‘Minority Education’

In recent years, the success of a relatively few handful of Asians have generated the notion that Asians are the intellectual core of American youths. This undeserved title is misleading and somewhat inaccurate when seen through the eyes of an insider, an Asian. We are all more or less fooled by the facade of the Asian intellect, but when analyzed closely, one realizes the picture is not so complete. In fact, it may be somewhat warped.

Richard Rodriguez’s article, “A Formal Model for Minority Education” (Op-Ed Page, Oct. 11), eloquently responds to the notion of Asian intellect by bringing up the cultural aspect to explain its existence. I agree with his thesis but Rodriguez, being an outsider, could not possibly understand this ethnocentric dilemma. In turn, he too was taken in.

Due to the recent flood of Asian immigrants, a large composition of the American-Asian population are the immigrants themselves. It is these immigrants which are primarily responsible for the overall academic success attributed to Asians. Many bring a pit bull-like fierceness and competitiveness required to climb the academic ladder in their Asian homes. It is this zeal which, not only brings about the usual proficiency in mathematics, but later develops skills in other areas as well, such as literary arts and history.

But the typical pitfall many immigrant Asians seem to fall into is a social one; many become too “Americanized.”

This socializing element leads to the dulling of the immigrant edge. This is not to say all Asians, even second and third generation, are mediocre; on the contrary, many second- and third-generation Asians are very intelligent, largely due to their parents and their high academic values.

Many whites, blacks and Latinos do extremely well in school because of this parental supervision, yet it goes unrecognized because one cannot see white against white.

In effect, Asians are no different from any other race intellectually, and the only reason we’re considered so is because of our overwhelming immigrant population. Even the immigrant intelligence is nothing more than an eager will to succeed.

CHI KIM

La Jolla