Comments

• Jul 17, 2008 10:49pm - Wendy L.
  I would have to say that I disagree with all your comments. I agree that most Asian family stresses on being successful through your career (ie. doctor, lawyer, businessman...etc) However, I also believe that it happens in many families as well. Caucasians, Blacks, Latinos.. etc. I have many Blacks and Latino friends who tells me the same thing. How strict and hard their parents are on them when it comes to school work and career. Many of my Caucasian friends tells me the same thing. But you are right in saying that Caucasians are more liberal in terms of their views on success in life.
• Jun 23, 2008 5:22pm - Jeff
  I agree with Alan and Gina
  
  But I have to disagree with Mike Hoovers comment...
  
  I'm a Korean American that can related to the stress that my parents put on my to succeed. I was almost shunned because I wanted to become a Horror Movie Director, after going through years of torment, I switched to I.T.
  
  I live a few miles away from the Target Daniel Kim killed himself. I also live 15 miles away from VT. Everyone use to associate you with "Chinese" but now when you say "Korean", they automatically say "Do you know CHO?"
  
  Especially since the area that these situations happen have a HUGE Caucasian population.
  
  Again, something needs to change internationally!
• Jun 21, 2008 2:40pm - Gina Kang
  I believe a lot of it has to do with Asian parents having high expectations for their children, which is what I've noticed in the Korean-American community. Because the parents usually slave away at blue collar jobs in order to finance their children's college educations, the children are expected to do well in school and become successful professionals. This sort of pressure is unhealthy for the college student because anything other than perfection is a reflection on the disappointment of the parents. Also, Asian parents tend to "brag" about their children to other parents, or feel a sense of embarrassment when their child cannot live up to the typical "perfect student/child" Asian paradigm. If you notice in Caucasian families, parents tend to be more understanding of their child's career path, even if it's not a lucrative. Asian parents think the only measure of success comes from being a doctor, lawyer, or anything else that's "professional". Because there is such a huge generation and culture gap between parents and children right now, these differences are amplified. Once Asians start to settle in and become Americanized and make a good living for themselves, I hope that parents won't put any more undue pressure on their children to live up to these unfair expectations.
• May 9, 2008 4:52pm - Alan - New York
  That was an interesting but scary statistic that Asian has highest tendency to commit suicide. I think the reason may be due the stress from growing up in the Asian family. As you may have aware, the Asian parent (older generation) tend to compare their children to others and say that the other children are more successfull. I myseft is no exception. My parents, when I grow up, always mentioned that their friends' children are such and such sucessfull that they get good job and good pay. This of course convincing me to work harder, giving me more stress and also triggering my subconscous mind that I also have to get a good job and get a good pay. There are many reasons that make people to commit suide. This of course one of the reasons that reflect as to why there are more Asians committing suicide than other ethnicity.
• Apr 21, 2008 3:27pm - mike hoover
  You mentioned cultural differences. Maybe you didn't know that Daniel was born here and raised here. And he was raised in american way. He is as american as you. Now that being said, the real issue here is why no action was taken from VT. after getting warning, which was very explicit. I have noticed on CNN the person from VT. saying that VT. used unwritten policy and particular protocol for this particular case. Is VT. admitting a discrimination that took place when they were handling this warning by using different policy and protocol? Or is it just an excuse they came up with because they have no excuse for their action which was none. Still insisting they did everything they could while refusing to comment on their action. It was so disgusting to see Ms. Hike's reponse to those questions. Only word she can say clearly was 'Protocol' which I see that they didn't follow. I am absolutely sure that VT. had never made one phone call regarding the warning other than VT. Police calling Blacksburg Police to check on 2 Daniel Kim living off campus. I graduated from VT. But I can't defend VT. for their mistake.