李春燕谈如何做美国人(5):从高中生的经历看华裔学生的机遇和挑战


李春燕-1142  05/13   13749  
4.5/60 



三月三十号在镇上的图书馆,Chinese Alliance for Equality (CAFE), OCA-NJChapter, and 镇上华人协会联合举办SCA5研讨会。十年级高中生贾端端,向在场的很多学生和父母讲述了自己办了几年的ABC Club (Achieving Better Communication) 促进父母子女沟通的经验。 和一般认为小提琴,网球是个人项目不同,端端经常用小提琴在社区(学校,文化节,老人院)演奏中国乐曲,传播中国文化,还通过教网球和辩论 to reach out to the bigger community. 他还介绍了高中生的压力,尤其亚裔背负affirmative action这样的handicap,一点小错就会影响很大。

端端说他有diverse friend circle,但观察一些亚裔孩子倾向和其他亚裔抱团。我后来跟印度裔学区委员谈及这种"de facto segregation",她说也许因为从小就不融合,到高中很难相处到一起了。确实有刚搬来的朋友说孩子很难交到其他族裔朋友,不能全怪华裔 (大概和加州国不同)。

端端回答了对SCA5的看法,centering on meritocracy and mismatch, competition in the global work force: "I think it is completely unfair. Concept of America is founded on meritocracy and this Skin Color Act is totally contradictory. By giving other races advantage, you are not allowing them to break down their stereotypes of being under-performers. An equal society can't discriminate based on color because it creates an inaccurate representation of the work place, in that those who got in based on color are inherently unqualified if their test scores are lower. Those who have the skill set but wrong skin color were relegated to a position of lesser opportunity. It adds pressure on us the Asian students. Asians have to outperform other races over hundreds of points on the SAT. In school, we have this Asian fail and fail fail." 端端的这些当场回答和在各大群里讨论的极为相似,我从他那学到不少。

我从一个母亲的角度着重针对社区发生的一系列事件,具体讲了多年来和朋友们、孩子们参与社区的例子(从孩子小时候就开始)。我用Michigan BAMN African American college students protests in front of the Supreme Court (10/15/2013) and UMich的图片提醒大家我们下一代面对的挑战。看看那些其他族裔的student activists, 我们的孩子们在哪儿?我们应该raise resilient kids, open up to college majors such as political science, law, governmental studies (not traditionally favored by Asians). 这既是挑战也是机遇。挑战摆在眼前,我们如何把它变成机遇,而不是只抱怨?英文crisis 翻成中文是“危机”,既有“危险”(risk),还有“机会” (opportunity),我们莫要辜负这中文词的深意啊,与大家共勉,一同探讨。

注:中英夹杂,请见谅。

http://m.worldjournal.com/view/mfull_news/24850218/xarticle-SCA-5%E5%8A%A0%E5%B7%9E%E6%8F%90%E6%A1%88-%E6%96%B0%E5%B7%9E%E8%8F%AF%E7%A4%BE%E6%8A%97%E8%AD%B0%E6%AD%A7%E8%A6%96?instance=nj1&wx=1&npg=1&from=timeline&isappinstalled=0

我们的孩子在哪儿?
http://www.bamn.com/social-justice/oct-15th-march-for-affirmative-action-minority-political-rights-video-pics-transcript-news-articles
http://www.bamn.com/social-justice/statement-from-bamn-plaintiffs-on-scotus-ruling-in-schuette-v-bamn
http://www.bamn.com/social-justice/petition-against-racism-at-um-defend-affirmative-action-minority-political-rights-and-immigrant-rights

李春燕谈如何做美国人系列
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