Why do Asian students generally get higher marks than Latinos?

Why do Asian students generally get higher marks than Latinos?

www.latimes.com

Both the neighborhood and student body are about 15% Asian. And yet Asians make up 50% of students taking Advanced Placement classes. Staffers can't remember the last time a Latino was valedictorian.

Frank D. Bean, a professor of sociology at UC Irvine's Center for Research on Immigration, Population and Public Policy, has studied the Mexican work ethic and found that work and education occupy the same pedestal, and in some cases, work is even more valued.

"I think the thing I always hear from the Latino kids is, 'Oh, well, Miss, he's Asian, she's Asian. Of course they do well,' " said Alli Lauer, who teaches English. "It's frustrating to hear them do it to each other."

(visit the link for the full news article)

Though this article was targeting a specific school, I too, have noticed this. Both groups of people come from middle-low working class groups in America, yet their academic performances differ.

I would like to open a discussion involving everybody and not just Asians or Latinos, and what you've experienced while at school. I feel this topic is important because when kids have the mindset that "oh, he's Asian, of course he's good at math" or "he got back grades this term, must be Mexican" is just... not right. Even as jokes amongst friends. This severely limits the developing mind into fitting into these mindsets. Any thoughts?

www.latimes.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Here are a few comments from students attending Lincoln High School in Cali:

They were blunt. Carlos Garcia, 17, an A student with a knack for math, said, "My friends, most of them say, 'You're more Asian than Hispanic.' "

It's sad but true," said Eliseo Garcia, a 17-year-old with long rocker hair, an easy manner and good grades. "I had an Asian friend, but he didn't necessarily get that great a grades. We used to say, 'He's Mexican at heart.' "

"They only start paying attention if I don't do well," said Karen Chu, 15, whose parents emigrated from Vietnam. "They don't reward me for getting straight A's. I don't get anything for that. But if I get a B, they're like, 'What's this?' "

"She said, 'I came here to do better for you,' " he said. "But that's about it. Being happy and getting by, that's what she wants."

Ericka Saracho, 16, an A student, said her Latino family did not push her to do well in school. When she got a rare B, "they're like, 'Oh, wow, Ericka finally got a B! How do you feel about that?' " she said. She is one of the few Latina students on Lincoln's Science Bowl team.

The students talked not just about parental expectations, but also about those of peers. Karen drew laughter when she said of other students, "They expect me to be smart. Even if, like, I do everything wrong on purpose, they still copy off of me -- as if I'm right just because I'm Asian."

Well for any non-azn student an ''A'' means amazing, for an asian getting an A means ''average'' and a B means ''bad''.

I really think the way they are raised contributes alot to their high marks.

reply to post by BcnDiamond


that is exactly how it was when I was growing up in the Bay Area. If it's the parenting, and most seem aware of this point (even in the article), how come nobody does anything? Is this an issue because Latino parents want their kids to do better?

Whatever the result is of being lax on the kids for being mediocre at school, do they want to be known as the bad, mediocre students at school? I am aware that this is a generalization, but I noticed this in schools in the Bay Area and in Southern California.

It might not be, just parenting, when they see that their brothers, sisters have become dentists, doctors, layers.. there's a certain pressure, and they will do all they can to even become better or atleast live up to their parents expectations.

Well, they obviously generally study harder. When I lived on the UofU campus there were tons of Asians. They come here to learn and that's what they do. I wouldn't say they are smarter then Latinos, rather they are generally more dedicated to their study.

That doesn't go to say that there are probably tons of latinos that do just as good, or even better then Asians. I know my Puerto Rican self was never to good at school, so i'm not one of them! lol

Is this something that... is an issue because the population that does not have the same inclination to study care that they are not more diligent in school as Asians? Or is this something that is readily accepted with no change in mind?

Because even from the replies so far, this stereotype is alive and well. Is this something anyone wants changed?

I would imagine that a lot of minorities out there think it's a ridiculous way to think. How do the youth grow up with this on their minds? Doesn't it limit them from the get? If a kid feels and always hears that his race just doesn't do as well at school... that if he's mediocre at school it's okay because that's just the way it is... that his parents don't push him so it's okay... is this the kind of upbringing that we want a kid (who is able to accomplish as much as any other kid) to grow up and develop in?

I have a Korean friend and he kills me when he talks about the difference between how Asians raise their kids and how other cultures do. He used to do stand up he's so funny, but his whole schtick was imitating his parents, who he says, when he got A's and would bring home his report card his dad would say..."Yes, you got an A, so what, get an A in an advanced class, then we will talk." So he would go take an advanced class, get an A, and bring it back...same thing but now his Dad would say, big deal, you got an A, who cares, skip a grade, THEN get an A, that would be even better..."

So yes I think it's definitely the way they are raised, and coached from an early age to excel in education, to skip grades and they are told from the womb they will at least get a master's degree, and that would be even slacking.

His parents were both doctors, and his brother is a doctor, and his sister is a doctor as well and he works in a call center for a bank, so is the pariah of the family even though he has a house and a car and an undergraduate degree...can you imagine being the "loser" of your family with those credentials???

reply to post by LateApexer313


your friend's story sounds just like mine. I wonder... since one of the critical reasons are well-understood by the public, how come that reason/solution is not applied elsewhere? It is just not a formula that works well in getting good grades and such.

This is not some mysterious gene that Asians have within them. It is how hard they're pushed, being up to par in the family, and not rewarding mediocrity (these three things simply and crudely stated).

Of course there is the flipside to this, where Asians lose their minds, grow up with no social life, having passed their youth with piano practice and SAT practice...

[edit on 16-7-2008 by astronomine]

Originally posted by LateApexer313
His parents were both doctors, and his brother is a doctor, and his sister is a doctor as well

and he works in a call center for a bank, so is the pariah of the family even though he has a house and a car and an undergraduate degree...can you imagine being the "loser" of your family with those credentials???

That's basically what I said earlier, and think is the main reason for azns getting higher scores in school.

Anyway Astronomine, I think it's as much as a stereotype as a fact.
When I was in school, I used to learn just as much to get the bare minimum and get my piece of paper. I would skip the entire year, not attending, then in the last month id learn like crazy and even get above average grades at my exam.

From what little I know,

It looks like a combo of Cultural and Geographic dynamics...

The Asian culture covered a more substantial and varied Geographic area comparatively,...

Culturally, religious differences(eastern versus western) are the most stark contrast to me... must be part of the reason...

from what I've seen personally, asian kids excel and school and instruments and extracurricular activity. but a lot of them are socially inactive and repressed during their youth and I have seen a lot of them go nuts when they get to college and out of the wingspan of their overbearing parents. it is a toss-up, a balance, between hard work and education and just living life, so I think there is fine-tuning yet to occur. a balance between the two would be perfect.

I just think it's pretty critical when the youth... when they grow up with the mentality that this is race is smarter... this race is better at sports... this race is better at math... this race dances better... you know what I mean?

Whether or not it's because of the parenting, or if it's physical, or if it's part of the culture, or whatever... it still feels off to me that the youth, who should be pretty darn equal in ability, start to diverge from the get due to this imbedded mindset. There are obviously exceptions to the stereotype which I think need to be highlighted as examples that, in actuality, Asians are not smarter than Latinos, or whatever the bias may be.

So yeah the basic consensus on this subject so far is the upbringing on the child. The Asian parents expect a higher educational standard of results then most westernized parents. Well yes that’s quite true, my sister went to the best girls school in Victoria and over 60 percent of the students were Asian. Although I suspect it’s not because Asian parents put the pressure on the kids, but simply because they raise them better.

[edit on 18-7-2008 by andre18]

How about this logic:

Asians are the master race. Replace the 's' with an 'r' and what do you get?

What the article seems to suggest is that they get better grades because they are intellectually superior to everyone else, particularly Latinos, who know and accept this fact.

One of my best friends was Vietnamese who was pretty much a straight-A student.

But in the whole time I knew him, he was never allowed to go to any birthday parties. Not even his best friend of two years!

He had to get a tutor for most subjects, even though he was a straight-A kid, and do "Vietnamese School" after school, he had to be one year level ahead in maths classes, and look after his little brother evey day after school until 7'o'clock. AS WELL AS COOKING DINNER FOR HIS FAMILY!
Sometimes he would call me after school, just to talk, and would all of a sudden say, "OhSorryIHaveToGo" and hang up immediately, because his parents were home, or needed something.

Very strict parents and a very boring teenage life, in my opinion.
He definitely didn't enjoy it, and didn't deserve it.

A balance is needed, otherwise when the schoolkid in question is finally free of their parents, they will have no good study habits.
After being forced your whole life to study all the time, do you really think when tyou aren't being made to do it, that you still will?

How often have we seen kids that excelled during middle and high school under the strict guidance and training of their parents, only to move on to college and release all of that build-up of no freedom, no fun, no youth, etc.?

There definitely needs to be balance with a bias towards the studious side (guess that isn't balanced). I always used to value youth and all the joys/heartaches that go along with it, but having gone through it, I might say now that learning how to work hard is more important than living a "youth". From what I have seen, kids that obtained a skill while young and practiced that ability until it became a talent in later years were far better off than the mediocre who are neither good or bad at any particular thing.

I graduated this year from school, and during my time I noticed the specific trends that are mention here that mostly asians, and indians where the greater achievers. Not to be discriminating or anything, but because I undertook high maths classes, these groups made up majority of the class, and all caucasion people undertook such classes as studies of the social environments. It is clear that the attitudes by the parents towards their daughter or son in the "asian" groups where much stricter, and I personality don't think it has much to do with genetics and learning capacity due to experience. The students parents where the cause of their childrens success, as they would not allow their child to go out to parties or "have a life" apart from concentrating on their childs crucial time of development.

I'm tired of people saying that Asians and Indians are naturally smarter then everyone else. I bet everyone in that school would obtain straight A's if their parents forced them to study 5-7 hours a night. It's just like at my college, when you walk around late at night, or go to the library/study halls, who do you walking around? Literally all Asians, Indians, and the one black kid, me