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A for Average, B for Bad, C for Catastrophic
I am a student. You are a student. I am Chinese-Canadian. You are Scottish-Canadian. What’s the difference?
As the geography teacher distributed the long-anticipated tests, my friend leaned forward and asked the usual question, “Hey, what’d you get?” I comically rolled my eyes and hid my smile, “98 percent.” Another classmate overhears me and looks at his own 80% with contempt, “How’d you get that?!?” “He’s Asian.”
I want to get one fact straight: Asians aren’t born with a book and pen in each hand.
Although Asians seem to be more studious and achieve much higher grades especially at my school, others should equally value their efforts in achieving that grade just as the same as any other race. Asians are like any other human being on Earth. We weren’t born smart. We aren’t a superior race from outer space. Even the path for successful students with Asian heritages has no shortcuts.
As I try my best to translate Mandarin to English, my mother once told me, “If you put more time into something than the next person, you will be better than that next person. That means when they are off playing video games, you can use that same time for studying.” Speaking on behalf of all top students, success does not occur overnight. You work for it. That means putting more time, effort, and diligence. For instance, when students consistently listen attentively in class, note down all class discussions, study wisely, and also participate in academic activities outside of school, they can begin to see gradually see satisfying results. Some families, especially ones with Asian origins simply understand this concept better.
Asians tend to work much harder, that's why in Silicon Valley, most tech jobs are held by Asians and Indians. That's why Ivy League schools are heavily populated with Asians. That's just how we were raised, from little, we were taught to fight, fight harder, all the way to the top, whatever it takes to get there. A = Average, B = Bad, C = Catastrophic. At the end of the day, it’s not whether you’re Asian or not that determines how you will do on a test. It’s the diligence that backs it up. Being Asian is only an identity. Having a different skin color is a lame excuse for superiority. Anyone can be successful if they really want it. If you want it, go ahead and fight for it.
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Achievements should reflect effort, time, and diligence, with no reference from race.