Hi,
I just read a remark or two between emigrants (and ethnic, racial and perhaps also religious minorites/disadvatnaged persons in USA) on Assamnet who are still debating about a topic which has become an established fact in USA.
The fact is that an increasing number of students from disadvataged backgrounds who are entering elite US universities are choosing to :-
" The students of this study have chosen not to conform and assimilate into these systems in order to succeed, but instead to strategically resist these systems through both overt and covert oppositional behaviours." (Dr Latty Lee Goodwin,2002 -book: Resilient Spirits - Disadvantaged Students Making it at an Elite University - Publisher: Routledge Falmer, USA; page 1)
These students may be from any race - but mostly racial or ethnic minorities and generally from poor families.
The study shows that Asian students did as well as rich White folks children - perhaps becos the Asian community here is not a community of refugees - but of a group who have been successful in their home countries (esp Japan, India and China) and then have made it here - and already know the dominant culture of successful people.
The author speaks of a need to build "cultural capital" for -----
" What my research indicates is that in order to survive in the elite White university system, the collective goal of thezse diverse students who have been admitted is to succeed within this power system , but not to be "broken in spirit" alog the way. No longer choosing assimilation as the path to success,as generations before them have done, these students forge new paths by creating and employing "critical resistant navigational strtegies" ([Solorzano & Villalpando, 1998 p.216] --- in page two of "Resilient Spirits")
There is lot more info in this book -which I took up from the "new Arrivals" section of the Gutman library at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
But the basic thing - which is reiterarted in many readings of my courses on school reform (and perhaps applicable to societal reform) is that the disadvantaged - must learn to understand the system - and gain success in it -always realising that the system works against them -if they go with the flow.
It still works against them - even if they adopt the dominant culture's religious practices or language or clothing styles - so they must find new ways to succeed in this oppressive system -- this "total stuff" is called "cultural capital" -as defined by some researcher - and is different from "social capital" -as defined by some other researcher (which is related to NGOs and informed citizenry)
What do u say?
Umesh
PS: Last night I saw two movies in quick succession at Harvard theatre -for the first time - the rates were just double that of PVR cineplex at Gurgaon, Delhi at Rs400 ($9.50).
The movies were great - Huckabees (which the ticketseller recommended- seemed to based on life story of an international student in USA - trying to discover his identity in a new country on bicylce - like me--rather than what it purported to be - a clownish drama.
The other movie (Neverland) started after an hour -in the meanwhile I went to the Indian shop -a mile away -and brough a Bikaneri Bhujia packet - but the taste went sour in the hall when I saw the promo of Aishwarya Rai's movie saying "in a region where arranged marraiges take place etc."
I suddenly felt that I had not come from a vibrant economy churing out engineers and software programs and spicy Bollywood potboilers and the atom bomb exploding macho men - but from a supine place where only the women have charm and modern outlook. It is in total contrast to Indian cinema -from times of Satya Jit Ray - which celebrates romance.
I have never liked Gurinder Chaddha's movies (like this one) - since their hero is always a non Asian (let alone an Indian). Perhaps she - like Aung San Kui -of Burma - who married a white Briton - can only portray what she has herself exprienced. And like Aung San Suu Kui - feels strong with the support of the British people - even to the extent of denigrating her own.
I had taken up her cassette "Bhaji goe to the beach" at Harvard libray - but dropped it midway --- Preity Zinta's "Kya Kehna" is a much better movie on the same theme.
(incidently after Thanksgiving day - I had gone to a dinner where my Bahai classmate and her hubby - packed all the leftovers for me - which I shared with my Christian Armenian neighbor -who was overwhlemed -he hadn't gone anywhere for party -despite his elder brother and his family being here - and recalled his days in Armenia where he watched Indian movies - of Raj Kapoor - he remembered "Bobby" and Pattar ke Phool - "flowers of stone" -which were translated in Armenian language . His hometown temp record is from +50 degree celcius to - 40 degree celcius)
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