Challenges of Asian American Teens | Asian American Poll

CHALLENGES OF ASIAN AMERICAN TEENS
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:07:45 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

What is the biggest problem faced by Asian American teens?
Pressure from parents to excel academically | 79%
Identity conflicts related to growing up a minority | 19%
Problems related to dating & sex | 2%
Gang influence, pressure & violence | 0%

What of these is the most common mistake made by Asian parents?
Not spending enough time with their kids | 18%
Pushing kids too hard for good grades | 34%
Being too strict in controlling kids' behavior | 45%
Neglecting the kids' social or cultural development | 3%

What factor contributes most to helping Asian teens grow up to be productive, well-adjusted adults?
Stable home environment | 93%
Cultural bias favoring academic success | 3%
Advantages provided by above-average affluence | 4%

This poll is closed to new input.
Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

CONTACT US | ADVERTISING INFO

© 1996-2013 Asian Media Group Inc
No part of the contents of this site may be reproduced without prior written permission.

WHAT YOU SAY

[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]

AznMoFo,

Your situation is very similar to mine several years ago when I was your age. While my feelings of that time are still fresh in my memory, I've also managed to distance myself from the confusion and tension of those years. I guess the best way out is to fight through it. As a football player, I learned to never give up against any opponent or odds, and a war is only a series of battles. Similarly, the seemingly interminable moments of angst from your teenage years will eventually end, and a new life and a new you will rise from the ashes of your fiery troubles. As time goes on, you'll realize how powerful you are and how insignificant all crises are. For now, just do what you can to reduce stress and be happy. Find other people to talk to besides your parents- relatives, friends, just people you know who don't speak from a perspective identical to your parents'. The most important lesson of all time- there is nothing that matters more than yourself :>)
Thomas- 19 Thursday, February 14, 2002 at 18:53:32 (PST)

AznMoFo,

You know I was pretty much in your situation as a kid. My father too would be like "Don't speak Chinese in the House," and "Don't learn Chinese you're in America." I was a little confused too because we only spoke mandarin at home. But my mother would buy me Chinese history books and send me to Chinese school on the weekend.

In highschool and college I always took a chinese language class. For 3 summers in college I studied in Bejing, Taipei, and HK for chinese language at accredited university. I was actually 2 classes away from being a major in Chinese. When I realized there were 2 billion people who were already were chinese language major and it was kind of pointless because who in America is going to question my Chinese ability.

But the point is, I see where my father was coming from. He basically felt that to compete among white Americans I would have get better grades and though learning Chinese would be distraction.

My mother on the other hand forced me to study chinese and would egg me with saying I was an illiterate Chinese. Even though all I wanted to do was stay home and watch cartoons.

But back to the point, the Chinese language will help you a bit in understanding your heritage or even finding aceptance in the asian community. However, realise that asians are really caught between two world. USA and Asia. No matter how much we intergrate in the USA society, because of our appearance and perception in popular media we are set apart from mainstream America. Because we adopt USA education and are out of the loop on changes in Asia, we will not fit in with those in Asia anymore. So in other words you may stick out even more in China than you do in the USA.

The problem is further emphasised in that the Asian population in the USA is so small. That to find a group of asian with your same experiences, values, or background is even more difficult. Hence, even traveling to large asian communities in NY, CA, or TX you may not fit in.

But the problem is not insurmountable as I have described. Just come to term Chinese-American you want to be, and the Chinese-American you can be. Thing should start looking slightly better.
AC dropout Thursday, February 14, 2002 at 11:44:55 (PST)

NEWEST COMMENTS | EARLIER COMMENTS