<p>I was reading the latest published census data on income.</p>
<p>Asian as a whole, has the highest median household income (~65K). About 1/3 of Asain households are at or above 100K (page 37). </p>
<p>Could our culture of "do whatever to get best education for our children" have played a role in this? I say "yes".</p>
<p>Of course, I don't mean retaking a 2380 type of push.</p>
<p>I agree, it’s a good thing. Beyond that, I think you are making a hasty implication, to say the least. Perhaps households with more money value education more? It can, and probably does, go both ways; although, culturally, Asian families tend to place higher emphasis on education.</p>
<p>“Best education” will not quarantee high income. Hard working attitude will not do it either, but has a better chance. If kid is performing at highest level possible at any place (non-ranked, of the charts…), can you see this kid not performing at work? At least that is how most employers think about job applicants. I believe that this attitude carry asian kids more than anything else. If you tell a child when she is 5 years old that homework is her priority #1 and she can have as many other activities of interest as she wants, but after homework is finished with all correct answers, it will make a difference in child’s life. If you send a child to school for primarily babysitting purposes, result will be different. It all starts in elementary.</p>
<p>I agree that wanting the best education is a good thing but I do not see it tied so firmly to income. We want the best education for our child but that has included turning down higher paying jobs and also him going to a college that is costing us far less than the most expensive college he was accepted too.</p>
<p>Correllation and causation are so very tricky.</p>
<p>While you are dealing in stereotypes, do “Asians” want the “best” education for their children, or are they the population that is most focused on certain types of education that tends to result in well-paying careers?</p>
<p>Do “Asians” rejoice when their brilliant children decide to major in philosophy or comp lit or art history at an elite LAC or university? That is certainly the “best” education. Is that what they want?</p>
<p>Somehow I doubt it.</p>
<p>I find that most ethnic groups are happy to believe the positive stereotypes about themselves and quick to reject the negative ones. I really don’t think this is a productive road to go down, DadII.</p>
<p>I find it interesting that “best education” means “highest income.” I believe that education itself is the ultimate goal, a quest for knowledge if you will. High income, while very nice, is not the end goal here.</p>
<p>Consolation…I would agree completely that Asian (to clarify Chinese and Indian) families are almost insistant that their children major in either engineering or medicine. There is also a rise in the hard science fields but it seems that there is a preference for majors that provide credentials upon graduation. Computer science is also another popular major for Asian kids. </p>
<p>I have NEVER met an Asian parent that would encourage or discuss any majors for their children other than those mentioned above.</p>
<p>Most Chinese kids are foregoing many of the American outlets such as outdoor play and playgroups because usually both parents work from the time the kids are born.</p>
<p>I did not say the goal of a “better education” is to have a higher income. </p>
<p>Don’t know if anyone has the data - I bet that percentage wise, asians may have the highest % with degrees. Since we emphasize and value education, one of the benefits is high income.</p>
<p>This goes back to an ealier discussion - how to improve the public education in US. I personally think promoting the value of an education is a key factor. School admin and teachers will all have an easier job if all parents value educationa and all kids want to learn.</p>
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Both my kids are in the fields other than engineering and medicine. What you are saying is so 20 years ago.</p>
<p>What do you mean by education? I think, once again, Dad, your definition is so ridiculously narrow. Education is not highest GPA, math coaching on weekends to ace the SAT on the 4th sitting, or strategic collection of AP exam scores. Indeed, I’m increasingly finding that as our kids are supposedly getting more “educated”, the last thing anyone seems to care about is actual ‘education’. They look better on paper but are not nearly as bright in the classroom as prior generations. </p>
<p>Kids of all stripes might have nice scores on paper, but they are not reading books unless required, following the news, being engaged politically, dissecting debates and arguments, taking courses for the sake of learning, or majoring in areas to expand their mind and engage in critical thinking or that are even intrinsically interesting to them. They have the formulas down, but ask them to creatively problem solve, compare and contrast, deal with ambiguity, apply a learned principle to a novel experience, and they get paralyzed because they don’t know what’s going to be on the test! Someone hasn’t shown them how to get the right answer!</p>
<p>Some of the ‘highest scoring’ students I see- of all cultural backgrounds- are merely grinds who can memorize well and follow the strict directions of their parents taking them down the road of the safest, most practical occupational paths. They may collect the right pieces of paper, but I would not call them necessarily more educated in the true sense of the word. They do not value ‘education’ but instead, value the prestige of letters after their name and the ‘right’ occupation choice so they know how to play the game to achieve that.</p>
<p>^^SB^^. I think it is you who ridiculously defines education so narrowly. Did you see a word about GPA or AP in my posts here? You are one of those people, sorry to say this, with a negative mind setting. Whatever other say, you always assume they mean something negative. </p>
<p>My definition for Education here means one learn something to better oneself.</p>
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<p>Ever wondered why unverified and self-reported data tend to differ from the financial aid statistics at various colleges? </p>
<p>Ever wondered how the census data correlate to the Pell grantees’ at Berkeley and UCLA?</p>
<p>DadII. You do not have to mention these things. We know your posts of old.</p>
<p>I C, QM, so, from here on, not matter what I say. You will always automatically assume I meant one thing because I “used” to think certain way? </p>
<p>Could we just discuss what is being presented w/o “assuming”?</p>
<p>Lets not forget that many Asians immigrated to study in graduate programs. My sphere of acquaintances is skewed but nearly every Asian I knew growing up, including my very extended family, came over under such circumstances. </p>
<p>The cross section of Asians in US, even today, is nowhere similar to the cross section of Asians in Asia. Lets not pat ourselves on the back too much for ‘cultural superiority.’</p>
<p>Sorry, Momma, allow me to introduce my Chinese-American brother in law, who majored in philosophy at Tufts. It happens. He’s now at Columbia for a masters in international business. No science for him. He’ll just have to get by as an American kid with the ability to think, fluency in Chinese, and an Ivy League MBA. Oh, and his immigrant Chinese mother is an accountant. No science for her either.</p>
<p>Chardo, can you see how I find it somewhat amusing that international business and accounting are your idea of the equivalent of getting a degree in art history or comp lit, as opposed to high-paying careers?</p>
<p>On the other hand, unlike momma-three I have actually met a person of Chinese ancestry who was getting a graduate degree in philosophy. :)</p>
<p>momma-three: It’s comments like your that stereotypes Chineses. How many Chinese friends do you have for you to make that conclusion?</p>
<p>“I would agree completely that Asian (to clarify Chinese and Indian) families are almost insistant that their children major in either engineering or medicine.”</p>
<p>I am Chinese and neither I or wife insisted our children in to major in engineering or medicine. As a matter of fact, we both discouraged them these fields and yet S1 decided to major in engineering and S2 on the pre-med track. It their choice. Two of my nieces are education, two majoring in arts, and one in jounarlism.</p>
<p>“Most Chinese kids are foregoing many of the American outlets such as outdoor play and playgroups because usually both parents work from the time the kids are born.”</p>
<p>My kids were in the community swimming team, played in soccer and baseball in youth leagues until they got into martial arts. They both played in their high school varsity tennis team. S2 just left for Argentina with the US Wushu Team to compete in the Pan-Am Wushu martial arts tournament. Yes they valunteered in community services and played with their friends.</p>
<p>So what exactly they missed out?</p>
<p>My friend’s two Ds (who happen to be asian, as well) are majoring in dance.
My S is majoring in graphic arts.</p>
<p>While I am more “American” than asian, I did grow up in an asian household. My parents never pushed us towards science majors but they preached “college” during our childhood years. All of us attended college and I intend for my kids to do the same.</p>
<p>It is not only Asians that steer their kids in the direction of certain majors.
Just last weekend I happened to be at a sport event among quite affluent people. Most kids competing were juniors and seniors. Understandably parents were talking about college, short term plans. You can only guess how many times I have heard pre-med.
I admit it is a pet-peeve of mine, I absolutely despise the fact that anyone who has any brains here wants to become a doctor. For what? For the love of the sick and the betterment of the human race? Yes, sure 
I am generalizing, of course, do not stone me for that. But the fact is the fact. There was only one Asian couple at the event and two East-Europeans (myself including).
I see two common career paths in our society that are driven primarily by income - doctors and lawyers. And I strongly believe that we as a society would be much better served if those careers where not associated with very high incomes.
I work with physicians daily. I have come to believe that only about 10% have chosen medicine because it was a true calling .</p>
<p>You can’t just expect people to suddenly value education more. We don’t work that way.</p>