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</p>
<p>Those are likely American-born, immigrants who left before 6-7 years of age, or academic laggards in their countries of origin. </p>
<p>With the exception of the last, most Asian immigrants who spent most of their elementary school years outside the US before immigrating had a much more solid grasp of math concepts and ended up coasting for several years at the most advanced tracks offered in US schools. </p>
<p>One older HS alum and his older brother who came to the US after 7th grade and 5th grade in the ROC(Taiwan) found they didn’t learn anything new in math until they entered our STEM-centered public magnet. </p>
<p>Moreover, even after coasting for several years, both breezed through the advanced math curriculum and felt it was one of their easy A subjects even though their academic/career interests were non-STEM based. </p>
<p>I also knew an older Japanese student who had a gap in his schooling from around 11-12 until 15 or so because he was expelled and barred from further schooling in Japan for being involved in a schoolyard fight. Upon coming to the US to finish his education*, he found he was easily able to adapt and sometimes, even provide academic tutoring to middle/HS students based on what he learned in Japan up till 7th grade. </p>
<ul>
<li>Thanks to a wealthy Japanese benefactor who felt he deserved a second chance to finish his education and an indiscretion at 11 shouldn’t be a barrier to that. A good thing considering he was disowned by his family and had been working several years in various unskilled odd/factory jobs to make ends meet.<br></li>
</ul>