<p>“Zoosernom, , you are not acknowledging other people’s perspectives, I think you should just let this thread go.”</p>
<p>Of course I am. Pages ago we had discussions where people brought other than thin skin to the table and created understanding and insight. As I said repeatedly, that was very valuable information that I will take with me in future dealings. Did you miss that part? We’ve passed that point and the rest is just whining by people who don’t share insight but want to censor others’ posts. By the way, is it really so tough for so many to identify posters to whom they are responding by their correct usernames?</p>
<p>I haven’t read all of these posts in depth but the initial posting made me think…hmmmm…sounds like a line for a Hannah Montana concert event or a toy store with a very limited supply of Tickle Me Elmo toys. We’ve all seen overzealous-overindulging parents making fools of themselves to buy their little darlings the latest clothing fads, etc.</p>
<p>Perhaps for some of these students it could be that some of these parents are just following the lead of their very competitive children and want to make sure they get into the calculus class. I think it may be a little of both. </p>
<p>As for my reading of the initial posting…I didn’t see it as being particularly mean spirited ---- it seemed to be an interesting observation. I’ve witnessed assumptions made about my daughters who just happen to girls who have preferred and have always excelled in Math and Science.</p>
<p>“I definitely see the humor in a bunch of people breaking into a run like that but I guess I fail to see the humor in how a particular Asian stereotype turned out to be true.”</p>
<p>The humor is an overt, and pretty extreme, manifestation of stereotypical behavior. The fact that all the people were rushing to sign up for calculus makes it even more extreme. It seems to me that there may be a couple of reasons some people are offended by this kind of observation: (1) they may feel that Asian parents who don’t behave this way are being unfairly lumped in with those who do; or (2) they believe that the behavior is appropriate in the first place because those parents just want the best for their kids. As to the first, I think most of us realize that not all Asian parents fit into the stereotype, but gosh, enough do that it is real. As to the second point, I guess there is just a difference of opinion as to what behavior reflects overintensity.</p>
<p>Hunt, this is a program where 34 of the 35 “selected” students are Asian Americans. That should tell you something about its non-representative nature. Just as one would not conclude that all people from the Bristish Isles are thugs by observing their behavior in a soccer match, and why would you do so here?</p>
<p>Musing on inappropriate behavior of others by linking it to stereotype is nothing but covert bigotry. It victimizes the whole group. Moreover, we will all be victimized by such bigotry at the end.</p>
<p>My D recently confided to me that she had loved the beauty in math since she was a little kid but was put off by comments by her teachers regarding asians and math. Thinking back, I can see it. She wrote a touching story in 5th grade on how numbers take on their present shape, where zero was so saddened by her inability to merge and split like other numbers that she curled up within herself until she was all round, and how other numbers felt bad and tried to assume the same shape but failed.</p>
<p>I don’t know whether she will succeed as a mathmatician but I am glad to hear that she will have the chance to find out.</p>
<p>"Hunt, this is a program where 34 of the 35 “selected” students are Asian Americans. That should tell you something about its non-representative nature. "</p>
<p>What do you think it tells you? For similar selective programs around here, it would tell you that Asian students apply for such programs in significantly higher numbers than non-Asian students. One may or may not think that is admirable, but it does represent a culturally-based behavior pattern that gives rise to the stereotype.</p>
<p>Hunt, the distribution of other summer academic programs are less skewed. The one that I am familiar, simply because my D was in it, is the Hopkins CTY program, where the distribution of Asian American stduents was about 15% (by my less than accurate visual impression). Also the Oxbridge progarm that my D participated at Oxford, the percentage was considerably lower.</p>
<p>“The one that I am familiar, simply because my D was in it, is the Hopkins CTY program, where the distribution of Asian American stduents was about 15% (by my less than accurate visual impression).”</p>
<p>Maybe, but which CTY courses do the Asian kids take? My kids have been in CTY, too, and my impression is that there were a lot more Asian kids in the fast-paced high school chemistry (for example) than there were in creative writing.</p>
<p>My D took three years of creating writing at CTY. She went on to a summer at Oxford for a course in Shakespeare, and then a year at Madrid on Spanish Literature.</p>
<p>I think there is a bit of a misunderstanding here. There were 35 kids present in the room at the exact moment that I was registering. That is in no way a reflection of the number of kids invited, which is likely about 200 for the various programs. The registration lasted over three days and this was the first possible time. I was there because of ZG being hospitalized, otherwise we would have done an evening registration. Part of the amusement was that of the 200-ish kids in various grades who would have needed to register, it tickled my funnybone that at the first registration period we went to, we stuck out like a sore thumb because of ethnicity AND class choice.</p>
<p>Padad, I’m glad your daughter had such a good outcome, but I think you’ve been out of line on this thread, particularly with the personal attacks on me and most especially on my kid.</p>
<p>I guess a third reason to be offended when stereotypical behavior is described is the belief that the stereotypical behavior, in fact, does not really occur (or doesn’t occur that often). In this particular case, I have observed both first hand and by reading on CC and elsewhere too much to think that the “overbearing Asian parent” stereotypical behavior doesn’t happen.</p>
<p>" “overbearing Asian parent” stereotypical behavior doesn’t happen."</p>
<p>Never seen it before in my live. Although my area has very few Asian students, so I wouldn’t necessarily.</p>
<p>I can understand respectful offense and even better, offering background information to help others understand. BUt I can see nothing in any of my posts that would have justified researching my posting history to find something that upsets me to slam me about, never mind hunting through that posting history to find something to attack my kid about. Sorry. This is a message board, nothing that happens here really justifies that kind of behavior.</p>
<p>“Crazy Asian Mother by Erick Liang” on YouTube has had almost 5 million views. Maybe self-parody is funnier than comments by persons who aren’t members of the group. “Red State Update” is another YouTube staple, making fun of Southern hicks. I think it’s pretty funny, even though I are one.</p>
<p>Zoosermom, No, I did not research your past posting history. If you read back those two threads, you will find where I stood on those issues, and if you have kept your private messages, you would have one that I sent as well. My post citing the bus “seating” was to remind you the bigotry in that thread on stereotyping large people. The second one was to remind you that your post may be hurtful on a personal level. In both cases, I used them becasue I know for sure that you know how bigotry could evolve from what may even be an innocent start of a thread, let alone with a thread title such as this one. I could have used other threads as examples of bigotry in this forum but there is no way for me to know that you would be acquainted with them. I had hoped that you were familiar enough with those two threads that you won’t construe my posts as personal attacks.</p>
<p>What beautiful charming writing. I can see your d is talented in writing as well. At least the comments to her was in a good way.</p>
<p>My s, a good writer had some problems with grammar when he was young. At a PT meeting his teacher told me she thought it was natural for “an ESL student” so she let him be. :eek: Ummm, his first language is English. His second is French. He was just sloppy and couldn’t be bothered with all the grammar rules, just like mom. I shook my head internally at her but I knew she meant no harm. </p>
<p>I agree with the poster that said we have to look at intent to take offense.</p>
<p>I thought that Eric Liang video was pretty funny. My kids think so too. And, in some Asian joke posted, we fit most of the list, like having a 20lb bag of rice in our pantry, lol.</p>
<p>Padad, there was no excuse. None whatsoever. You misunderstood or assumed or misrepresented on this thread to twist words to justify your choice to be offended. There was no bigotry here. None, and I find your posting on this thread disturbing. As far as the large people? No stereotyping there either. Sharing my personal experience, as the wife of a morbidly obese man, of having people sit on me on the express bus. </p>
<p>“The second one was to remind you that your post may be hurtful on a personal level.”</p>
<p>How utterly inappropriate. Again, disturbing that you would go to such length in the context of a generally courteous disagreement on a message board. Give some thought to how you’ve handled yourself here.</p>