Where "Asian Privilege" Comes From
But wait -- at six percent of the population, aren't Asians a minority? And one that endured some pretty awful discrimination?
Yet, recent research by Pew found that Asian men, not surprisingly, earn 117 percent of the wages of white men.
And hey, good for them -- and for all of us -- because this country ultimately benefits from the most productive citizens, much as there are calls to promote people simply because they're a certain sex or skin color.
Helen Raleigh writes at The Federalist:
What contributed to Asian American's impressive economic success? The same research credited three factors:•Emphasis on education: "Educational attainment among Asian Americans is markedly higher than that of the U.S. population overall. Among those ages 25 and older, 49% hold at least a college degree, compared with 28% of the U.S. population overall."
•Emphasis on marriage and family: "(Asian) newborns are less likely than all U.S. newborns to have an unmarried mother (16% vs. 41%); and their children are more likely than all U.S. children to be raised in a household with two married parents (80% vs. 63%)."
•Emphasis on work ethic: "Nearly seven-in-ten (69%) Asians say people can get ahead if they are willing to work hard."
The research failed to mention another factor that distinguishes Asians: most Asians do not share the "us versus them" mentality. The majority of Asians do not demand that someone or some group be held responsible for their own happiness. Instead, they ask themselves, "What do I need to do to make my life better?" and then make it happen.
Not surprisingly, the political grievance industry ignores Asian Americans because they don't fit the narrative. Maybe it's time for Asians to become more politically active and point out the narrative is wrong, and even a liberal think tank's data proves it.
These are all good points. Let's take a moment to digest them, because you (Amy) and Raleigh are not wrong about this.
(Tick tock.)
Okay? All true, and perhaps the most important factors in the phenomenon.
But see also, especially.
Crid at July 26, 2016 10:53 PM
"Maybe it's time for Asians to become more politically active and point out the narrative is wrong, and even a liberal think tank's data proves it."
Lmao lmao Asians are plenty active its just everybody ignores them and when they don't they really only use them to constrast against those other "uppity" minorities. Literally one of their top complaints is the whole model minority steryotype.
Do you ppl honestly think grievance politics is only the realm of SOME people? Everyone does it.
ppen at July 27, 2016 7:21 AM
Like did you people even know there is a whole anti white male asian female movement?
Nope didnt think so. Thats how much Asians are ignored. Lmao.
ppen at July 27, 2016 7:25 AM
We were talking about the behaviors of Americans of Asian ethnicity, not the Chinese. Unsurprisingly, there is a difference.
MarkD at July 27, 2016 7:31 AM
Eh I grew up in an Asian American community. Crid isnt too far off. Cheating was common among Asian Americans and among the wealthier Asian immigrants. The only ones that seemed not to do it where Eurasians. Im guessing because they tended to have a white American dad at home.
ppen at July 27, 2016 7:43 AM
Yes, ppen, I was aware that there is such a movement. I hope they don't blame me, I imported mine...
MarkD at July 27, 2016 7:45 AM
Like did you people even know there is a whole anti white male asian female movement?
It's called "feminism".
Wut?
No, I didn't know. Number of fucks given: 0.
I R A Darth Aggie at July 27, 2016 8:13 AM
Well, two things to notice that I (Second-gen Asian [Latin?]American here) can confirm: Amy and Crid are right on both points.
And Ppen: What the fuck has having a non-Asian father anything to do with cheating?
Sixclaws at July 27, 2016 8:20 AM
Geez I dunno..could be..because the cheating comes from the insane pressure Asians feel to succeed. White American dads tended to remove (some) of that cultural pressure. If the pressure isnt there the cheating wasnt happening. As far as I could tell it had to do with how far you were from the original immigrant mentalility or how much you could buffer it.
ppen at July 27, 2016 9:02 AM
It took me a while to decipher what you wrote Ppen. The common term is 'yellow fever' and yes, everyone knows about it. That movement has been active for decades.
Ben at July 27, 2016 9:46 AM
Oh, that. Next time, add some context.
Funny, can confirm too that it's the Asian mothers who put on more pressure on their children to excel in school than their dads.
BTW, having a non-Asian dad means having better odds at getting into an Ivy league University (Dad's last name, and selecting mixed-race/white/hispanic/black/arabic on the ethnicity checkbox instead of Asian.)
Sixclaws at July 27, 2016 9:49 AM
One of the more successful immigrant groups is Nigerians. I can pick out recent African immigrants: they have a confident, no bullshit look that says they are serious people. They are not playing the grievance tune.
Thomas Sowell has an interesting book "Race and Culture" about how immigrants carry cultural tools with them that are very helpful. For example, Koreans are more frequent that expected running small grocery stores and dry cleaners. In the South, it seems every small hotel is run by a Patel (a common family name from a certain part of India). In Brazil, European immigrants brought and continued their trades of making pianos or wine or building opera houses. Early Greek immigrants could be found as fishermen all over the world, like in Florida. China has a tradition going back 1000 years of intense study being the route to get into the civil service. There's probably a gene for it by now. I had a post-doc working for me who grew up in Mao's camps. If you told him he was being discriminated against here, he would have just laughed--compared to what he lived through the world was wide open for him.
Craig Loehle at July 27, 2016 10:50 AM
I like Craig's list. So to speak/
In Cali, donuts are Cambodian. (Postrel's book explains why this happens.) I fell in love with a waitress in a Echo Park-ish donut shop in 1991, and she looked nothing like Maria Muldaur, but ever time I saw her it was sweet. And cakey.
IIRC, Cali fingernails are polished by Vietnamese.
Crid at July 27, 2016 7:41 PM
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