Asian Students Excel Because Of Hard Work, Not Rich ParentsIt’s clear many people need to understand that Asian Americans’ excellence comes not from privilege, but from hard work and cultural virtues accessible to all.BY: HELEN RALEIGH
APRIL 28, 2022
ASan Diego-area superintendent was placed on administrative leave last week after her disparaging remarks about Asian students sparked outrage.
During a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) training on April 11, when asked why Asian students perform so well in school, Cheryl James-Ward attributed it to family wealth. She said: “We have an influx of Asians from China, and the people who are able to make that journey are wealthy. You cannot come to America and buy a house for $2 million unless you have money. You cannot come to America and buy a house for $2 million unless you have money.”
James-Ward doubled down when the board’s president pushed back. She said: “In my community, Carmel Valley, I have, not so much today, but up until a couple of years ago, we had a large influx of Chinese families moving in sight unseen into our homes, into the community, and that requires money.” In comparison, according to James-Ward, “in some of our Latinx communities, they don’t have that type of money, parents are working two jobs. They’re working from sunup to sundown.”
James-Ward’s attempt to use the wealth of a small subset of Asian Americans to explain away Asian students’ overall academic achievements is a common false narrative spread in an attempt to explain away why, as a group, Asian-Americans tend to perform the best academically and often economically.
This narrative is ignorant, false, and rude in a way that would not be culturally acceptable were it spread about other racial groups. So let’s look at her comments and the truth, as it’s clear many people need to understand that Asian Americans’ excellence comes not from privilege, but from hard work and cultural virtues accessible to all.
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Source:
https://thefederalist.com/2022/04/28/asian-students-excel-because-of-hard-work-not-rich-parents/