<p>Entertainer, </p>
<p>Your experiences sound identical to Jamma’s. Until a year ago, I was not aware of this difference between Africans and African Americans. </p>
<p>There was a boy from Jamaica who went to our junior high. He was one of the brightest kids in school. His parents were accountants. When it came time for high school, his parents placed him in a private school (his older brother also attended this private high school). When I asked him why he wasn’t going to attend our public high school (which is a highly-ranked school), he said something about his parents not wanting him to fall into the wrong crowd. I thought this statement was odd because all of his friends were good students, but now I think what he meant was that his parents wanted to make sure that he wasn’t subjected to the “why are you trying to be white?” peer pressure that you experienced. </p>
<p>I feel so bad for those AA who face this type of peer pressure. No other race that I know of has to deal with this pressure. In my culture, it’s just the opposite. We encourage each other and help each other get over periods of self-doubt. I am sure there is some sociological reason why this mentality exists in the AA culture that I do not understand, but I hope the success of people like President Obama help change it. </p>
<p>Although many Asians many disagree, I support affirmative action. Any student who can achieve academic succeess when faced with pressure from his or her own people not to succeed in school deserves a chance to attend the best schools. </p>
<p>Good luck at Michigan!! Do something great while you’re there!!</p>