous]

You know my initial response was to a racist remark regarding white people. That person said the following with respect to why fewer people are applying to TJ:

'White kids are afraid of competing with Asian kids (too much work mommy...) and their parents want to denigrate TJ any way they can since if they cant't have it then it's not worth having.'

Some how I am the one who is labeled racist and unwise because I had the gall to state my observations of Asian parenting. Do all Asians apply immense pressure on their children to excel academically? Of course not. However, it is not breaking news that a plethora of Asian parents demand excellence in their children. After seeing a couple of parents respond abusively toward their children for being less than stellar on a given day, I was curious about what happens to a child that does not meet parental expectations, particularly when that child does not get into TJ. I also wanted to note that my children are not afraid of competing with Asians. My parenting has enabled them to love learning. They do not see Asians as competition but rather intellectual peers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: I do not have to feel superior to anyone. The learning is forced when you demand the child to study for hours when he/she does not want to. Trust me, go to the public library and all the Asian children are with their Kumon instructors. I witnessed one child with his instructor for at least three hours. Poor child was so frustrated.

at which libraries will i witness this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know my initial response was to a racist remark regarding white people. That person said the following with respect to why fewer people are applying to TJ:

'White kids are afraid of competing with Asian kids (too much work mommy...) and their parents want to denigrate TJ any way they can since if they cant't have it then it's not worth having.'

Some how I am the one who is labeled racist and unwise because I had the gall to state my observations of Asian parenting. Do all Asians apply immense pressure on their children to excel academically? Of course not. However, it is not breaking news that a plethora of Asian parents demand excellence in their children. After seeing a couple of parents respond abusively toward their children for being less than stellar on a given day, I was curious about what happens to a child that does not meet parental expectations, particularly when that child does not get into TJ. I also wanted to note that my children are not afraid of competing with Asians. My parenting has enabled them to love learning. They do not see Asians as competition but rather intellectual peers.

Sure, but white parents that are afraid of competing with Asian families, need to get over it all they are doing is resigning themselves to second-place if they don't compete, that goes for everybody Asians whites is bannocks etc. If you refuse to compete you lose. That is also why cheating becomes a bigger and more important edge in the competition, the punishment is low and the payoff is high.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: It's not an Asian problem, it's actually a problem for the universities and schools and positions that have made the entrance qualifications too gameable and incentives the long term payoff of cheating (at all costs).

Again, look at the NYC white Wall Street types that have other people take tests for their kids. In fact white ivy legacy isn't too far off from getting questions to the exam...

+1 There's that recent article about the possible cheating scandal at Stanford.

I'm Asian. I have never sent my kids to tutoring or prep type classes, though one DC is in a gifted program.

However, there are a disproportionate number of Asian parents that do force their kids to afterschool tutoring classes. Many do this because this is what they are used to back in their home country, that this is how you ensure your kid is academically at the top. You'll find that most Asian Americans that were educated in the US starting from ES don't do this as much because this is not what we are used to, and it is not "normal" to us. Yes, I'm generalizing here.

But, there are also a disproportionate number of white parents that redshirt their kids for sports. Most Asian parents would never think to do such a thing because they don't place much importance on sports. Obviously, some of these Asian parents make these kids go to tutoring because they care (maybe too much) about their kids' academics. But, why do parents redshirt their kids for sports? Is it for their kid's benefit, or the parent's?

You may say you don't agree with either. The point here is that there are parents that make their kids do things because they feel it's the best for them. I don't agree with ES kids going to after school tutoring (unless that kid needs the help) because ES kids shouldn't need to study so much, but for HS kids, I don't think there's that much difference between studying at home or studying extra at a center, especially if they need the extra studying.

As for prepping, agree with PP, *most* higher SES kids prep to some degree or another for entrance exams. Some lower SES kids prep, too, but not as much since it costs money to prep.

I make my kids take piano lessons even though they don't want to because I think it's good for them. Does that make it wrong? I also make my 9 yr old take out the trash bin to the curb to teach him responsibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So now the whites are in favor of affirmative action.

Neutral observer here. Many of "the whites" have long supported affirmative action. Many Asians used to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

not a single one of them has any interest in STEM

Go to UVA and study the humanities. Just a way to get into UVA

I think they are aiming higher than that.

[Anonymous]

What does Asian mean anyway? I have never seen an Asian woman in this area who isn't dating or married to a white guy. Weird.

[Anonymous]

But, there are also a disproportionate number of white parents that redshirt their kids for sports.

Off topic, but the type of red-shirting for sports you are talking about here is not done by parents, it is done by coaches on the college level. It has to do with college eligibility to play on a team.

Some people use the term red- shirting to refer to parents who choose to start their kids in kindergarten a year later because the child is not yet ready for school. Not the same as red-shirting in sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But, there are also a disproportionate number of white parents that redshirt their kids for sports.

Off topic, but the type of red-shirting for sports you are talking about here is not done by parents, it is done by coaches on the college level. It has to do with college eligibility to play on a team.

Some people use the term red- shirting to refer to parents who choose to start their kids in kindergarten a year later because the child is not yet ready for school. Not the same as red-shirting in sports.

No, I've witnessed parents make their MSer repeat a grade in MS for sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You know my initial response was to a racist remark regarding white people. That person said the following with respect to why fewer people are applying to TJ:

'White kids are afraid of competing with Asian kids (too much work mommy...) and their parents want to denigrate TJ any way they can since if they cant't have it then it's not worth having.'

Some how I am the one who is labeled racist and unwise because I had the gall to state my observations of Asian parenting. Do all Asians apply immense pressure on their children to excel academically? Of course not. However, it is not breaking news that a plethora of Asian parents demand excellence in their children. After seeing a couple of parents respond abusively toward their children for being less than stellar on a given day, I was curious about what happens to a child that does not meet parental expectations, particularly when that child does not get into TJ. I also wanted to note that my children are not afraid of competing with Asians. My parenting has enabled them to love learning. They do not see Asians as competition but rather intellectual peers.

Sure, but white parents that are afraid of competing with Asian families, need to get over it all they are doing is resigning themselves to second-place if they don't compete, that goes for everybody Asians whites is bannocks etc. If you refuse to compete you lose. That is also why cheating becomes a bigger and more important edge in the competition, the punishment is low and the payoff is high.

I'm confused. Who is cheating?

[jsteele]

I am going to lock this thread. If you want to discuss topics such as this, please learn not to over-generalize. Just about any time you say "Asians do this " or "Whites do that" you are probably making a racist statement. If you need examples, review this thread.