<p>^ there you have (in comment #39) an example of “seeing things through a racial lens”, and also what ucbalum was talking about with respect to “racial assumptions” (also known as ‘prejudices’).<br>
other examples are comments #2, #21 and #24 in this thread.</p>
<p>CNN banks on these things.</p>
<p>^ You make me wonder why I keep receiving emails hating President Obama from my ex-boss and friend. He used to be a good boss and good friend of mine and started to have the racial prejudices when Obama was elected.</p>
<p>I don’t who actually has the race lense: you or CNN.</p>
<p>I guess I will have to admit I sometimes see things through a racial prism, and perhaps that makes me prejudiced, but I don’t think so. At least not in an overly negative way, as in to “pre-judge”. I am certainly sensitive to issues of race, but I wonder if most black adults aren’t. </p>
<p>As I was reading the article, I was trying to figure out where the author was coming from. I wondered if most readers would relate to his concerns about supporting academics over sports. But when I read “hoops” (NOT soccer, NOT tennis, NOT ice hockey), I started thinking about the author. Call me prejudiced if you like, but it it made more sense after that.</p>
<p>my comments (re. networks like CNN) are more centered on the negative ‘racial assumptions’ that predictably arise from articles like this: discussions about the ‘achievement gap’ and the fact (?) that black fathers are less likely to engage with their children academically than others. i’m also black, and yes i’m sensitive to comments like that for several reasons.</p>
<p>I watch both Fox and CNN everyday and I don’t see like what you say.</p>
<p>I am confused by this statement “my comments (re. networks like CNN) are more centered on the negative ‘racial assumptions’ that predictably arise from articles like this: discussions about the ‘achievement gap’ and the fact (?) that black fathers are less likely to engage with their children academically than others.” because I see a lot of discussions about the over involvement of Asian parents in child education.</p>
<p>It’s clearly a universal message. By that I mean he expresses a universal truth. However, the practice of that truth is more or less prevalent among different groups. </p>
<p>Some of us need to hear it and apply it more than others. Some of us have more obstacles in our lives, or backgrounds that make the expression of the author’s approach more profound than it might be to those coming from a different sphere. </p>
<p>If people want to boil it down to racial configurations I suppose I can understand that – we are very quick in our society to think race first – but there are a variety of segments out there beyond race where the author’s line of thinking would be a welcome and much needed influence. </p>
<p>I don’t think he’s more sensitive to the topic because he’s black. I think he’s more sensitive to it because he wants to be a great dad – something people of all races could stand to have more of.</p>
<p>I am glad my kids embrace both academic and athletic pursuits, according to their interests and ability. We have always encouraged both so they will have strong minds and bodies. Balance & moderation is the key, in our loves–we have tried to model it and encourage/applaud it in our loved ones, in our activities and yes, even our dress. </p>
<p>I’m glad my kids are comfortable wearing much of their same clothing whether to school or mreo formal events without being accused of dressing for the beach or worse.</p>
<p>I hope you’re kidding. I have straight A’s and a 4.5 GPA. I read books for fun when I am not training in the gym between practices. For me there’s no separation between “nerd” and “jock,” and I can name a multitude of kids just like me.</p>
<p>couldn’t agree more with flvadad’s last sentence!</p>
<p>and yes, the jock v. nerd dichotomy is a really dumb one.</p>
<p>Look, there is a huge difference in experience between black kids and white and Asian kids in this country. A majority of black kids are living in single-family homes–and most of those homes don’t have fathers. In some states, 75% of black kids are in single family homes. This is why it is newsworthy and important for a black dad to emphasize this message.</p>
<p>I think it’s obviously true that the demographic a child comes from is going to be enormously influential in their level of aspiration and where these aspirations are focused. I think as we grow up most of us look to those we consider to be similar to us for role models and inspiration. Probably for a lot of people race has some part in their identity and it’s certainly true that the black population is drastically over represented in prisons and under represented in higher education when compared to white or Asian populations. However I think it’s absurd to look at the issue of race outside of the issue poverty. While race is still a pertinent issue, a black child growing up in a middle class aspirational environment is likely to identify themselves as much as middle class as they are black, and there are probably minimal cultural differences remaining.
Aside from that issue it was a great article. It is a shame that there are lots of people who denigrate academic achievement, or don’t consider academic pursuits to be a possible source of enjoyment and inculcate their children with similar views. Even among aspirational families academics is often seen as a means to an end (i.e. a career that can maintain a certain lifestyle) rather than a worthy pursuit in it’s own right.</p>
<h1>49 :
</h1>
<p>I could not agree more either. It seems that the article has a good intention and it’s not a CNN twist.</p>
<h1>50 :
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<p>Yes and no.</p>
<p>[Socioeconomic</a> Statistics & Demographics : Asian-Nation :: Asian American History, Demographics, & Issues](<a href=“http://www.asian-nation.org/demographics.shtml]Socioeconomic”>Socioeconomic Statistics & Demographics : Asian-Nation :: Asian American History, Demographics, & Issues)</p>
<p>Click on the tiny and blurry table to show the table in details.</p>
<p>@ #41
Reread my post please and elaborate on my “racial lens.”</p>
<p>I am white and middle class. As I said, I did not assume anything about race when I read the article. I didn’t consider it until it was mentioned in this topic.</p>
<p>I did find this strange, though:
Why? Because fraternal involvement in a child’s grades is not at all uncommon in the culture surrounding me. As I read, I found that his surprise did not correspond with my experience; upon reading posts on CC, I felt that it was necessary to point out that his surprise would be more likely to typify certain cultures rather than others.</p>
<p>
Check the column for “Married, Spouse Present.” And check pretty much all the other columns, except for “Cambodian, Hmong and Laotion”</p>
<p>Why not check all columns and check out the article?</p>
<p>^ I did. Do you have a source for numbers rather than percentiles? Like how many of each group in say, “the” Bay Area?</p>
<p>I was looking at these statistics:
[Children</a> in single-parent families by race - Data Across States - KIDS COUNT Data Center](<a href=“http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data/acrossstates/Rankings.aspx?ind=107]Children”>Children in single-parent families by race and ethnicity | KIDS COUNT Data Center)
They are just awful. Asians are aggregated in these–it probably is true that some Asian groups are worse off than others for all kinds of reasons, but none of them have this massive problem of absent fathers.</p>
<p>“Do you have a source for numbers rather than percentiles?”</p>
<p>I you click on link “methodology and terminology” it will show the source is U.S. Census Bureau and give detailed info.</p>
<p>[Statistical</a> Methodology : Asian-Nation :: Asian American History, Demographics, & Issues](<a href=“http://www.asian-nation.org/methodology.shtml]Statistical”>Statistical Methodology : Asian-Nation :: Asian American History, Demographics, & Issues)</p>
<p>“none of them have this massive problem of absent fathers.”</p>
<p>Nobody can dispute this fact. However, if you sort on columns “Not Proficient in English”, “Less Than High School”, “Personal Income”, “Public Assistance” you will see that many Asian groups also have a tough time in making a living and educating kids. Many Asian families cannot afford to take kids to ECs. The large part of Asian kids don’t get higher than 1600 on the SAT test.</p>
<p>Many Asian kids have to work to support family. Many Chinese coming here in the 1850s still work as cooks, bus boys, laborers,… more than 10 hours a day in Los Angeles and San Francisco Chinatowns. Many families don’t have heathcare…</p>