Challenges of Asian American Teens | Asian American Poll

CHALLENGES OF ASIAN AMERICAN TEENS
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:07:44 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%

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Comments posted during the past year remain available for browsing.

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WHAT YOU SAY

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Azn MoFo,

Perhaps you could look for other youth activities with other asians since your school doesn't have a large population of asian.

Are there chinese churches or other chinese social groups with a large youth population with activities (not youth gangs).

Because a lot of your problems seem to stem from not having a lot of asian to relate with your problem.

I remember in High School once there were 4 of us riding the subway coming home from school. 3 black kids come on and started make this humorous rap about chinese people. People were snickering on the train. Then my fried lost it. He start banging on the windows yelling at the top of his lung over the roar of the subway "You think that's funny, you f*** Nig***s!" At the next stop the train clears out. Everyone got off. Except us 4 and the 3 black kids. The three of us already stood up to back up our friend. I knew this was going to end up in a knife fight and I kept thinking like a nerd "Damn, this is going to look bad on my college admission."

Finally, one of the black kids apologized for his crew and the stand off was resolved.

The long and the short of the story. Do sometimes take a hard stance against something that hurts you personally. Don't join a youth gang to look for acceptance among your asian peers.
AC dropout Monday, February 18, 2002 at 08:28:03 (PST)

Azn MoFo,

dude i wish i can say to u that things will get better .but as things stand at 14 ..and your parents not understanding ...all i can say is i feel your pain ...like u i use to go to a 99% white school. when i was 13-14 i was pretty small so i got constantly harass on a daily basic...u know the drill .." hey chink ...ching chong gookboy ..etc" but instead of feeling angry all the time i bury myself in combat fighting and martial arts magazines and countless bruce lee videos to inspire me to learn how to fight even though some of it was crap but it give me the jump start i needed..i began to train 4 times a week ...with weights and a punching bag ...man ..it feel so good to take it out all that stress..i simply took my anger and use it to improve my body although i am only 5-8" and 164lbs now i can lift 280lbs easily and believe me after i began my senior years "NOBODY" ever call me a chink again to my face ..ok..i dunno if this is what u want to hear but seriously training really help me thru my teen years it might help u too ...even if u are small u can build muscules easily it might give u more confidence and it will give u a new focus instead of all that crap u have to deal with it can also help u mentally strong ..well...i dunno it's something to consider i know it wouldn't change the world but it might change yours....Good luck and be proud to be chinese!
K.T Sunday, February 17, 2002 at 22:06:39 (PST)

AznMoFo,

I feel your pain. I was in a similar situation. The best thing you can do is get back to China or someplace where you can make lots of chinese friends or associations. This will give you a feeling of identity, a feeling that you belong and a sense of roots which is missing in you. Thats the reason for your confusion.

The problem really is that you get your sense of identity by being part of a larger community.

Do this my brother and you will be at more at peace with yourself.

keviv Sunday, February 17, 2002 at 20:35:27 (PST)

But Im still having problems identifying myself....like my whole future revolves around my indentity .......as I stated my parents views but I cant still dont know rather if Im chinese or " american".....all my conflicts revolves around that issue.....Like I live in a white and hispanic suburb I go to a highschool of 3600 less than 20 of which are asian so the issue that im chinese pops up commonly becuz the fact im part of a minority I tried to identify myself with being chinese but I have few memories and I can barely understand mandrain or speak.....being that I left from China when I was 7...I use to be able to write and read.......here I never seen myself as american because well because im always treated as a minority like when I dropped off my sister at school one day and a couple of toddlers who couldnt even count pulled their eyes back slanted and said "ching ching chong" my sister comes home crying because she said that her friends made fun of her for being chinese. I tried to explain to her what being a minority means and that seterotypes are wrong but I guess shes too young to understand...every1 in school is cracking on me cuz a bunch of rappers doing song with chinese accents and asian seterotypes in it has become suddenly popular........Anyway my whole conflict revolves around this issue.........this thing tears me apart becuz i began to think that I dont fit into this world that Im sort of freak of nature....like I dont belong anywhere in this world........this is due to the early annual constant harrassment of ethnicity by my peers. Things look so dark and grim to me becuz Ive taken 7 years of this and no1 seems to understand ....the asian people in school dont associate with each other......except one but hes born here and mix thai chinese so he doesnt understand ........basicallly the past 7 years all Ive been trying to do is find out who am I? where do I belong?
Azn MoFo Pilotshinjiikaru@aol.com Sunday, February 17, 2002 at 00:05:29 (PST)

All of my friends are first-generation while I am second-generation. I had never really realized, that even when we have our high school reunion, we are never going to be the same. We will always be a generation different. I tried to learn the language, but it won't help. We are different, and I have to accept that.
Cali Saturday, February 16, 2002 at 14:26:28 (PST)

AznMoFo,

Your mom is right. It is true that whetever you do (no matter how well you learn english or whatever) you will never be accepted fully in the american mainstream.
And whats the whole point.... LIFE IS MEANT FOR HAPPINESS AND ENJOYMENT.
its not meant to be a struggle.

So the moral of the story is : If you are not happy in america, move back .
keviv Friday, February 15, 2002 at 17:06:54 (PST)

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