Assault and Robbery of Chinese international students on Sydney train - long term negative effects

We are made to believe that racists are a minority but do not know how many harbour similar anti-foreign feelings without exhibiting in public. 

Sadly, the passengers who are supposed to help or call for help did not but chose to egg the criminals on with more racist rant. Where are the night guards who were supposed to ensure the safety of lone passengers travelling at night?

The incident begs many more questions ...

Had they been Australian born ethnic Asians, would they be targeted for assaults?

To what extent has Kevin Rudd's past tough talk and belligerent posturing against a perceived rising unfriendly China spurred anti-Chinese sentiments?

Already suffering from drop in demand for resources as China seeks alternative sources in Brazil and after encountering walls from high pricing suppliers and investment barriers. Perhaps it is good news as weaker AUD would generally attract more tourists to make up for the sure decline in nueva riche Chinese travellers. 

It is easy to be cavalier with words when good times are rolling. But when the global economic environment looks unlikely to recover shortly, it is high time that Australians ensure that they do not squander any goodwill and profits, or risk losing heavily for a long time.


Quotes from Shanghai :

"They wanted money so we gave them money. But then a caucasian woman sitting opposite told the robbers she just broken up with her boyfriend who had taken her purse," the student wrote.

"She pointed to us and shouted to the robbers: 'Rob them, they are Chinese, they are rich'."
"There were no policemen in the train, but there were many other people and even train crews." He said no one had offered help. 

http://bbs.chinadaily.com.cn/thread-744879-1-1.html

Half Asian Half White Students get around Discrimination by American Universities - check the white box

Do Asians have to hide their complete identity and change family names to be truly accepted as American?


Only Asians with surnames with Caucasian sounding name are able to get around the unfair system, not for those with Asian fathers.  


Being born in America in a family that has lived there for generations do not help them to be regarded as assimilated full-fledged Americans.  It is a mixed bag - some are more Asian and others more American / westernised. 


An Asian has to compete unfairly, requiring hundreds of points higher compared to other races.


Since discrimination clearly exists in education, it would not be far off the mark to guess that injustice permeates to other areas such as employment in the government and promotion prospects? High achievers being penalised, are victims of their success. 


It is a no-win situation. American universities that discriminate (including Harvard) will stand to lose out if mediocrity, purposeful discrimination by stereotyping form the guiding "principles".


Some amount of proactive and affirmative action to promote egalitarianism (not equality) is a commendable social policy. Reserving a small percentage for disadvantaged groups has been a longstanding policy of many organisations.


On the other hand, wealthy parentage and alumni connections will get a student ahead of the rest, overlooking scores in SAT.  So the egalitarian argument is defeated and biased elitism is exposed. The extent and pervasiveness of favouring some groups over others by some American universities is disgraceful. 

Quote :

For years, many Asian-Americans have been convinced that it's harder for them to gain admission to the nation's top colleges.

Studies show that Asian-Americans meet these colleges' admissions standards far out of proportion to their 6 percent representation in the U.S. population, and that they often need test scores hundreds of points higher than applicants from other ethnic groups to have an equal chance of admission. Critics say these numbers, along with the fact that some top colleges with race-blind admissions have double the Asian percentage of Ivy League schools, prove the existence of discrimination.

The way it works, the critics believe, is that Asian-Americans are evaluated not as individuals, but against the thousands of other ultra-achieving Asians who are stereotyped as boring academic robots.

Now, an unknown number of students are responding to this concern by declining to identify themselves as Asian on their applications.

For those with only one Asian parent, whose names don't give away their heritage, that decision can be relatively easy. Harder are the questions that it raises: What's behind the admissions difficulties? What, exactly, is an Asian-American - and is being one a choice?

Immigration from Asian countries was heavily restricted until laws were changed in 1965. When the gates finally opened, many Asian arrivals were well-educated, endured hardships to secure more opportunities for their families, and were determined to seize the American dream through effort and education.

These immigrants, and their descendants, often demanded that children work as hard as humanly possible to achieve. Parental respect is paramount in Asian culture, so many children have obeyed - and excelled.

Of course, not all Asian-Americans fit this stereotype. They are not always obedient hard workers who get top marks. Some embrace American rather than Asian culture. Their economic status, ancestral countries and customs vary, and their forebears may have been rich or poor.

But compared with American society in general, Asian-Americans have developed a much stronger emphasis on intense academic preparation as a path to a handful of the very best schools.

Top schools that don't ask about race in admissions process have very high percentages of Asian students. The California Institute of Technology, a private school that chooses not to consider race, is about one-third Asian. (Thirteen percent of California residents have Asian heritage.) The University of California-Berkeley, which is forbidden by state law to consider race in admissions, is more than 40 percent Asian - up from about 20 percent before the law was passed.

Highly selective colleges do use much more than SAT scores and grades to evaluate applicants. Other important factors include extracurricular activities, community service, leadership, maturity, engagement in learning, and overcoming adversity.

Admissions preferences are sometimes given to the children of alumni, the wealthy and celebrities, which is an overwhelmingly white group. Recruited athletes get breaks. Since the top colleges say diversity is crucial to a world-class education, African-Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, and Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders also may get in despite lower scores than other applicants.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/fearing-discrimination-asian-college-applicants-declare-ethnicity-article-1.986416

More readings :

http://www.asianamericanalliance.com/Statistics-on-Reverse-Discrimination.html



In contrast ethnic minorities in China such as Tibetan are given much leeway : offering lower university entry and generous scholarships. 


We wonder why Big Brother / Uncle Sam is still supporting exiled rebels who are westernised in their appearances and outlook and have lost much of their cultural heritage.

Tiger Mum Amy Chua not representative of Chinese parenting - moderation the best policy

The controversial book has thrown up more uproar. The is no one single Asian / Chinese mothering style.

I suspect Amy Chua with all her impressive qualifications is really a "banana" mother who tried to resist the overly relax parenting style and strived to summon some of the good old traditional parenting style.

 She came with her parents at a young age to America and thus is considered a westerner in all her ways but she values the cultural traits and values that her parents had inculcated in her. I believe she is married to a Jew as she had threatened her youngest daughter with no Hanukkah if she did not put in all her efforts.

Seriously! Do you actually believe it was hell all the way? Amy Chua must have exaggerated and spiced up her stories and presented them tongue-in-cheek.. I can't believe any Chinese parents living in western countries would do all those horrible and evil things to their kids they love. Child abuse? The jury is out there.

Arguments for

The average kids are alot tougher than you think. They should be trained to be tenacious and able to take hard knocks in life. Kids are kids. If you let them be, they will choose to have the easy way. Do they know what is good for their future? Children given too much freedom don't know what they want to do. Parents need to identify the children's strengths, encourage and nurture them to bring out the best and push them to realise the full potential. The hard fact is there is no gain without any pain.

All these talk about self esteem is ridiculous. This make belief self esteem that democratic parents give to young children too much freedom. Don't western horse breeders break the animals before they could be trained and do useful work? Do you know what sort of military training commandos and marines go through before they can considered the best fighting force? Don't make our kids "si-sis".  Most children who have endured strict discipline masters in school and at home actually turned out be quite grateful when they realise the benefits from hindsight.

Kids growing up in western societies have a lot, in fact, way too much freedom ...not only of choices in studies, free time and ample cash to spend. If not properly guarded and given a structured life, they will slack and eventually lose out to kids from families who know how to guide their young ones. Statistics have already indicated the poor performances of American and European kids as compared to kids from Asian countries like China, Korea, India and Singapore. Economic competitiveness is sufficiently important to merit our attention for the long term viability of any country, the government and citizens included.

I have personally known of some parents who have raised successful kids who are either forgetful or in denial. They tried to hid the fact that they had been strict enforcers of draconian rules on curfews, long hours of studies, music lessons, exam coaching, and no boyfriends or girlfriends. I challenge those who claim that totally non-Asian parenting produced high rate of success to come clean with how they deprived or provided for their children during their growing up years.

If you build up children's ego with undeserving praises, it will turn them into spoilt brats and delay the problems. When the time comes and they find study or job opportunities lacking, they will grow up and learn about life the hard way, a rude shock that shatters their big ego.


Consider this likelihood that being lenient may not be helpful, it's just hiding and postponing the harsh realities from your beloved kids.

How to land your kid in therapy : Why obsession with our kids’ happiness may be dooming them to unhappy adulthoods --  A therapist and mother reports  (by Lori Gottlieb)

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/07/how-to-land-your-kid-in-therapy/8555/

Arguments against

On the other hand, not every child could take the rigour and stringent regime. It could make or break different personalities. The difficulty is finding out the unique characteristics of your kid to get the right balance of prescriptions. There is not one certain fool proof way in parenting, arguably, the most challenging process in one's life time.

Solution?

There's no simple answer to parenting. I think the author was deliberately overstating her case to make a point. In the end, there's no single answer I guess. Every child is different and needs an approach tailored for him/her. But a couple of common sense principles probably hold no matter what - set clear and firm parameters. Within those parameters, give kids the leeway to explore and discover. The tough part is figuring out the parameters."

Chinese parents themselves have taken issue with the book. There are disagreements with her methods among the Chinese community, not just in areas where Chinese assimilated with western and indigenous cultures, but in East Asia where Confucianism has strong influence on family relations.

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20110112/tiger-mothers-chua-110112/

Parents would give up anything for their children and do not love them any less regardless of their cultural backgrounds.  The results of many "western" style parenting are cut both ways, just like the Tiger mum method. Children growing up in relaxed environment learn through trial and error, a mix bag of good experiences, hard knocks that go into lessons in life. To be sure, not everyone is academically inclined, musically talented, or motivated to make it to the roll of honors. But hey, I think they have a happier childhood, more interesting personalities and social skills. Success depends on networking and good fortune as well.

The main setback is making up for lost time. If most of us have an average lifespan of 70 years, each individual should come across opportunities to make up for lost time or errors in our upbringing. Parents too have chances to make amends. It is just a matter of working harder in later life to catch up. Again, the outcomes vary.

Finally, not every child is the same. Some improve and thrive under pressure. But there are a minority who will break down under stress. Parents must be sensitve to their children's needs and not push over the limits. What is the ideal balance? There is no magical formula. We have to try and find out what suits us and our children best. There is no one size fits all formula. Parents must be perceptive to know what parenting style suits each child. Some children may not understand and think that parents show favouritism. 

Chinese and Jewish parents have very much in common. A broad stroke judgemental casting the good and bad of East versus West and which is better is too simplistic.There is no easy solution and a challenge to find the right balance. You reap what you sow. Let us see who has the last laugh. You don't know till you reach old age.

The meanings of kiasu and wide usage of a colloquial term - beyond the boundaries of Singapore

KIASU is not an English word. It's origins are probably Singapore - Malaysia. But it has been popularised and often misused over the years.


The term "kiasu" made waves when it was recognised as a "word" by the Oxford Dictionary a decade ago.


Comprised of two Minnan / Fujian / Hokkien words "kia" and "su", it is the literal translation from "fear of" ... "losing out".  The abbreviation is K.S.


There is no clear definition or parameters of kiasu-ness.  The exact meaning of kiasu is broad, versatile, ambiguous and controversial.  There is no equivalent word in the English vocabulary, nor Mandarin Chinese for that matter, except to explain it with a string of adjectives.


Pronunciation: /ˈkiːəsuː/



Origin:
from Chinese, 'scared to lose'    (SE Asian)


noun
a grasping, selfish attitude.


adjective
(of a person)very anxious not to miss an opportunity; grasping.


http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/kiasu


For a start, perhaps taking the reverse perspective may help to explain the word more clearly.  The opposite of kiasu would normally include complacent, slack, lackadaisical, languid, careless and uninitiated attitudes and behaviour. The list is inexhuastive and varies according to situations.

While "kiasu" is widely used in Singapore and Malaysia, it is not a common word in traditional Taiwanese lingo even though the dorminant local dialect is also Minnan / Fujian / Hokkien. That was before the usage of the word became popularised and internationalised in recent years.

Kiasu invariably imparts more negative than positive connotations especially when it is deliberate and excessive and engaged in the competitive sense.  Nevertheless, the word could also be used in jest or viewed positively in certain cirumstances.  

In Singapore and many Asian countries, kiasu-ness has become an identifiable and unique characteristic that people lament and laugh about at the same time. To appreciate the origins of kiasu, one has to trace the history of Singapore. The largely illiterate and poor migrant population under a strong leadership had to overcome many hurdles in order to achieve its present day economic success. Through sheer diligence, perseverance and competitiveness, Singaporeans have come a long way to excel in what it does best. The "kiasu" trait was a key element in the formula for success.  

However, kiasu behaviour can undoubtedly be off putting and annoying to those who are not accustomed to such practices and culture. The followers or pursuers are usually individualistic, selfish and yearn to win at all costs. Too bad, if you lose out in the rat race!  

Kiasuism comes across as uncouth and rude behaviour. Besides not wanting to lose an opportunity (or even create one if possible), the kiasu kings and queens would strive to take more than others, more than what he/she deserves by hook or by crook.  But the methods employed are uncouth, crude and lack finesse.  

Examples

Here are some real life examples from personal encounters, revelations by residents and foreign visitors, as well as surveys :

* Speculators and investors queue up overnight to purchase a condominum under development in the hope of making a quick profit by reselling or add another asset to bequeath to their children in view of the shortage of land in desirable areas and expected price increase. We see this happening in high growth areas throughout history around the world, don't we?

* Secure a place for your child in a reputable elite school at least two years before enrolment date by volunteering your skills and services to the school. Some are willing to contribute material and financial assistance just to get there.

* Long waiting lines for tickets to special concerts, collection of vouchers for limited edition toys. Yes! Deprived folks they are!

* Parents pushing kids to excel in studies, force feed them with good food and additional tutoring classes. They also expect their kids to become well rounded in music, dance, sports without considering if they have the abilities or interest in such subjects. Forcing the kids to learn things that are ahead of his years even though there are signs that they are disinterested and could not cope.

* Queue jumpers who pretend to meet and chat with a friend in the waiting line and then cut and slip into the queue without any qualms are the worst of its kind.  

* Reserving multiple seats or more than you really need at food centres, public places, classrooms, you name it.  The proviso is that it is free and no deposit or financial cost is incurred in teh process.  Singaporeans have even coined a term called "chope" for this sort of reservation system. Anything in their possesion or within reach can be used - tissue paper, pen, book, umbrella, sunglasses can be used to stake your claim or make a booking for later use.  

  

* Going for buffet meals at posh restaurants and really eat all you can or more than what you can. The greedy ones have a strategy of waiting for refill of expensive seafood and delicacies and pile up their plates till they are overflowing from all sides.

* Adding features to your car, electronic gadgets and applications that are not required or hardly utilised. Improving the image of your house by renovating every few years, change cars, upgrade to a bigger house, and all other actions in line with "keeping up with the Joneses".

* Not sharing information on studies, work, or even where to get the best deals with classmates, casual friends or colleagues.

* Fear of the unknown probably make some kiasu people unfriendly and not want to talk to strangers or help someone in need.

* Road hogging and deliberate prevention of others cars from overtaking for fear of losing face.

Most kiasu behaviours are easy to spot and quite predictable. Sad to say, they are not very creative or imaginative coming up with tricks to get ahead. Most of these actions are probably quite harmless. Besides, kiasu people like to play safe and do not want to break the law.  They can look really staid and silly.

Positives

To be kiasu may not be all that bad. Sometimes it may be necessary to take intitiaves and extra precautions.  

For instance, to take up insurance, spread one's risks, diversify investments / commitments, put in place security measures and safeguards against hazards and natural disasters, may be considered as kiasu acts by those who live by the day and do not plan ahead.  More abhorent are those who do not work for their goals and try to find short cuts. 

Sportsmen train very hard, rare prodigy must be nurtured, nerds are highly driven to acquire knowledge and create new things for the world. Young eager beavers can sometimes be overzealous and excessive in their pursuit of knowledge, wealth, or spirituality. That's all fine as long as they do not intrude into others' space and achieve at the expense of others or their own lives. Some people are just naturally motivated to achieve high standards. It is for the common good of mankind to have such intelligent and driven people in the midst.

It would not be fair to say that kiasu behaviour is predominantly present in a single race, culture or country. There are traits of such behaviour everywhere. It depends on how keen or desperate people. They should learn to be cool, set priorities right and not let their greed get the better of them.  To suppress the urge to be kiasu, there are some wise sayings admonishing people not to go overboard as the results can be counterproductive.

Would you be offended if you are called kiasu as a person or as a part of a collective group. Most people will probably laugh it off if the comment is not intended to be malicious.


However, the liberal and extensive use of the term "kiasu" has led to its overusage.  Anything associated with anti-social and competitive behaviour can be misinterpreted as "kiasu" though there many be other more appropriate adjectives to fit the description. Ponder. Do not be kiasu.

Are Chinese (Asian Confucianist) School Education System Really Winning?

There is really no perfect education system since it is catered to meet the needs of the majority of the times. Sadly, the growth potential of a minority are likely to be neglected or even slowed down in the process.

Kristof , like some of the academics with global vision and experience I have spoken to, is well placed to view both sides of the coins and the complexities of education issues. Unlike others, he could appreciate what propelled the enigmatic success of China (and other Asian countries) and its shortcomings. More importantly, how could countries that performed poorly in recent education ratings learn and catch up.

Many people of this generation seem to have forgotten that in the heydays, the British, German and Scandinavian education systems used to highlight rote learning and rigour, overseen by regimental and stringent headmasters. There are indeed similarities between the East and West in this respect, contrary to many who see the contrast between day and light.

Education and meritocracy are the legitimate and egalitarian paths to gaining social economic status in an orderly manner. The result would be a society with a sizeable middle class population. Everyone has an even chance rather than the skewed results of private and public schools systems that have developed in most free enterprise systems.

Critics who paint an absolutely negative image of the Chinese / Asian / Confucianist value on education should ponder deeper. Are they envious and sour graping sore losers? Are they too shallow to appreciate the positive aspects of a disciplined education system?

Meanwhile, the Chinese unfazed by academic success, are constantly seeking to improve their education system and humbly learn from the West / Americans who they admire for stimulating creativity.  It is not difficult to anticipate which school system will be the real winners in the longer term.

Op-Ed Columnist

China’s Winning Schools?

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: January 15, 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/opinion/16kristof.html

Quote : 

Education thrives in China and the rest of Asia because it is a top priority — and we’ve plenty to learn from that.

For a socialist system that hesitates to fire people, China has also been surprisingly adept — more so than America — at dealing with ineffective teachers. Chinese principals can’t easily dismiss teachers, but they can get extra training for less effective teachers, or if that doesn’t work, push them into other jobs.

But this is the paradox: Chinese themselves are far less impressed by their school system. Almost every time I try to interview a Chinese about the system here, I hear grousing rather than praise. Many Chinese complain scathingly that their system kills independent thought and creativity, and they envy the American system for nurturing self-reliance — and for trying to make learning exciting and not just a chore.

For my part, I think the self-criticisms are exactly right, but I also deeply admire the passion for education and the commitment to making the system better. And while William Butler Yeats was right that “education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire,” it’s also true that it’s easier to ignite a bonfire if there’s fuel in the bucket.

The larger issue is that the greatest strength of the Chinese system is the Confucian reverence for education that is steeped into the culture. In Chinese schools, teachers are much respected, and the most admired kid is often the brain rather than the jock or class clown.

Americans think of China’s strategic challenge in terms of, say, the new Chinese stealth fighter aircraft. But the real challenge is the rise of China’s education system and the passion for learning that underlies it. We’re not going to become Confucians, but we can elevate education on our list of priorities without relinquishing creativity and independent thought.

Asians rote learning score merits if complemented by creativity - Shanghai's success in PISA

It is not an achievement that is easy to replicate. The Shanghaiese must have got things right somehow. Combining acquisition of knowledge with stimulation of creativity seem to be the right formula for success. 

These bright kids will reap the most benefits when they go to America and Europe for their tertiary and post-graduate education. All owing to the strong foundation and knowledge acquired  in the early years of their education.

http://www.asianweek.com/2010/12/10/shanghai-owns-the-international-pisa-science-math-test/

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/education/07education.html