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I understand that. But I beg to differ with your claim that Asians don't think they can succeed in fields other than technology.
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<p>I wouldn't characterize it as people not thinking they can succeed in other fields. Rather, it's that people are affected by what they think is available around them. Everybody in the world works on whatever it is that they think they can succeed in. Right now, if you're just a regular Chinese person (i.e. not the child of a nouveau-riche businessman or a powerful Communist Party member), then the most straightforward way for you to improve your standard of living is to learn technology, because there are a lot of technology jobs. Just like back in my hometown, a lot of boys went and learned lobster fishing skills because that industry used to be big back in the old days back home, and it represented the most straightforward way to make decent money without having to go to college. In fact, these sorts of predilictions were true in many parts of the country. For example, 40 years ago, a lot of young people in Michigan didn't really shoot for college, instead, they intended to join the UAW and work for the auto companies, because those autoworker jobs paid very good money without requiring that you do well in school. I don't think anybody really DREAMS of working in an auto plant for the rest of their life. But for those people, it was the most straightforward, realistic way that they could see to enjoy a good living. When you see your father, your uncles, your brothers, and a lot of other people around town all working in the auto plant, then you are probably going to end up working in the auto plant too. </p>
<p>The point is, people's desires are affected by the groups they belong to. Right now, technology is "cool" to do in China, with lots of available jobs, and that's why a lot of Chinese people enter technology. If you grow up as a kid in China, you will hear your parents and your teachers talk about how technology is important, so you will tend to study technology. But you take those same Chinese kids and have them grow up in an environment where, say, investment banking is considered to be "cool" and where there are lots of available jobs, and where parents and teachers teach kids about how important banking is, then they are probably going to want to become bankers. The point is that people are affected by the social cues they see around them. It's just easier to fit in with the crowd. If all of my friends and family think that something is cool, then I am going to probably think it is cool too simply because I want to fit in with my friends and family. But if I had different friends and family who thought that something else is cool, then I would probably think that that something else is cool. That's how sociology works - it tends to enforce consistency in preferences. </p>
<p>Now of course, you CAN stand apart from the crowd. You can choose to not to agree with the group. You do have that freedom. But come on, we both know that that's not that easy. It's not easy to stand alone, and that's true whether you're Chinese, American, or any other nationality. </p>
<p>So I'm not saying there's anything 'wrong' with Chinese people specifically in preferring technology over other fields. They are just responding to the social pressures around them just like any other nationality of people responds to social pressures around them. Right now, the Chinese social/political system is pushing technology, and that's why lots of Chinese study technology. If the system was pushing something else, then lots of Chinese would be studying that something else. And that's true of any nation. </p>
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And how about Indians? Specifically, one of their greatest strengths is good English skills along with excellent technical training.
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<p>Well, 'good' English skills relative to the Chinese. And certainly the cream of the crop of Indians speaks excellent English. But there are plenty of Indians who have only a rudimentary grasp of English. Heck, almost 40% of Indians are illiterate, meaning that they can't read or write in ANY language, not even their native language.</p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_literacy_rate%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_literacy_rate</a></p>
<p>But anyway, again, even the educated Indians are responding to the social pressures around them. If you're just a regular, working class Indian, the most straightforward way for you to get a good life in India is to learn technology. That doesnt' mean that you REALLY want to learn it, it's just a way for you to secure a good job. But if you come from a rich and well-established family, you don't need to work as an engineer. For example, I think few of the scions of the Gandhi/Nehru family actually work as engineers. Prime Minster Manmohan Singh didn't study engineering. When you're already established, you are going to start turning your attention to other possibilities - like investment banking, commerce, and so forth. </p>
<p>That's not to say that you might STUDY engineering. Sure, you might. But only in the context of learning enough so that you can manage an engineering company, but not because you actually intend to work as an engineer yourself. For example, I know many Indians who got engineering degrees who never worked a day in their life as engineers, instead taking jobs in banking and consulting. Frankly, these were Indian "golden boys" - their families were rich enough to send them to American universities, with the intention of having them someday come back and run the family business.</p>