Gifted Asian American Adolescent Males: Portraits of ...at the National University of Tainan in Tainan, Taiwan. Thomas P. Hébert is Associate Professor of educational psychology in

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Gifted Asian American Adolescent Males: Portraits of Cultural Dilemmas

Chen-yao Kao National University of Tainan

Thomas P. Hébert The University of Georgia

Many gifted asian american adolescent males face cultural issues that may impact their success. this article presents important cultural dilemmas faced by 2 gifted asian american young men. through a qualitative approach, the acculturation experiences of John and Matt, gifted taiwanese, second generation immigrants, are described. intergenerational cultural conflict in the families of the young men is examined. implications for supporting asian parents in nurturing their sons’ social, emotional, and intellectual development are discussed.

Introduction

Inthelasttwodecadesofthe20thcentury,tremendousdemographicchangesinAmericahavediversifiedourschool-agepopulationandhavebroughtaboutincreasedcomplexityinanumberofethnicity-related problems in our educational system. These problems havebecomeevenmorecomplexfollowingtheeventsofSeptember11,2001,andtheeconomicrecessionoftheearly21stcentury,resultinginelevatedanimositytowardethnicimmigrants.Therefore,schoolsare encountering difficult challenges as the composition of theirstudent bodies become more diverse while the national climate isbecomingmorexenophobic(Bennett,2003;McCown,Driscoll,&Roop,1995).

Accordingtothe2000Census,morethan10millionAmericansofAsianancestrycomprised3.6%ofthecountry’spopulation(Citro,

Chen-yaoKaoisAssistantProfessorofGiftedEducationintheDepartmentofSpecialEducationattheNationalUniversityofTainaninTainan,Taiwan.ThomasP.HébertisAssociateProfessorofeducationalpsychologyintheCollegeofEducationattheUniversityofGeorgiainAthenswhereheteachesgraduatecoursesingiftededucationandqualitativeresearchmethods.

Journal for the Education of the Gifted.Vol.30,No.1,2006,pp.88–117.Copyright©2006PrufrockPressInc.,http://www.prufrock.com

Gifted Asian American Adolescent Males ��

Cork, & Norwood, 2004). This number indicates a large increasefrom 3.5 million in 1980. Of all the ethnic minorities, the AsianAmericangroupisoneofthefastestgrowing.AsianAmericansareestimated to reach 6.4% of the country’s population by the mid-21stcentury(Bennett,2003).Consequently,thenumberofAsianAmericanstudentswillcontinueincreasingrapidly.Withchangingdemographics,schoolsinthiscountrymustbepreparedtoaddresstheneedsofthisgrowingpopulation.Unfortunately,researchcon-cerningAsianAmericanstudents is limited,andthere isapaucityofresearchconcerninggiftedAsianAmericanstudents.ThegiftededucationliteratureaddressestheidentificationofgiftedAmericanstudents and does not offer suggestions for teaching or counsel-ing gifted Asian American students (Plucker, 1996). The researchdescribedinthisarticleattemptstoaddtothelimitedinformationongiftedAsianAmericanmales.

Related Literature

Success Myth of Asian Americans

AsianAmericanshaveoftenbeenlabeledthe“modelminority.”Thisview has been reinforced by the popular press, which extols con-spicuous qualities inherent in Asian culture, such as perseverance,diligence, frugality, and self-discipline (Sue & Sue, 2003). SomestudiesalsopresentstrikingdatathatindicatethesuccessofAsianAmericans.Forexample,comparedwithotherminorities,theyhaveahigheraverageincomeandlowerratesofcrime,illiteracy,divorce,andpsychiatriccontactandhospitalization(Sue&Sue).TheimageofthemodelAsianAmericanalsoappliestoitsyouth.ThesuccessofAsianAmericanyoungstersdemonstratinghighmotivationandhighacademicperformancehasbeendocumented.These studentsareoftendescribedasdiligentandwell-behaved.Theyareoverrep-resentedingiftedprogramsandasgraduatesofprestigiousuniversi-ties.Moreover,ahigherpercentageofAsianAmericanyoungpeoplecomplete high school and earn college degrees than do Caucasianyoungsters(Baruth&Manning,1999;Sue&Sue).

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The conclusions drawn from the literature appear to indicatethat Asian Americans are well-adjusted, academically successful,and confronted with few difficulties (Sue & Sue, 2003). A closerexaminationofthestatusandtreatmentofAsianAmericans,how-ever, by no means espouses this startling success story. The modelminority myth has been debunked by some researchers, especiallyAsianAmericanpsychologistsandsocialscientists.Withinsightfultransculturalperspectives,theystrivetoeliminatethemythsandste-reotypessurroundingAsianAmericans(Wenhao,Salomon,&Chay,1993). The belief that this population represents a model minor-ity imposes not only pressure but also potential crisis upon AsianAmericans.Indeed,someAsianimmigrantsenjoysuccessandreal-ize their American dream, but they are the lucky few. Most AsianAmericansstillstruggleeconomically(Sue&Sue,2003).Moreover,referencetohighermedianincomedoesnottakeintoconsiderationamuchhigherpercentageofmorethanoneliving-wageearnerinthefamily. Italsodoesnot take intoconsiderationanequivalent inci-denceofpovertyinspiteofhighermedianincomeandthefactthatsalariesdonotcorrespondtoeducationallevelsofAsianAmericanworkers. Statistics regarding outstanding academic achievementsarealsomisleading.SomeAsianAmericansreachhigheducationallevels,whereasalargeproportionremainsundereducatedorunedu-cated(Sue&Sue).Inaddition,althoughtheresultsofresearchdem-onstrate that Asians possess remarkable mathematical skills, theyalsorevealdeficienciesinEnglishspeakingandwriting,evenamongfamilymembersofsecond,third,andfourthgenerations.Theuto-pianimageblursandoversimplifiestheirproblemsineducation. Furthermore,emotionaladjustmentasindicatedbylackofmen-tal health service usage does not result from better mental healthbut from the stigma traditionally attached to mental illness. MostAsiansfeelashamedanddisgracediftheyadmittheyneedpsycho-therapy.Ratherthanrelyingonoutsideresources,theyhandletheirproblemswithintheirfamiliesanddeliberatelypreventthemfrombecomingpublicortransparent(Atkinson,Morten,&Sue,1993).ItisreportedthatAsianAmericanstudentsexpressgreaterfeelingsofloneliness,alienation,andanxietythanthegeneralstudentpop-

Gifted Asian American Adolescent Males �1

ulation(Sue&Sue,2003).Onmiddleandhighschoolcampuses,manyAsianAmericanstudentsexperienceethnicity-relatedinsults,whereas others face racial discrimination, resulting in isolation(Baruth&Manning,1999). Asaresult,educatorsandcounselorsneedtolookbeyondthesuccess myth and realize that Asian American students have asmanyspecialbutdifferentneedsasotherstudents(McCownetal.,1995).AslongasthemodelminoritymythperpetuatesanddefinestheschoolexperienceforAsianAmericanstudents,theactualfactsandissuesrelevanttotheiroveralleducationaldevelopmentwillbeneglected(Yagi&Oh,1995).

Cultural Conflict

In addition to issues related to the “model minority” myth, Asianyoungsters in this country are impacted by conflict between theirethniccultureandthedominantAmericanculturalsystem.Culturalconflictbetweenparentsandchildren,especiallybetweenfirst-gen-eration parents and second-generation children, has a significantinfluenceonthepsychologicaldevelopmentofAsianAmericanstu-dents. Integratingcontradictorynotionsof theAsianculturewiththedominantCaucasianAmericancultureintooneidentityisapri-marychallengefacingtheseyoungpeople(Lee,1997). Salient differences exist between the two cultural systems.Asian culture is deeply affected by Confucianism and Buddhism(Lee,1997),whereasthedominantAmericansocietyisinterwovenwith capitalism, democracy, and Christianity. The foundations ofAmericansocietyareegalitarian,whereasthefoundationsofAsiansocietyarehierarchical.IntraditionalAsiansociety,individualsarerequiredtoplaytheirprescribed,clearlydefinedrolesbasedonageand gender in the hierarchical system (Lee, 1996). Children mustalwayscomplywiththerequestsandwilloftheirparents.Expressionofthoughtsorfeelingsisviewedasdefiantorrecalcitrant,andthechild is likely to be reproached (Yagi & Oh, 1995). Research hasindicatedthatevensecond-generationChinesehighschoolstudentsplacemoreemphasisonfilialpietyanddeferencetotheirparentsandelderfamilymembersthandoCaucasianpeers(Sue&Sue,2003).


Dominant American culture is centered on the individual,whereas in Asian society, family units, rather than individuals, arehighly valued. Individuals are given less priority and are lookeduponas theproductsofprevious familygenerations.Childrenareinculcatedwiththeimportanceoffamilysolidaritywithfamilyrolesbeinginterdependent.Theneedsofthefamilytakeprecedenceoverthoseoftheindividual,andindependentconductthatmightharmthefunctioningofthefamilyisdiscouraged(Atkinsonetal.,1993;Sodowsky,Kwan,&Pannu,1995). DominantAmericancultureplacesapremiumonfreeexpressionoffeelings,whereasAsiancultureplacesanemphasisuponcarefulexpression of feelings. Being straightforward and assertive is con-sideredimproperbecausethisbehaviorislikelytoembarrassothers.Generally speaking, Asians believe that carefully controlling one’sfeelingsplaysanimportantpartininterpersonalrelationships.Theytryhardtomaintainself-effacinganddiscreetconduct( Jung,1998);therefore,theymaybeconsideredintroverted,reserved,undemon-strative,orevenunfriendly.MostAsianfamiliesthinkitissuperfi-cialtoverbalizetheirlovefortheirchildren.Thus,agreatnumberofAsianchildrengrowupneverhearingthewords“Iloveyou”fromtheirparents.Asianparentsexpresstheiraffectionbymakingmanysacrifices to provide their children with better living conditions.StronglyaffectedbytheAmericanmediathatusuallyportraysclosefamilyrelationships,Asianchildrenfindtheirparents’child-rearingpracticesoutdatedandinsensitivetotheirpsychologicalneeds.Theymayevenharborresentmenttowardtheirparentsbecausetheyarenotperceivedascaringandseldominitiateconversationsotherthandiscussionsconcerningschoolworkandgrades(Yagi&Oh,1995).

Parental Expectations

Asian and American parents also have different attitudes towardeducation.AsianAmericanparentshavefarhigheracademicexpec-tationsthanCaucasianparents(Goyette&Xie,1999).Confucianideology, which has exerted a profound impact on Asian culture,places much emphasis on education. Until now, Asians have beenpersuadedthateducationistheavenuetohighsocioeconomicstatus.

Gifted Asian American Adolescent Males �3

Withthismindset,AsianAmericanparentsinculcatetheirchildrenwitharespectforlearningasthemosteffectivemeansofobtainingabundantmaterialrewardsratherthananendinitself.Asaresult,many Asian American students, under intense pressure, strive toattainacademicexcellenceatallcosts.AsianAmericanmotherswill-ingly recognize that academics demand much effort and painstak-ingwork.Attimes,Asianparentssetunreasonablyhighstandardsfor the achievements of their children. Many Asian mothers alsobelievethattheyareexpectedtoprovidetheirchildrendirectteach-ing,checktheirhomeworkonadailybasis,andassignextrareadingandmathexercises,inordertostrengthentheirchildren’sscholasticabilities(Baruth&Manning,1999).

AnotherfeatureofthehighparentalexpectationsinAsianfami-liesemergeswhenAsianhighschoolstudentsselectcollegemajorsand future careers. Asian parents often exhort their children tochoosemore“promising”majorssuchasmedicine,engineering,thehardsciences,andbusiness,andthereappearstobelittleroomfornegotiation.TheseprescribedcareergoalsareespeciallytrueforthesonsforwhomAsianparentsholdhigherexpectations.Inthepatri-archalAsiansociety,sonsarecherishedmorethandaughters.Theyinheritthefamilynameandlegacyandareexpectedtobringhonortothefamily(Sue&Sue,2003).

Ethnic Identity

Along with juggling high parental expectations, Asian Americanyoungsters must maintain a healthy identity, appreciated by twocultures.AlthoughthesestudentsstruggletofitintothedominantAmericanculture,theirparentstryhardtomaintaintraditionalcul-ture.ManyAsianAmericanyoungsterssufferfromanxietyandcon-fusion,especiallywhenexposedtothevalueofindividualityprevalentinthedominantAmericanculture(Yagi&Oh,1995).TheyfeeltornbetweenthedesiresoftheirparentstobeloyaltotraditionalvaluesandtherealisticdemandsofbecomingAmericanized.However,inthepluralisticAmericansociety,itisimportantforAsianAmericansto maintain their ethnic identity. An ethnic identity encompassesethnicindividuals’feelingsabouttheirphysicalfeaturesandthecul-


turalvaluesandheritagethatdistinguishthemasa specificethnicgroup(Sodowskyetal.,1995).Identificationwithone’sethnicgroupplaysanimportantroleinthementalhealthofethnicindividuals.Likeotheryoungsters,AsianAmericanadolescentsfacecomplicatedtasksofidentityformationandgroupaffiliation.However,theyhavemoretodealwithbecausetheystraddlemultiplecultures:thedomi-nantAmericanculture,thecultureofethnicorigin,andtheculturepeculiartotheadolescentpeergroup(Huang,1997). Along with normal adolescent development, it is a challengeforgiftedAsianAmericanyouthtoresolveculturalconflict,meethigh parental expectations, and make significant adjustments toaccommodateethnicheritageandsocialacceptance.BecausemanyAmericans may internalize the model minority myth when con-sidering Asian children, expectations for this population may beexceedinglyhigh,andthesechildrenmayfeeltremendouspressureto consistently achieve academic excellence. In addition to theseculturalexpectations,Asianchildrenidentifiedasgiftedmayfeelevengreaterpressuretoexcelineverythingtheypursue.Moreover,gifted Asian youngsters, owing to their superior sensitivity andadvancedinsight,mayperceivethesechallengesevenmoreacutelythan other age-mates of similar cultural background (Hasegawa,1989).Consequently,learninghowtohelpgiftedAsianAmericanadolescents face high expectations and serious cultural conflictbecomes a challenging task confronting American educators andcounselors.

Research Methods

InordertounderstandtheissuesfacinggiftedAsianAmericanmaleadolescents, we chose a qualitative research design that involvedin-depth interviews and participant observation. The followingresearchquestionsguidedtheinquiry:WhatarethechallengesfacedbygiftedAsianAmericanmaleadolescentsregardingtheirsocialandemotionaldevelopment?WhatimpactdothesechallengeshaveongiftedAsianAmericanyoungmen?


Selection of Participants

Inthis study,criterionsampling(Patton,2002)was implemented,wherebythetwoparticipantshadtomeetsomepredeterminedcri-terion of importance. The criteria for selection of the two partici-pantswereasfollows:(1)AsianAmerican,(2)male,(3)secondarystudents,and(4)identifiedasgiftedduringtheir(K–8)schoolexpe-rience.Informationfromschoolrecordswasusedtodocumentthegiftedlabel.TwomaleteenagersofTaiwaneseoriginwereselected.

Data Collection

Threesourcesofdatawereusedinthisstudy:dailyobservationsofparticipantsdocumentedwithextensivefieldnotes,individualinter-viewswiththeparticipants,andindividualinterviewswiththepar-ticipants’ mothers. Participant observation and interviewing tookplaceovera3-monthperiodandincludedobservationsofbothpar-ticipantsintheirneighborhoodsandhomes,duringmealsinAsianrestaurants, on shopping mall excursions, family grocery shoppingtrips,andaweekenddaytriptoanoutdoorentertainmentpark. Three in-depth interviews were conducted with both partici-pants, each lasting 1.5 to 2 hours. Interview guides, presented inAppendices A and B, were designed to direct the interviews. Theinterviewguidesallowedforaskingopen-endedquestionsandprob-ing for details throughout each conversation in order to capturethe participants’ experiences (Patton, 2002). The purpose of theseinterviewswasnotmerelytoobtaininformationdirectlyfromtheparticipants but also to develop insight into how they interpretedtheirsocioculturalexperience.Inadditiontotheinterviewswiththegifted adolescent males, one individual interview with each of themothersoftheyoungmenwasconducted.Theseinterviewsfocusedon the mothers’ perceptions of their sons’ school experiences andacculturation processes. Objectivity was enhanced with the addi-tionoftheinterviewswiththeparticipants’mothers.AllinterviewstookplaceinthelivingroomsofthefamiliesandwereconductedinEnglish,withtheexceptionofonewithoftheparticipant’smotherwho requested to be interviewed in Chinese. All interviews weretranscribedverbatim.TheinterviewconductedinChinesewastran-


scribed verbatim, translated into English, and verified by anotherTaiwaneseuniversityresearcher.

Data Coding and Analysis

Inductive analysis procedures were used to analyze and interpretthe data. This process involved managing data through coding,categorizing into themes, and determining relationships amongthethemes(Huberman&Miles,1994).Thefieldnotesandtran-scribedinterviewswerecodedandanalyzedaccordingtothecod-ingparadigmdescribedbyBogdanandBiklen(1998).Inthefirststageofanalysis,weanalyzedallinterviewtranscriptsandobserva-tionfieldnotesbycombingthroughthedataforcategoriesofphe-nomenaandforrelationshipsamongthosecategories.Codeswereorganized with words or phrases that identified similar patterns,themes,recurringideasorrelationships,andconsistenciesordiffer-encesbetweenandamongsegmentsofdata.Thisprocessofcodingcompacteddataintoequivalentcategoriesandenabledustoman-age and reconstruct meaningful components (LeCompte, 2000).Thesecodesservedasanalytictoolsthatexplainedorcomplicatedthedata,allowingustoexaminethedatafromdifferentperspectivesandtohypothesizefurtheraboutitsmeaning(Coffey&Atkinson,1996).Thenextstageoftheanalysisprocessinvolvedexaminingthedatathroughadisplayofdiagramsofthecodesinordertoexam-inethecompositionofeachcodeddataset(Huberman&Miles).These data displays assisted us in structuring information into anaccessibleformattoanalyzethedatafurther.Inthethirdstageofthe analysis, we determined meaningful patterns and consistencybetweentwoormorepatternsorthemeswithinthedata.Throughthis process, we established generalizations that explained consis-tencies in the data. To conclude the analysis, our generalizationsabouttheparticipants’experienceswerecontrastedwithpublishedliteratureongiftedAsianAmericanstudents.Descriptiveportraitsoftheparticipants,JohnandMatt,arepresentedbelow.Followingtheportraits,adiscussionoftheoverallfindingsandimplicationsisprovided.


The Participants

John

JohnwasaseventhgraderatSutherlandMiddleSchool.Atall,slen-der,sun-tannedyoungster,Johnwasseendailyontheathleticcourtsin the family housing area of his university community. He livedwithhismotherandsisterinanapartmentcommunitythatwasthehomeofamajorityoftheuniversity’sinternationalgraduatestudentsandtheirfamilies.John’smotherwasagraduatestudentmajoringinfoodscience.Hisoldersisterwasaseniorhighschoolstudent.John’sfather,aprofessor,waslivinginTaiwan. JohnwasborninauniversitycommunityintheMidwestwhenhisfatherwaspursuinghisdoctoraldegree.Duringthoseyears,John’sparentsfacedmanyfinancialhardships;hisfatherearnedameagerincome on research assistantships, and his mother helped to sup-portthefamilybyworkingpart-timeinaChineserestaurant.AfterJohn’sfatherearnedhisdoctorate,thefamilymovedbacktoTaiwanwhenheobtainedaprofessorialpositioninaTaiwaneseuniversity.John’smotherdecidedtopursueagraduatedegreeandreturnedtotheUnitedStateswithhertwochildren.Bothparentsalsowantedtoensurethattheirchildrenexperiencedamoreflexibleeducationalsystem.John’sfathercouldnotaccompanythembecauseofhisuni-versityresponsibilities;however,hisfatherjoinedhiswifeandchil-dren during summer and winter vacations and remained in touchwithhisfamilythroughdailyelectronicmailcorrespondence. Johnandhismotherandsister lived ina two-bedroomapart-ment. John’s study table and the family computer were located intheapartment’ssmalllivingroom,wherehedidhishomework.Hisstudyspacewassituatedbyawindowthatoverlookedawoodedareaandacommunityplayground.Thelaughterorcryingofyoungchil-drenandconversationsheardinavarietyoflanguagesinthisuniver-sityneighborhoodoccasionallyinterruptedJohn’sstudytime. John’s giftedness was noted during his preschool years. Hismother explained, “He could memorize things pretty well. Helearnedfasterthanotherkids.”Atthattime,John,likemanyyoungboys,enjoyedwatchingcartoonsandwas inaweofSuperman,his

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early childhood hero. Because John was an active youngster, hismotherpreparedmanyactivitiesforhim.Sheexplained,“IhadhimlearnChineseKung-futolethisenergyfindsomewayout.”Johnalsolearnedtoplaypiano.Topreparehimforschool,hismothertaughthimmentalarithmetic,tookhimtothelocallibraryeveryweek,andprovidedhimwithplentyofreadingmaterials.Heenjoyedkeepingupwithhissister’sbooks,andhismotherreportedthatJohn“readeverythinghissisterread.” John’s academic performance had remained outstanding sincekindergarten. From the first grade to the fourth grade, he studiedinTaiwanandwasconsistentlyrankedinthetopfiveinhisclassofapproximately40students.Forseveralyears,hewasrankedfirstinhisclass.Alongwithstrongacademicskills,histalentsincludedeffectiveinterpersonal skills, leadership,oratorical skill,musicalability, andathleticprowess.Accordingtohismother,hehadnodifficultymak-ingnewfriends,andhewastwiceelectedclasspresident.Hefinishedthirdintheschool’sspeechcontest,playedfirstchairclarinetintheschoolorchestra,andenjoyedavarietyofsports.Alongwithpositivepeer group relationships, John had positive relationships with histeachers,withtheexceptionofathird-gradeteacherwhopunishedhimoftenforhistalkativenessinclass. SoonafterhearrivedintheUnitedStates,hisfifth-gradeteacherlookedbeyondhislimitedEnglishvocabulary,recognizedhisintel-lectualabilities,andnominatedhimforinvolvementintheschool’sgifted program. The fifth-grade teacher provided John with emo-tionalsupport,andhisEnglishimprovedtremendously.Heenjoyedhis involvement in the enrichment program and claimed that thehands-onscienceexperimentswerethehighlightofhisschoolday.When he reached middle school, his gifted education programbecameasequenceofadvancedcontentclasses,andheclaimedhemissedhistimeintheelementaryresourceroomprogram. John was an emotionally empathic young man. Sensitive tothefeelingsofothersandinjusticesheexperiencedwithinhispeergroup, he insisted that “you cannot treat people differently justbecause of the way they look and how they speak.” In tune withconflictsofhispeers,hebecamesaddenedatthehurtfulwordsorracialslursexpressedbyhismiddleschoolclassmates,whichattimes


causedhimtofeeluncomfortableabouthisAsianoriginandphysi-calappearance.Hismotherreportedthatshortlyafterhisarrivalinthiscountry,Johnwastherecipientofaracialslur,whichresultedin an altercation with another youngster. Despite this experience,JohnremainedopentofriendshipswithyoungmenfromdifferentculturalbackgroundsasevidencedinobservationsofJohninvolvedinbasketballgameswithneighboringfriendsofdifferentethnicori-gins. John’smotherexpressedconcernforJohn’sachievementorienta-tioninschool.Shethoughtthathedidnotalwaysworkashardashecould,andsheinsistedthatheshouldstudymore.Johnexplained,“Idon’tstudythenightbeforeatest,”and“ifit’sdailyhomework,I’llputinlessthananhour.”Headmitted,“I’llsaythatIkindofunder-achieve.IknowthatifIspendmoretimestudying,Iwillgetbetterachievement.”John’smotherpointedouttohimthathewasgoodateverythingifhereallyputfortheffort,oftennoting“youhavetal-ents,ifyoudon’tusethem,itisawaste.”Sheespeciallyhopedthathewouldplacemoreemphasisonhisreadingandwritingbecauseshewasdisappointedwiththestandardizedtestresultsinlanguagearts. Athome, Johnwasthedutiful sonwhocompletedhisweeklyhousehold chores with some nagging from his mother. AccordingtoJohn’smother,doingdishes,vacuumingtheapartment,andwash-ingthefamilycarwere“somethingboysshoulddo.”Sheexplained,“Becauseitisatraditioninourfamily,hehastofollowit.”Heregu-larlyassistedhismotherat importantChinesefestivals intheuni-versitycommunity;heranastall,sellingtraditionalChinesesnacksofcookiesand“almondcurd.”Attheconclusionofthestudy,John’smotherwasmovingthefamilyacrossthestatebecausehergraduateinternshiprequiredher towork inanother setting.Shortlybeforemoving day arrived, John’s grandparents had arrived from Taiwanfor a visit. The entire family was observed loading a moving vanon a sweltering summer day. John followed his father’s orders andhelpedmoveheavyboxesandfurniture.Heinsistedthathiselderlygrandparentsnotcarryheavyluggage.AlthoughhewasexposedtothedominantAmericanculturethatplacesemphasisonadolescentautonomyandindependence,Johndisplayedobediencetohispar-entsandgreatrespecttohisgrandparents.

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Matt

Mattwasahighschoolseniorwhowasevidentlyconcernedabouthisoutwardappearance.DressedinanArmaniT-shirtandafash-ionable pair of slacks, with an electronic beeper on his belt, Mattexplainedthathehad“graduallygottentiredofstufffromOldNavyandpreferredstylesfromArmaniandVersace.”Wheninterviewed,thefashionconsciousyoungmancommentedontheconditionofhishairandthehighstandardwithwhichhemaintainedhistrendyhairstyleusingthefinestofstylinggels. Matt’sfamilywaslivinginatwo-storyhomeinabedroomcom-munityofalargemetropolitancityintheSoutheast.Anonlychild,Mattlivedwithhisparentsandalong-termemployeeinhisparents’business,ayoungmanfrommainlandChina.AlthoughMatt’spar-ents incorporated some traditional Chinese decorations in theirhome, their household was more typical of an American home.Matt’sbedroom,oftenseenindisarray,includedhiscomputerandalargetropicalfishtankthatMatthaddesignedandbuilt. Matt’sfamilyinitiallymovedfromTaiwantoLima,Peru,whereMatt was born and where his family had owned a business. TheythenmovedtoLosAngelesandlatertheSoutheast,wherehisfatherownedandoperateda sign shop thatwasdeveloping into a large-scalecompany.Anindustriousmanwithamilitaryhighschooledu-cation,Matt’s fatherspentmostofhistimeatthefamilybusiness.Matt’sfatheradoptedalaissez-fairepolicytowardMatt’seducationandsupportedhissonsaying,“Ifyouarenotthetypeofpersonthatcan[dowellinschool]andstudyhard,youcandosomethingelse,aslongasyoumakesomethingofyourlife.”Matt’smotherhadearnedacollegedegreeinbusinessfromaTaiwanesecollegeandhelpedherhusbanddailywiththeircompany.FollowingtheChinesetradition,shehandledallthehouseholdchoresandtookchargeofMatt’sedu-cation.

Recognizing the importance of nurturing a love of education,Matt’s mother contacted his teachers often. After teachers hadexplainedthesignificanceofaliteracy-richhomeenvironment,shetook Matt on weekly trips to the library. Matt’s mother indicatedthathersondisplayedprecocityduringhispreschoolyears,describ-inghowimpressedshewaswithhismanualdexterityandhisfocused

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concentration.Sheexplainedthatwhenhewasveryyoungshefoundthathis concentrationwas impressiveas sheobservedhimsolvingchallengingjigsawpuzzlesinvolving200or300pieces.Sheproudlyreportedthatwhenhefinishedone,herequestedmoretoplaywith.WhenMattenteredelementaryschool,hismotherpurchasedmathworkbooksandprovidedhimwithextraassignmentstostrengthenhismathskills.Shealsopurchasedapianoandenrolledhiminpianolessons. Matt,reflectingonhisearlieryearsinLosAngles,describedhowaneighborhoodpeergroupinvolvedin“violence,games,andallkindsofdistracters”ledhimtounderachieveinschoolasheadmittedthat“academically,IdidnotdoaswellasIcouldhave.Ihadnomotiva-tion.” Matt noted a fourth-grade teacher intervened to “bring outthebestinme”andencouragedhisloveofscience.Sincehisfamily’smovetotheSoutheast,Mattexplainedthathissituationchanged.Matt’snewenvironmentwasmoresedatethanurbanLosAngeles.Hecommented,“Mygradeswentup.TherewerealotofA’sinmid-dleschool,andtheyputmeinthegiftedprogram.ThereasonIwasinthegiftedprogramaftermovingherewastheenvironment.”Mattwasenrolledinthegiftedprogramintheseventhgrade,inwhichhewasinvolvedinadvancedscienceandlanguageartsclasses.Inhighschool,MatthasbeenenrolledinAdvancedPlacementclassesandhasmaintainedagradepointof3.5alongwithstronginvolvementinextracurricularactivities. Mattwasproudofhisability“togetalongwitheverybody,”andhisparentsappreciatedhowcomfortablehewaswithadults,ofteninteracting with the clients in his family’s sign shop. Viewed as acaring,introspectiveteenager,Mattnotedthatwhathelikedmostabouthimselfwashowmuchhecaredforhisfamilyandotherpeo-pleandhisinvolvementinphilanthropicactivities.Hespentmuchof his time engaged in charitable activities to help the elderly andimpoverished families in his community. He explained, “There isnothingIwon’thelpwith.Idon’tdiscardthings.Itrytomakethingsbetter.”Althoughinwardlyphilosophical,Mattcouldbeoutwardlyplayful.Talkingwithhim,adultscouldeasilybecomedisarmedbyhisnaturalhumor.


Like many gifted adolescents, Matt was confronted with pres-sure.Heexplained thathe suffered fromhighexpectationsplacedonhimbyhismother.Hecommented,“It’sscary,”andadmittedthathewas“afraid[he]wouldfailher.”Otherpressurescamefromhisfamily’straditionofhighachievement.Hisgrandfatherwasawell-respectedphysicianandhisunclewasaverywealthybusinessman.Mattindicatedthiswas“atraditionhehadtokeepup.”

Findings

The gifted Asian American adolescent males in this study experi-encedintergenerationalculturalconflictwithintheirfamilies.Thisconflictinvolvedtwoconcerns:parentalexpectationsforacademicperformanceanddifferingviewsregardingacculturation.Thecon-flict centered on academic issues including differing views of aca-demicrigor,thevalueofstandardizedtests,timespentonthehomecomputer,comparisonswithclassmates,andparents’misperceptionsof gifted education. The conflict focused on acculturation issuesincludedvaluesdifferences,parentalexpectationsregardingobedi-ence and respect, differing views of adolescent autonomy, and theimportanceoflearningtheethniclanguage.Anexaminationofthesethemesuncoveredinthedatahelpstoexplaintheculturaldilemmasfacedbytheseyoungmen.

Conflict Over Academic Issues

Like most Asian American parents, John’s mother placed a heavyemphasisonherchildren’seducationbecauseshebelievededucationwasasteppingstonetoadvancementinsociety.Withhighexpecta-tionsforherson,shewasstrictinhersupervisionofhisstudiesandlaiddownseveral regulations forhimto follow. Johncomplained,“Sheisverystrict.IcannotwatchTVduringweekdays.I[canonly]watchTVorplaycomputergamesonweekendsandholidays.Ihavetostudyinthemorningeventhoughit’saweekendoraholiday.Ican’tenjoyabreakuntiltheafternoon.”


In discussing her expectations for her son, John’s mother pro-vided her view of the American schools. Although John was astraight A student, she was not satisfied, as she noted, “Franklyspeaking,thestudentsinAmericadonotworkveryhardcomparedwithstudentsinTaiwan.Theschoolworkisnotveryhardeither....Itisnotverydifficulttobethebestinschool.”ShethoughtJohndidnotstudyhardenough,andtherewasmuchroomforimprovement.ShehopedJohnwouldstudymoreearnestlyandfulfillhispotential,sosheplayedtheroleofstudymonitorexplaining,“Sometimesyoujusthavetopushhimtoworkhard.[He’s]ateenager,andyouhavetopushhim.”

Inadditiontoherhighexpectationsforherson’sperformanceinschool,shealsowantedhimtoperformwellonstandardizedtests.Concernedthatlanguageartswashisweakarea,sheprovidedJohnwithextraassignmentsinvocabulary,grammar,andsentencestruc-ture to help him prepare for the Preliminary Scholastic AptitudeTest(PSAT).Muchtoherchagrin,John’sscoresinmathweremuchhigherthantheverbalsectionofthetest.WhilehismothernotedemotionallythatshehadsavedhermoneytopayforJohntotakethePSAT,John,whoviewedtakingthetestinmiddleschoolassimplyanacademicexercisetomeetsomeoneelse’sexpectationsandnothisownsaid,“Idon’tneedtoworryaboutthat.It’stooearly.” JohnnotedthatAsianAmericanparentswereinclinedtolookupontheirchildren’s strongacademicperformanceandgoodcon-duct inschoolasonepartof theirownpersonalachievement.Hementionedthatchildrenresentedcomparisonsmadebyparents,andhecomplainedthathismothercomparedhimtootheryoungstersoften. When asked about what his mother compared with others,herespondedwithemotion,“Mygrades,thethingsIshoulddo,theresponsibilitiesIshouldhave.” Althoughnotculturallyspecific,anotherconflictbetweenJohnand his mother centered on John’s favorite pastime—the use ofcomputergames.Hismothersawnointellectualvaluetoherson’sinvolvementinthegames.Althoughhepointedoutthathisfuturecareerwouldbedependentoncomputers,hismothersetuprulestoregulatehiscomputertime,lestheoverindulgeincomputergamesandsufferadeclineingrades.Shepointedoutthatcomputergames


hadbecometheculpritinmuchoftheconflictbetweenmotherandson. AlthoughMattisseveralyearsolderthanJohn,theirproblemsweresimilar.Mattandhismotheralsofacedconflictoverhisedu-cation.AlthoughMatt’sfatherhadamoreliberalattitudetowardsschooling,hismotherplacedahighvalueonacademicachievementand became involved in his studies. Matt described his mother asa “pushy” woman who was “very picky about my education” and“nagged”himabouthisstudying.ConflictoccurredoverwhatMattviewedashismother’soveremphasisongrades.Hedescribedexperi-encesinthepastsaying,“IfIgota99onatest,shewouldask,‘Whathappenedtotheonepointyoulost?Whathappenedtothatpoint?’”Whenaskedaboutconflictwithherson,Matt’smotherconcurredthattheirdisagreementsrevolvedaroundhisgrades:

Asiansputmoreemphasisonchildren’sgrades.IfItoldhim,“Yourgradesaresopoor,”hewouldrespondangrilyatonce.Hecomplained,“Mom,whydoyoucareonlyaboutmygrades?Whydon’tyouaskaboutmyhealth?Whyareyoureyesalwaysfixedonthatreportcard?”

Concernovercomparisonswithhisclassmatesandhismother’shigh expectations for standardized achievement testing were alsoissuesplaguingMatt.Heandhismotherarguedabouthismother’scomparisonofhisacademicprogresswithothers.Shedescribed,“Hehatedcomparisons. [Heexplained tome] ‘I trymybest, andIdowhatIlike.That’senough.Don’tcomparemewithotherclassmates.’Afterhetalkedtomeaboutthis issue, thenInevermentioned[itagain].”Matt’smotherthoughthisabilitieswerestrongerthanwhatwas reflected in his Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) score of 1300and was troubled about her son’s relaxed attitude concerning histestresults.Shesawhersonnotstrivingtoreachforthebestpos-siblescorehecouldearnbutrather“thelowestscorerequiredbythestateuniversity.”Exasperated,sheadded,“Ithinkheshouldtryhisbest, regardless of the scores required by colleges. If you don’t tryyourbest,that’swrong.ItoldhimIcouldnotacceptthatatall.”Herespondedwith,“Standardizedtestsonlysaythatyou’reagoodtest-takerorabadtest-taker.They’renotaboutwhoyouare.Idon’tsee

Gifted Asian American Adolescent Males 10�

thoseas important.”Alongwithconcernoverachievement scores,motherandsondifferedintheirthinkingonwhatmightbethebestcareerpathforMatt,withhismotherencouraginghimtoconsidermedicine and Matt strongly considering international business.Matt’sfatherremainedsilentontheissue.

Matt realized that as first-generation immigrants his parents“grewupdifferently.”Understandingtheywereeducatedinatradi-tionalChineseeducationalsystemhenoted,“Thewaytheylearnedissortofagap[betweenus].Theylearnedbymemorizingbooksandwhat’s in them. I learn throughreadingbooksanddiscussingwhythathappens,insteadof‘That’swhathappens.Rememberit.’”

WhenMattwasinvolvedinthegiftedprograminmiddleschool,he struggled to get his mother to understand the academic rigorinvolvedinhisadvancedclasses.Hedescribedascenarioinwhichhelamentedtohismother,“Mom,howmuchyoucareaboutmygrades!Doyourealizethelessonsinthegiftedprogramaremuchmoredif-ficultthantheaveragelessons?”HepointedouttohismotherthathecouldquitthegiftedprogramandeasilymakestraightA’sintheacademicclassestomakeherhappy.Followingthatdiscussion,Mattnoticedthathismother’sattitudechangedsomewhat.Shetoldhimtoenjoyhisclasses,listencloselytohisteachers,andnottoidleawayhistime.

Conflict Over Acculturation Issues

Johnandhismothergrewupindifferentculturalcontextsandsomeintergenerational conflict arose because their value systems weremolded by different cultural systems. John was a confident teen-agerabletodefendthepositionshetookondebatesinschooloronfamilyissuessuchaswhetherhehadbeenresponsibleforaproblemwiththefamilycomputer.Accordingtohismother,hisconfidenceinhisintellectualacuitysometimeswascarriedtoofarandturnedinto overconfidence and arrogance. John’s mother noted that inAmericanschools,educationplacedahighpremiumonthedevel-opmentofself-assurednessandthoughtJohn’soverconfidencewasfosteredunconsciously.However,Johnwantedhisideastobevaluedorappreciatedatalltimes.Hehaddifficultywithhisparents’atti-


tudes concerning his opinions. He complained, “In my home, myideasaregibberish.” AlthoughJohn’smotherhadbeeninAmericaforseveralyears,she did not want to abandon her deeply rooted view that parentswere authority figures, and the children ought to be obedient tothem.Accordingtoher,teenagerswere“stillwetbehindtheears,”sotheyhadbetter“usetheirears,ratherthantheirmouths.”Shereal-izedthathermiddleschoolsonnowhadstrongopinionsofhisown;however,shepointedout,“He’sjustakid.Hedoesn’tknowevery-thing!”InatraditionalAsianhousehold,youngstersareexpectedtofollowthe“silenceisgolden”ruleandtohumbly,courteously,andcarefullylistentotheirelders.Beingargumentativewasnotaccept-abletoJohn’smotherassheexplained,“WhenIwashisage,Ididn’tdare argue with my mother, or talk back to her.” Overhearing hismother’scomment,Johnretortedwith“Timesarealwayschanging!”SometimesJohn’sself-confidenceledtobehaviorhismotherviewedas presumptuous. This was evidenced during a family shoppingexcursion,duringwhichtheyenjoyedlunchinaChineserestaurant.John’smotherbecameinfuriatedwithhimfortakingcontrolofthecreditcardpayment,fillinginaninsufficientamountforthewaiter’sgratuity.

Acculturation issues were also evident in John’s mother’s con-cerns.Sheexplainedthatshewantedhersontobegindatingincol-lege, and she worried that he might not marry a woman of Asianorigin.Sheadmonished,“Remember,youareChinese.Don’tlearnAmericanbadhabits.”John’smotherexplained:

WestillliveintheChinesewayathome.IalwaystellmychildrentobeproudoftheirChineseorigin....IthinktheseyearsinAmerica[ Johnandhissister]havebeendeeplyinflu-encedbyAmericanculture.Theyshowlessandlessrespectfor[their]parents.

John’s mother reflected on the family’s difficult times in Taiwan,explainingtoherchildrenthattheyshouldbegratefultobelivingin America and emphasized, “You should cherish what you havenow.”John’smothertriedtostrikeabalancebetweenAmericanandChineseculture;however,thisgoalseemeddifficultforhertoreach.


Althoughsheclaimedshewasworkingtoopenchannelsofcommu-nicationwithherson,Johndisagreed.

Ethniclanguagelearningplaysaninfluentialroleintheaccep-tance of one’s ethnic culture. In Matt’s case, cultural conflictsbetweenmotherandsonoccurredwhenhismotherinsistedthathelearnChinese.ShehadtaughthimtowriteChinesecharacters,butinvain.SheenrolledhiminaweekendChineseprograminthefirstgrade;however,hersonresisted.Sheexplained,“Mattisveryclever.Heknewtherewerebaseballgameseveryweekend.Hethoughtifhe[joinedLittleLeague]hecouldescapethosetediousChineseclasses.Sohetookpartinbaseballonpurpose.”

Throughhisadolescence,Matt’smotherhaslearnedseveralwaysoflesseningthelikelihoodofconflictwithherson.Matthadcandidconversationswithheraboutproblemshefacedinschool.Throughopencommunication,shegraduallyrealizedthatacademicachieve-mentwasnotthefocalpointofherson’slife,anditwasdestructive,aswellasmeaningless,tomakecomparisonsbetweenhersonandhispeers. When Matt behaved impulsively, his mother learned to usewordsthattouchedhisheart.ShepresentedapoignantexampleofoneeveningwhenMattwassupposedtoreturnhomefromapartyat11p.m.andhadcalledsayingthathewouldbestayingovernightathisfriend’shouse.Hismothertoldhim,“Ifyouwon’tcomehome,Iwillsufferasleeplessnight.”Sheexplainedshesharedherworrieswithwordsthat“touchedhim”andconcludedbysaying,“‘SoIwillwaituntilyoucomehome,nomatterhowlateitwillbe.’AfterItoldhimthat,hecamehomeinhalfanhour.”Matt’smotheradmittedthatsheeventuallylearnedtoprovidehimmoreautonomy.Mattagreedthathisparentslearnedtotrusthim,andhehadnot“donemuchtodamage this trust.” Matt’s mother eventually learned to appreciatehisneedforindependenceasevidencedinherfinalcomments:

Maybewe’velivedhereforalongtime,sowe’veexperiencedmoreAmericanculture.Wethinkthatsoonerorlater,kidsneedtocuttheumbilicalcord.Ifyoudon’tletthembeinde-pendentatthistime,they[will]missalotofopportunitiestogrowup.Youmustletthemlearnfromtheirexperiences.Youcan’tprotectthemtoomuch.

Journal for the Education of the Gifted10�

Discussion and Implications

In reviewing the experiences of John and Matt, intergenerationalcultural conflict was the core category that emerged in the study.Thisconflictcenteredonparentalexpectationsforacademicperfor-manceanddifferencesintheculturalvaluesystemsoftheparentsandtheirsons.Thefindingsofthestudyprovidesupportforresearchonspecific issues facinggiftedAsianAmericanyoungsters. Importantimplications for educators and Asian parents of gifted young menarereadilyapparentfromthestudy.Bycloselyexaminingtheexperi-encesofJohnandMatt,educatorsandparentsmaygainnewinsightonhowtosupportgiftedAsianAmericanyoungmen. Both participants had parents who had high expectations fortheirsons.Inadditiontobeingidentifiedasgifted,bothyoungmendisplayed a multitude of talents; hence their giftedness may haveonlyheightenedtheexpectationsoftheirparentsandincreasedthepressureforhighperformanceinschool.InJohn’scase,althoughhisfatherwasabsentfromthehome,bothparentsheldhighachievementexpectationsfortheirson.Matt’scasewasatypicalinthathisfatherdidnotholdatraditionalAsianviewofcareersuccessinahigh-pow-ered profession. Instead, he held a more liberal view of educationandsuggestedthathissonbehappyinlifeandmakeacontributiontosocietyinwhateverwayhesawasappropriate.Ontheotherhand,Matt’smother’smessageconcerningacademicachievementandlatersuccess in lifewas traditionaland focused,whichresulted inpres-suredexpectations.ThesemixedmessagesfromMatt’stwoparentsmayhaveaccountedforwhathedescribedashisunderachievementin school. This finding is consistent with what several researchers(Baker,Bridger&Evans,1998;Rimm,1995)havenoted.Notonlyaretheseparentalmixedmessagesproblematicforachievement,theyalsocontributetoadditionalacculturationissues.Withmotherrein-forcinganAsianperspectiveoneducationwhilefatherreinforcestheAmericanperspectiveprevailingwithinMatt’speergroup,thisissueonlyexacerbatesthestrainbetweenmotherandson. Inbothcases,themothersoftheparticipantstookastronginter-estindevelopingthetalentsoftheirsonsinearlychildhood.Bothmothersprovidedtheyoungboyswitheducationalenrichmentafter


schooloronweekends.TheseexperiencesincludedSaturdaysessionsduringwhichbothboyswereenrolledinlanguageclassesconductedindidacticfashion,andtheybothdislikedattendingChineseclassesonweekends.Thisfindingshouldleadparentsandeducatorstorecon-siderappropriatebilingualtrainingforyoungchildren.Researchhasindicatedthatbilingualchildrenexhibitagreatersensitivitytothenuancesoflanguageandmaybemoreflexibleintheirthinkingthanmonolingual students (Shin, 2005). Additive bilingualism is onein which academic achievement is enhanced due to the completeliteracy of the students in both languages (Shin; McCown et al.,1995),andthereforeisagiftthatbothAsianparentsandteachersofgiftedAsianstudentswouldwanttonurture.Asresearchers(Frasier&Passow,1994;Jackson&Lu,1992)haveindicated,bilingualismis valued in a diverse society; however, young, second-generationAsianyouthfrequentlyresistlearningtheirnativelanguage,whichisoftenupsettingtofirst-generationAsianparents.Toencouragetheirchildrentolearnthelanguage,Asianparentsmayhavetoconsiderlooking foreducationalprograms in theirnative language thataredeliveredthroughinstructionalstrategiesandproceduresthatgiftedAsian youngsters may be exposed to in American schools. Ratherthan repetitive drill in language mechanics, gifted Asian studentsmay benefit from language instruction delivered through moreengagingpedagogicalmethodsthattheyhavebecomefamiliarwiththrough gifted programs. In addition, effective instructors may beAsian American young adults or university students who serve asculturalrolemodelsandhighlighthowtheircommandoftwolan-guagesbenefitstheminmanyways. TheintergenerationalconflictbetweenthetwoparticipantsandtheirparentscallattentiontoanumberofissuesthateducatorsandcounselorsmustbecomesensitivetoinordertobettersupportgiftedAsianyoungstersandtheirparents.Thevaluesystemsoftwogenera-tionswithinan immigrantgroupofpeoplemaybedifferent,withthe younger generation identifying more with the value system ofthe dominant culture. Moreover, the channels of communicationbetweenAsianparentsandtheirchildrenmaybeinfluencedbythedominant culture. As seen in the families of both John and Matt,communicationproblemsmayexistbetweenadolescentsandtheir


parents,andimmigrantfamiliesmayfaceevengreaterchallengesastheirchildrenbecomemoreacculturatedtothedominantculture.Gettingbothsidestounderstandeachother’sworldviewandstyleofcommunicatingmaybeachallengerequiringagreatdealofpatienceandsensitivitytobothfamilyheritageandtheacculturationneedsofthechildren.Bothteachersandcounselorsneedtobeawareofthecommunication issuesandthevaluesystemsthat interact in inter-generationalconflictsofAsianfamiliesiftheyaretoworkeffectivelywithgiftedAsianAmericanstudentsandtheirfamilies.Forexample,muchoftheconflictevidencedinbothJohn’sandMatt’sexperiencescenteredonaneedforindependence.Bothyoungmenappearedtoidentify more closely with the American mentality regarding thedevelopment of independence within adolescents. This need forindependencemayhavebeenexacerbatedbytheacculturationissue,aswellasthegiftednessoftheyoungmen.Becausebothyoungmenwantedtobecomemore“Americanized,”theneedforindependencefromtheirparentsmayhavebeenstronger. EthnicidentityissueswereevidentwithbothJohnandMatt.AsHuang (1997) noted, achieving a coherent identity is difficult formany adolescents; however, ethnic adolescents shoulder an addi-tional burden of integrating the discrepant values from two coex-istingcultures,thedominantcultureandtheirownethnicculture.It was evident that John’s ethnic identity was being molded whileMatt’swasinplaceasamoreacculturatedAsianAmericanteenager.Throughassimilation,Matthadbeensuccessfulinbuildingbridgesbetween the two cultures in his life and felt comfortable with hismultilayered identity of being Asian, American, and gifted. BothJohn and Matt offer educators and counselors insights into theimportanceofdevelopinganethnicidentityandthelengthydevel-opmentalprocessofbuildingsuchastrongethnicidentity.TeachersandcounselorswhoworkwithgiftedAsianAmericanyoungmenneedtobeawareofthisprocessandappreciatethe individualdif-ferences within this special population (Liu & Pope-Davis, 2003;Plucker, 1996). Counselors might want to consider helping Asianparentsunderstandthattheyare likelytoturntheirchildrenawayfrom their ethnic culture if too much criticism is directed towardtheacculturatedbehaviorsoftheirchildren,andexcessivepressureis


placedonthemtofollowfamilybeliefsandtraditions(Sodowskyetal.,1995). BothJohnandMattstruggledattimestogettheirmotherstounderstandthatahighgradepointaverageandstrongSATscoreswerenotnecessarilyanaccuratemeasureofwhethertheywereactu-allybenefiting fromtheirAmericaneducation. Ineachportraitoftheyoungmeninthestudy,theparentsneededtounderstandthevalueofenrichedlearningexperiences,aswellasanacceleratedpro-gram of study. Educators and counselors working with parents ofgiftedAsianAmericanyoungstersneedtoeducateparentsonissuesofacademicassessment,curriculumdifferentiation,andenrichmentasappropriateexperiencesofgiftedstudents.AssistingAsianparentsin understanding how school experiences may be simultaneouslyacceleratedandhorizontallyenrichedwouldhelpalleviatetrouble-someworriesforparentscomingfrommoretraditionalschoolexpe-riencesintheirnativeculture.

HelpingAsianparentsunderstandthevalueofstandardizedtestssuchas theSATandconsiderbroadercareerpossibilities for theirsonsshouldbeanimportantgoalforgiftededucationteachersandhighschoolcounselors.CounselorsalsomayassistAsianfamiliesbyfirst acknowledging parental efforts in choosing promising careersfor their children and then providing parents current informationregardingavarietyofoccupationalchoices.AsnotedinMatt’sexpe-riences, his mother discussed her career selection dreams that dif-feredfromherson’s,afindingconsistentwiththeresearchofYagiandOh(1995).InMatt’scase,aswellasothers,supportfromtheschool system might prevent conflicts between Asian parents andtheirsonswhomayholddifferentnotionsofwhatwillconstituteasuccessfullifefortheminthefuture. Both participants in the study displayed empathic qualitiesin dealing with issues in their lives as evidenced in John’s experi-enceswithracialslursandhisappreciationforamulticulturalpeergroupandMatt’ssocialactionworkinhiscommunity.Thisfindinghighlightshowgiftedyoungstersfromallculturalandethnicback-groundsmaydisplayaheightenedsensitivityasnotedbyPiechowski(1997)andappreciatehavingadultsintheirliveswhorespecttheirempathicqualitiesandcelebratethesensitivitieswithinthesegifted


youngsters. In addition, the appreciation of a multicultural peergroup within both participants is consistent with what Hébert(2000)foundwithingiftedurbanAfricanAmerican,Caucasian,andHispanicmalesandreinforcesthesignificanceofexperienceswithdiversityhelpingtoshapetheself-identitiesofgiftedyoungmenandpreparingthemtobewell-equippedforsuccessinadiversesociety. WiththevarietyofsalientissuesfacingfamiliesofgiftedAsianAmericanyoungsters,thestoriesofJohnandMattcallattentiontothe need for developing parent support groups for Asian parentsraisingtheirgiftedsonsinthiscountry.ManyAsianparentsofgiftedyoungmenmaybeperplexedbytheAmericaneducationalsystemandneedhelptobetterunderstandhowtheycansupporttheirgiftedsons. As Hébert (1998) noted, parents of culturally diverse giftedyoungmenwouldbenefitgreatlyfromparent-to-parentsupportsys-temsthatareestablishedbybothcommunitiesandschools.Asianparents who have successfully resolved intergenerational conflictscanserveasdiscussiongroupleaders.SchoolcounselorsmayinitiallyarrangeforAsianparentsofgiftedyoungsterstocometogetherforregularly scheduled evening discussion sessions in which they dis-cuss issueshighlighted intheexperiencesofJohnandMatt.Oncethesessionsarearrangedanddiscussion leadersarechosen,schoolcounselorsmaystepaside,allowingthe successfulparents to sharetheirstoriesandhelpfulinsightsregardingeverythingfromschoolexpectationsandbilingualtrainingprograms,tocareerexpectationsfor their children. Many Asian parents may appreciate having “ashouldertocryon,”othersupportiveadultswhohavestruggledtounderstand the acculturation dilemmas faced by their gifted sons.Forexample,Mattandhismotherreachedanunderstandingregard-inghisneedforindependence.Perhapsasaparentdiscussiongroupleader,Matt’smotherwouldprovideotherAsianparentsthelessonsshelearnedregardingthisadolescentneedandfurtherunderstand-ingonresolvingotherculturalconflictsbetweenAsianparentsandtheirgiftedsons. There are limitations to this study that should be noted. It isimportanttorecognizethevarietyandheterogeneitywithinAsianAmericans.Theydifferincustoms,history,religion,degreeofaccul-turation, immigration experience, and ethnic identity. The two


participants with Taiwanese ancestry may not represent the widediversityofAsianAmericans;thereforethefindingsofthisstudyarenotgeneralizable.Moreover,asmallsamplesizedidnotaccountfordifferencesinsocioeconomicstatus.Inaddition,thisstudyacknowl-edged the Asian tradition of the mother’s major role in children’seducation, so interviews with the participants’ fathers were notincluded.Suchinterviewsmighthaveofferedadditionalinsights.

Summary

In American society, gifted Asian American young men may beviewedasa“doubleminority.”Comparedwithothergiftedadoles-cents,theymaybemorevulnerabletoconflictwithparentsbecauseofthedifferentexpectations,values,andethnicidentitiesofthetwogenerations involved.However,aswithgiftedyoungmenfromallculturalbackgrounds,giftedAsianAmericanmaleshavethepoten-tialtomakesignificantcontributionstoourworld.Theseyoungmendeserveappropriateeducationandguidancetoaddresstheireduca-tionalandemotionalneeds.ThisarticlecontributestotheliteratureonculturalconflictfacedbygiftedAsianAmericanmales.EducatorsmayusetheinformationfromtheportraitsofthetwoyoungmeninthisarticletogainabetterunderstandingoftheculturaldilemmasfacingothergiftedAsianAmericanyoungmen.ThisknowledgeandunderstandingwillenhancetheirworkwithgiftedAsianAmericanmalesinournation’sschools.

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Appendix A

Sample Interview Questions Used With Participants John and Matt

Explainwhenyourgiftednesswasfirstnoticed.Describehowyourparentsnurturedyourgiftsandtalents.Describetheimportantfriendshipsduringyourearlychildhood.Describeyourelementaryschoolexperiences.WhowerethemostinfluentialadultsthroughoutyourK–6schoolexperience?Explainhowtheyinfluencedyou.Howhaveyourmiddle/highschoolyearsbeendifferentfromyourelementaryschoolexperiences?Describeyourexperiencesingiftededucationprograms.Describeyourfriends.Howdoyouliketospendtimewithfriends?Describeyourparents’personalities.Describehowyourparentsareinvolvedwithyourschooling.Describeyourparents’expectationsforyouathomeandatschool.WhatdoyouseeasdifferencesbetweenTaiwanesecultureandthedominantAmericanculture?Whichculturedoyoufeelcloserto?Why?Describeyourparents’feelingsconcerningAmericanculture.


DescribeyourexperienceinadjustingtoAmericanculturewhenyouarrivedinthiscountry.Describeyourdreamsandgoalsforthefuture.

Appendix B

Sample Interview Questions Used With the Participants’ Mothers

Pleasedescribeyourson’smostmemorablepreschoolexperiences.Whenwasyourson’sgiftednessfirstrecognized?Describewhatyoudidtonurturehisgiftedness.Whatdoyouthinkyourson’sstrengthsare?Why?Whatdoyouthinkyoursonlikesmost/leastabouthimself ?Why?Describe your son’s elementary, middle, and high school experi-ences.Describe your perceptions of your son’s gifted education programexperience.Howareyouinvolvedinyourson’sschooling?Please describe your expectations for your son at home and inschool.Describeyourson’sstudyhabits.PleasecomparetheeducationalsysteminTaiwantoyourson’sedu-cationalexperiencesinAmerica.DidyoursonfacedifficultiesinadjustingtoAmericanculturewhenyouarrivedinthiscountry?Pleasedescribe.Pleasedescribeyourson’sattitudetowardeducation.How do you feel about your son’s involvement in extracurricularactivities?Whatdoyouwantforyourson’sfuture?

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Gifted Asian American Adolescent Males: Portraits of ...at the National University of Tainan in Tainan, Taiwan. Thomas P. Hébert is Associate Professor of educational psychology in