Week 2 - Nuong Vo - A04

    "Beyond the Tiger Mom Anxiety" was a very engaging article and brought up a lot of valuable points that influence a child's decision to go to college. As a first generation student, I wholeheartedly agree that my parents were not able to provide any aid when it came to the college application process. I had to solely rely on my teachers to help me with applying. My parents did have a very strong influence on the college I decided to go to. They were very serious about education, which influenced me to take the next step and go to college after high school.
    I notice my peers' branch off to different paths such as going to the trades or beginning work after they finish high school. I've received different reasons why they decided not to go to college immediately after high schools, such as financial restraints or lack of motivation. I live in a very poor community thus money is always a strong factor to why kids decide not to pursue college because college is too expensive or their family is in need of more financial help.
     After reading, "Asian Americans and Affirmative Action",  I do believe Affirmative Action is important to encourage more students of color to pursue higher education if they receive the acceptance letter. Seeing my classmates get accepted into a college is a very exciting moment, and I don't think affirmative action is the first thought that comes to mind. Whether they realize affirmative action had a factor or not, more students of color will be able to gain the opportunity to obtain higher education. Having a degree will be able to grant kids to different job opportunities and a chance to have greater social mobility.
    I wonder, how much of influence do parents have on what major their kids decide among the first generation compared to second generation students?

Graduation students. Digital image. The Century Foundation. 6 March 2018 https://tcf.org/content/report/future-statewide-college-promise-programs/

Nancy Chung Allred, 2007. Asian Americans, and Affirmative Action: From Yellow Peril to Model Minority and Back Again, 14 Asian Am. L.J. 57.


Poon, O and A Byrd. 2013. "Beyond Tiger Mom Anxiety: Ethnic, Gender and Generational Di7erences in Asian American College Access and Choices." Journal of College Admission