Yahaira Manchame

AAS 201
11-26-2016
Asian Americans and Parental Pressure

Pursuing a higher level of education is a big accomplishment for a race that is perceived
to be a model minority group. That is the case of Asian American parents, they struggle to
assimilate here in America. The fact that they do so, persuades them to want a better lifestyle and
future for their children. Asian American parents tend to have high expectations for their kids.
Specially, when they are getting educated. Not only during the time they are in elementary
school but, also during their transition to college. The level of parental pressure enforced
increases. When it comes to Asian American families, Students need to excel both academically
and professionally. The fact that an Asian American student is going to school, is an
accomplishment within the Asian American culture. Getting a free education is not necessarily a
privilege that everyone has. Present day, the question still remains of how has the perception of
Asian Americans as a racial minority, influenced parental pressure on students and their career
choices? The youth in most cases have the final decision on what career they want to do. On the
other hand, some abide to the career path chosen by their authority figures. The choice that is
taken by the youth remains unknown. However, Asian Americans have influenced parental
pressure on their children from a very young age because of the model-minority perception
historically and present day, parents want their children to make their dreams come true, and also
because of acculturation.
The definition of model minority is known as a racial group that is perceived to achieve
a higher level education and have a high socioeconomic status compared to the population
average. The level of success is measured by the social class that individuals from a specific race
fall under. That is the case of Asian Americans parents, the root of it all started when the
Japanese Internment occurred after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, U.S. President
Roosevelt at the time, signed the executive order 9066. Ordering all Japanese-Americans to
evacuate the West Coast. Approximately 120,000 people (many of them that were American
Citizens) were relocated to one of the 10 internment camps that were established. The internment
camps ranged from California, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Arizona, Colorado, and Arkansas. At that
point, Asian Americans had to be locked up and be under the authority of white-men. If they
disobeyed the rules then, they had to face cruel consequences. The major one being death.
According to the text The Many Costs of Anti-Asian Discrimination by Rosalind Chou
& Joe R. Feagin. After that war, parents [protected] their children from future discrimination by
having them become model and conforming students and citizens who would not question whiteimposed folkways. The Japanese Internment was the historical event, the birth of where racial
discrimination started against Asian Americans. Since then, Asian American ancestors educated
their children with the same norms for them to pass to their own kids. It became a global chain,
where family values were passed on and had to be followed to maintain the norms and standards
imposed by Americans. Moreover, this lead to parental pressure to exist toward Asian American
children. Not only that but, the influence of parental pressure on a student and them determining
the career path they want to choose.

Yahaira Manchame
AAS 201
11-26-2016
Asian Americans are perceived to choose limited college majors such as, engineers,
computer scientists, mathematicians, and specifically in majors that improve their socioeconomic
mobility. College majors are positions were race, ethnicity, and gender dont influence the field
of study. The majors of study are not distributed among people by those categories. However,
Asian American students live up the dream of their parents instead of, their own. For example, if
an Asian American young adult is told by his/her parents that they want him/her to be an
engineer. That young college student will follow that career path because it is against Asian
American culture to not pursue a career that fills their pocket with money. Furthermore, it is
against their culture to be successful and not provide care for their aging parents or younger
relatives. That is one of the many pressures that Asian American students have to deal with.
Chunyan Song states in her article College Attendance/Choice of College Majors Among Asian
American Students that males [are expected} to be more likely to choose majors with higher
earning potential than females. Males are expected to keep that male like figure that is known to
be hard working, and a man that makes enough money to provide for his family and bring them
forward. Compared to females, they tend to go for the non-traditional occupations. Women
effortlessly can pursue a high level of education or be a house-wife until, she decides to go back
to college.
Another contributing factor to parental pressure is known as acculturation. Acculturation
is associated with the level of interest and career choice that an Asian American student goes for.
Young adults that are currently attending college experience a greater sense of obligation..to
fulfill their responsibilities (Shen) They are required to learn English to adapt to the educational
standards here in the United Sates. Not only that but, Asian American youth face their authority
figures parenting on a daily basis. Before, the only parenting style that was known was a tiger
mom a tiger mom was known. The term specifically referred to a strict or demanding mother
who pushes her children to be successful academicallyusing methods regarded as typical
childrearing in East, South, and Southeast Asia. However, that concept has evolved to what is
now known as Tiger Parenting. Tiger parenting is known as a parenting style that enforces
both positive and negative responses from either parents. The parenting response is not assigned
to a figure. Like, the mom does not always enforce positive attributions. While, the father
enforces the negative ones. It can be either or and applied to their children at different times and
within different circumstances.
Asian American students can portray the average student image, that looks like they have
a normal life and do not face any other type of problems. Besides, school and getting excellent
grades in their higher level of education. However, there is more to that. At the arrival to their
homes students face parental pressure. They are told they have to have excellent grades and
chose a major that increases their social class. That way, maintaining the image of being part of a
racial minority group can be kept. Their thoughts are known to be opinions by others such as;
dont embarrass your family/yourself, keep quiet, deal with it, pretend youre happy.
When people think of cost the first thing that comes to mind is money. However, cost can
define much more than that. In the case of Asian Americans students, it defines the cost of their
dreams and their life-style. They have to keep up and maintain their parents expectations. If they
dont they are thought as failures and not contributing in helping their family as well. Its like a
connection for something to turn on, there needs to be a plug. The same concept applies to Asian

Yahaira Manchame
AAS 201
11-26-2016
American families and their kids. If their children learn to receive nothing less in the grading
skill than an A plus at a very young age, and is able to maintain those same type of grades during
their college years then they are going to be highly successful and even graduate with honors.
Once that student receives his or her degree and starts working at a high-income job. Not only is
that individual considered successful but, the family also will. When a young adult rises so do
their parents.
Parental Pressure in general has both positive and negative impacts. A positive concept of
parental pressure is the fact that Asian American students always have and maintain good grades.
Meaning, they are on the right path and they can fulfill all their requirements when it comes to
graduating on time. However, the damage is worse than people think. Parental pressures
negative concept is the psychological impact it makes children experience at a young age and
during their transition to adulthood. It never stops, and they always have to maintain everyones
perceptions. When it comes to, others thinking that they are smart, that they always have highacademic achievement. They cant get bad grades, or they have to know the answer to everything
or else they consider themselves stupid or at the most failures.
In my opinion, parental pressure is good to a certain extent. However, the youth in
general should have the final decision to pick what career path to pursue. People may not only
have high and low perceptions on Asian Americans but, on every race that is considered a racial
minority. Asian Americans and others in general that are getting a higher-level of education
should always pursue their own dream and their own goals. They should not abide by the norms
imposed of white-people. At the end of the day, Asian American students are the ones who are
going to be working for themselves, to bring themselves forwards and provide help for their
loved ones as well. Nobody, else is going to work for them and offer them any type of help.
Which is why any career that Asian Americans pursue is the right choice, because it is a career
path that, that individual is passionate about and is willing to work that job for the rest of their
lives. Gain more experience, and help others as well. Which is the best outcome. Also, gender
shouldnt influence parental pressure on Asian Americans. To me that is seen as sexest and shows
that women that are Asian American can be the same level of successful as men. If anything
parental pressure, should be lessened. It just adds more stress to the youth and makes them
unhappy. It is unfair for parents to not let their son or daughter live their dream and break them
by choosing a different career path just because of the change in income.
Even though, the Japanese internment influence Asian Americans to be perceived as a
model minority group. That does not mean that the image portrayed has to be maintained.
Asian Americans should not meet the standards or requirements that white-people consider to be
Successful Asianess The fact that their kids/young adults are getting a higher-level of
education should already be considered to be a major accomplishment. The choice of the career
path chosen by the youth still remains unknown. However, the choice made highly depends on
the individual and their perspective on their own education path. To childrens, the youth, and
young adults their parents will always enforce parental pressure. In parents perspective that is
the right way to guide their son/daughter. Which is why parents will always enforce parental
pressure on their kids at a very young age. Due to the model-minority perception historically and

Yahaira Manchame
AAS 201
11-26-2016
present day, parents want their children to make their dreams come true, and also because of
acculturation.
Resources
Shen, Frances. "The Role of Internalized Stereotyping, Parental Pressure, and Parental Support
on Asian Americans' Choice of College Major." Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 43.1
(2015): 58-73.

Song, Chunyan, and Jennifer Glick. "College Attendance and Choice of College Majors Among
AsianAmerican Students *." Social Science Quarterly, 85.5 (2004): 1401-1421.

Lee / AlterNet, Jun-youb. "Crushed by Parental and Societal Pressure, Asian American Students Are
Resorting to Suicide." Alternet. N.p., 5 Aug. 2014. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.
Copy & paste citation