The Influence of Ethnicity
As the economy, global warming, and countless other issues compete for center stage, discussion of cultural background seems to lose importance. Race, an issue seemingly solved a half-century ago, becomes almost taboo to discuss. Yet its impact on AB’s success and the growing issue of self-segregation in schools make understanding the role of race critical.
Few schools can claim to match AB’s academic talent. Fewer can claim to do so while spending less money per student than the state average. Since the success of a school system is often associated with the amount spent per student, something else must be at work here at AB. Our racial diversity and our town culture make us different. Nearly 25 percent of AB students are from minority backgrounds, which is double the percentages compared to Westford, Concord-Carlisle, and Lincoln-Sudbury. The mix of Eastern emphasis on work ethic and duty with the Western values of individualism and freedom make AB successful.
My own background is that of the child of conservative Hindu parents who have emphasized duty to family and country over everything else. They were never clear about which country to be loyal to, leaving me to find a path between two of which I have never felt truly a part.
I grew up hearing stories ranging from those about my father nearly drowning in a river as he placed a paper boat in the water, to those about him plugging the drains of his house with mangoes during a rainstorm. He went on to earn the highest grade in his college, winning the chance to leave for an American university. Air India lost his bags on the way, and with no hopes of reimbursement, he walked out into Chicago with a toothbrush, a blanket, and a box of homemade sweets. Still, he completed his graduate degree and doctorate in half the normal time.
Though I grew up in comfortable economic circumstances, his story motivates me to work hard in academics. Yet his story is not unique. Instead, it is a textbook story of the average immigrant coming from overseas.
Like many Indians, I am shaped by the conflict between India and Pakistan. On November 26, 2008, it became painfully clear to the world that organizations with Pakistani support regularly conduct terrorist attacks elsewhere. Delhi’s notorious traffic saved my aunt from a terrorist attack on the Sarojini Nagar market in 2005. She was on her way to a haircut. Were it not for a miraculous break in traffic, a roadside bomb that exploded behind her in Gorakhpur might have killed a fellow teacher at a charitable school in India. By her own estimation, she beat the bomb by three seconds.
These attacks, on one hand, make me angry and militant, and on the other, remind me about the importance of being open-minded, disciplined, and sympathetic to others. They reveal why it is so important for people to understand each other before they can respect each other. Yet, many would like to ignore race and avoid discussing it altogether. Race is fundamentally part of who we are, and it is not something to be ashamed of or something to whitewash with a coat of political correctness.
Increasingly, experts have expressed concern over greater self-segregation within schools. However, this segregation may not be a bad thing. In general, what we do and enjoy separates us less than how we think. Our race influences our mindset, causing each of us to filter the same experiences differently. In a sense, mindset is heritable.
Though we all agree on common values, we prioritize them differently. We all agree that there should be a balance between work and play, between individualism and efficiency, and between vice and virtue. However, we differ on how much of each is enough. We associate with people of the same race because they have the same mindset and the same priorities, and we trust that they understand us.
In this sense, we might as well identify ourselves by race just as we identify ourselves as being American. What matters is that, as Americans, we do not think ourselves better than any other. In Hinduism, this idea is known as Vasudev Kutumbakam. The world is one family.
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