Challenges of Asian American Teens | Asian American Poll

CHALLENGES OF ASIAN AMERICAN TEENS
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:07:39 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.

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WHAT YOU SAY

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

I've been reading these past interesting posts, and thank god i can finally relate to someone.

i live in mesa, arizona but previously i've lived in LA, california. i believe that my parents ruined my life when we came here. Here's why:

1. I've gained a new perspective of society
2. I've been depressed, also been a "self-injurer"
3. Lots more, but i'm too lazy to type them in

Sometimes i think the white ppl here are more of bigots than the ones from anywhere else... (my school is dominately white)
stupid 15 yr old Tuesday, August 13, 2002 at 15:01:04 (PDT)

I am a Taiwanese-American female. My mom pushes me too hard in school to achieve academically. Her definition of academic achievement is straight A's. It is pressure from her that stresses me out. I wish she would lighten up on me. It may also have something to do with the fact that I'm her first-born and first generation American.
Taiwanese-American teen Thursday, August 08, 2002 at 18:48:45 (PDT)

If I had to grow up as a Teen again I would only do two things.

1-Become a Punk (not the Blink 82 gaypunk) but the Sex Pistols or Minor Threat style - The old School.

2- Start my own Asian Punk band who can play and have a beat. Not the stupid nonsense, 'I'm late for school and I got no Date songs' but anger songs and songs with meaning like Discrimination, prejudism, hate, unfairness in the workplace, whites controlling the world, Asian females not seeing the ploy of whitemen and those female which we all love who sell out, Asian females who hate themselves and Asian males, Asian males frustrated at the damn system of cowtowing to whitey, being called Chink or gook and so on.

It would be cool to wear the Army jackets with the torn lumbershirts with the Doc Martin boots with the spike hair and the spike armour again.

You can still play your Mozarts and Beetoveens during the day and at night change back to Punk and say screw everything.
Brings me back Friday, July 26, 2002 at 16:26:30 (PDT)

"Give guitars a chance":

First give Asian rhythms a chance.You can play them on every instrument. Even a violin sounds in a way bearable when played with an Asian rhythm.

Young Asian people should have the opportunity to learn that the Asian ear is different from the Western ear.
Bach, Mozart, Chopin...-unbearable!- Gamelan, yes,this is music for Asians.
Asian Man, Asian Music Monday, July 22, 2002 at 15:24:36 (PDT)

Just wondering why most Asian parents push their kids into learning instruments like only piano or violin?

What about GUITARS!!!
Where if you are good, can make just as much money if not more?

Besides piano and violin is so damn prissy to do. maybe it is the image these brainwashed Asian parents want people to think about thier family as cultured and civilized because they play with these prissy instruments.

You can make just as much sound and variety and it is as portable as a violin. You can hype up the amp and distortion with a electric guitar and make alot of great sounds.

Also Girls like it if you play guitar and sing a song to them or you can play for yourself. You can play rock, punk, blues,noise, dance and many more variations.
Give Guitars a Chance! Friday, July 19, 2002 at 01:03:48 (PDT)

Miki Wu,
That's a very good point, and I think that keeping that in mind while raising children that are either AA or mixed would help them to feel less excluded.

cb,
I once dated a Corean American guy, and he told me his little 9 year old cousin in Corea had school 6 days a week, tons of homework, piano lessons, sports teams, etc etc, and that the poor kid was always exhausted. I understand and respect the extreme importance of education in Asian society, but I also believe in giving children some sense of freedom and fun in their childhood.
curious girl Friday, June 28, 2002 at 08:05:47 (PDT)

I think a big problem that is often overlooked is an effort on the parents behalf to learn about and introduce their kids to the whole of american culture and even subculture. Many only give one angle on life- such as academics and seeking merit from white americans, But americans come in all shapes and sizes and colors and are all important in their own individual ways.
Miki Wu MikiWu76@hotmail.com Tuesday, June 18, 2002 at 14:21:07 (PDT)

i'm really good friends with two asians (chinese and indian). when i go over their house and i hear what they do, it amazes me. i dont know if this sounds bad, but i want to be a parent like that. i think it's a beautiful thing: they are both fluent in another language, they both play an instrument (piano), both have an incredible social environment, and much more. both parents stress school and maybe this is stereotypical (actually i know it is) but when i think of asians...i think of REALLY smart people. it's kind of true because most asians in my school are 2nd generation and their parents want their children to excel cause they know they have a rough future ahead of them. maybe i'm blabbering, but from what i see, i like the way asians parent their children and i want to be like that. maybe a little less strict though
cb Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at 09:41:57 (PDT)

I find it very strange that some parents are hypocritical enough to care about their boys' haircut ("the hair mustn't be too long" etc) while ignoring that the teenagers have already sexual contacts. If even I have worried about the morals of my mates at school it sounds pretty careless that the parents don't even say anything against sexual contacts among teenagers.(I've heard this is also going to be a big problem in Korea and Japan.)
Is Christian education now the only way for young people to remain chaste?!
rare (heathen) stuff Thursday, May 30, 2002 at 19:06:01 (PDT)

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