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Too Much Self-Esteem Can Be Bad for Your Child

By Andrew Lam, New America Media. Posted July 10, 2007.


American schools stress self-esteem as the stepping stone to academic achievement. But students from Asian cultures, which place little stock in self-esteem, seem to do better than their American counterparts in school.

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In the age of Myspace and YouTube and Google Earth, the space between East and West seems to shrink. But in the area of self-perception, especially, there remains a cultural gap that can often be as wide as the ocean.

Take Jeong-Hyun Lim, a 24-year-old business student in Seoul. Popularly known as Funtwo on YouTube, his rock rendition of Pachelbel's Canon has turned him into a global phenomenon. Lim's dizzying sweep-picking -- sounding and muting notes at breakneck speed -- has had some viewers calling him a second Hendrix. His video has been viewed on YouTube 24 million times so far.

But Funtwo himself is self-effacing, a baseball cap covering much of his face. No one knew who he was until Virginia Heffernan wrote about him in the New York Times last August. She called his "anti-showmanship" "distinctly Asian," adding that "sometimes an element of flat-out abjection even enters into this act, as though the chief reason to play guitar is to be excoriated by others."

Anyone in the West with this kind of media spotlight and Internet following would hire an agent and make a CD. But Lim told Heffernan, "I am always thinking that I'm not that good a player and must improve more than now." In another interview, he rated his playing around 50 or 60 out of 100.

Lim's modesty is reassuringly Asian, echoing the famous Chinese saying: "Who is not satisfied with himself will grow." In a classic 1992 study, psychologists Harold Stevenson and James Stigler compared academic skills of elementary school students in Taiwan, China, Japan and the United States. It showed a yawning gap in self-perception between East and West. Asian students outperformed their American counterparts, but when they were asked to evaluate their performances, American students evaluated themselves significantly higher than those from Asia. "In other words, they combined a lousy performance with a high sense of self-esteem," noted Nina H. Shokraii, author of School Choice 2000: What's Happening in the States, in an essay called "The Self Esteem Fraud."

Since the '80s, self-esteem has become a movement widely practiced in public schools, based on the belief that academic achievements come with higher self-confidence. Shokraii disputes that self-esteem is necessary for academic success. "For all of its current popularity, however, self-esteem theory threatens to deny children the tools they will need in order to experience true success in school and as adults," writes Shokraii.

A quarter of a century later, a comprehensive new study released last February from San Diego State University maintains that too much self-regard has resulted in college campuses full of narcissists. In 2006, researchers said, two-thirds of the students had above-average scores on the Narcissistic Personality Inventory evaluation, 30 percent more than when the test was first administered in 1982.

Researchers like San Diego State University professor Jean Twenge worried that narcissists "are more likely to have romantic relationships that are short-lived, at risk for infidelity, lack emotional warmth, and to exhibit game-playing, dishonesty, and over-controlling and violent behaviors." The author of Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled -- and More Miserable Than Ever Before, Twenge blamed the self-esteem movement for the rise of the "Myspace" generation.


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Andrew Lam is the editor of New America Media and the author of Perfume Dreams: Reflections on the Vietnamese Diaspora.

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View:
"calling him a second Hendrix"
Posted by: WhatNow? on Jul 10, 2007 1:02 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
He's better!

I like Hendrix alot but there are many guitarists that I think are much better: Johnny Winter, Al DiMeola, Frank Zappa, Stanley Jordan, Buddy Guy, Tinsley Ellis, and Joe Bonamassa to name a few.

This is an interesting article. Most people that are really any good at anything don't think a great deal of themselves such as the guitar players I listed. They do what they do because they enjoy it, instead of seeking adoration.

Thanks for turning me on to another talented musician.

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Everybody in America thinks they are a special little snow flake
Posted by: ateo on Jul 10, 2007 1:03 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
That's what we were taught, that's what we believe. There may be many problems in the world but virtually everyone you talk to is going to say they are completely perfect or their flaws are minor at most. The problem is the other guy.

Thinking you're the man and telling everyone you're the man can take you far in America. Your actual performance is irrelevant as long as you appear to be "the man." Might as well learn that early on so you can bull shit your way through the corporate America by putting on a good show, appearing to be something you're not, and playing office politics like Sun Tzu.

Like these eco yuppies I see driving down the road around here in their hybrid SUV with bumper stickers purchased directly from advertisers on Alternet. Of course, they chew up more resources in a year than a poor person that doesn't drive their expensive car or live in a big ass house n the 'burbs or eat food imported from around the world. If you were to ask them then their lifestyle is absolutely perfect and everyone should be like them. Nobody takes any responsibility for anything, they just pass the buck and blame anybody or anything but themselves.

Hypocrites all. Not me, of course, I'm perfect in every way. A true man among boys. A god among men. A giant among insects.

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Bitter irony
Posted by: Nebris on Jul 10, 2007 3:34 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There's a Scientology ad with this article.

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Individualism or Self-Esteem?
Posted by: pdxstudent on Jul 10, 2007 4:08 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Which really begat the other? Self-effacing individualism has a long-history in the United States before late 20th century self-esteem movement a la the Protestant Work Ethic. The individual has always been the paragon of what is good and right in the United States, and it is only inevitable that a practical narcissism like the self-esteem movement should develop. It would be a mistake to say that only relatively recently in American History that we begin to have this unhealthy way of viewing ourselves and others. To that end, the problems of individualism have been around alot longer than even the ego-psychology movement that briefly flourished and thankfully fell flat after Freud. I get the feeling that this article's biggest concern isn't with individualism per se, but the awful, revealing light that the self-esteem variety shines on it all.

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» RE: Individualism or Self-Esteem? Posted by: VannaLaRoche
. . . working with the little
Posted by: KaptainSpiffy on Jul 10, 2007 4:21 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
b*stards in higher education i find they (young college students) are becoming more shallow; are unable to see themselves in someone else's shoes; do expect everything NOW and are more than happy to perform an 'if not, why not tantrum loudly and publicly; more than willing to challenge and complain about standards that block the easy way to their self-absorbed goals. A product of day care ranching. Oh, and thank you too, Barney, ya purple jackass.

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» Funny... Posted by: kepstein7777
» The daycare ranching... Posted by: eddie torres
» RE: . . . working with the little Posted by: Aussie Kim
4.8
Posted by: kepstein7777 on Jul 10, 2007 4:21 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
An interesting break from the usual.
Comments:

1. I like the point that "self-esteem" is really narcissism.

2. Soccer parents are largely responsible for this. "Self-esteem" has become a code word for: "I don't want to deal with the messy business of disciplining my kids, teaching them manners, respect...I just want them to think I'm cool and hang out with me."

3. Humility is good, but I'm not sure Asian overachievement/workaholism is something to look up to. Not everybody wants to be a violin virtuoso/software engineer when they grow up. Maybe they just want a half-decent job that pays the bills so they can minimize their stress, go fishing, and enjoy life a little. What's so great about big goals and doing well on tests?

4. I checked out Funtwo on YouTube. He's good, but a bunch of 80s cliches do not make you the next Hendrix. Soul, groove, creativity, originality, and a deep connection with the guitar and the music were a large part of Hendrix, not just fast, technical playing. Stevie Ray and Dimebag had that. Funtwo has a while to go yet.

5. The narcissism and lack of humility in this country has greater implications. It's reflected in our foreign policy, our leaders, etc. I'll leave it to others to elaborate this point.

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» RE: 4.8 Posted by: VZEQICVA
» RE: 4.8 Posted by: zooeyhall
» RE: 4.8 Posted by: tjg1984
Self esteem vs. academic performance
Posted by: Logic's Edge on Jul 10, 2007 5:05 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Sounds like a question of what's better for the individual vs. what's better for Corporate America.

A healthy level of self-esteem is a good thing. Not self-worship, but respect for oneself.

But I imagine it's a lot easier to extract work from people with low self esteem and performance anxieties. And they probably hesitate to ask for raises too.

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this cult of self-esteem
Posted by: hagwind on Jul 10, 2007 5:25 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There's no valuable insight or good idea that can't be perverted by mass merchandising, especially when the mass merchandisers mistake the surface for the substance. And no, "mass merchandiser" doesn't automatically mean Big Business or Big Advertising. Educators, therapists, politicians, doctors, et al. can qualify too.

No question in my mind, "low self-esteem" can get in the way of learning and accomplishment. I've struggled with it, and so has almost every woman I've known who's anywhere close to my age (56). So have a lot of the men, though they're usually much less willing to admit it, at least to a woman friend or colleague. If the society around you is continually telling you you're worthless because you're female, fat, black, poor, working-class,, gay or lesbian (etc., etc.), or your family is constantly telling you you're worthless because you're not following their agenda, or your teachers treat you like you're stupid (or ADD) because you're bored out of your gourd in their classes -- well, somehow you're going to have to find the strength and the support to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and if everyone around you is telling you you're crap (or even just acting like you don't exist) it's going to be hard. I was lucky: the women's liberation movement came along before I dug myself into too deep a hole, and brought with it opportunities for taking risks, trying new things, developing some skills, and generally getting it through my head that I was pretty competent and useful to whatever group I was part of.

But to jump from the understanding that self-esteem is important for learning to this idea that self-esteem can be programmed in like the multiplication tables -- arrgghh! I don't have kids (or grandkids), but I've known and worked alongside quite a few over the years in various activities, and I know plenty of teachers -- enough to know that this "cult of self-esteem" does exist (even if I've never heard schoolchildren singing "I am special, I am special, look at me, look at me"). The young people I know don't have artificially inflated egos, but most of them sure have more self-confidence and chutzpah than I did at their age. The teachers mostly try to work around the various fads and dictates from above -- and, true, the occasional parent who seems to think that self-discipline and self-esteem are mutually exclusive.

I don't think framing the issue in terms of East vs. West or Asia vs. the United States is all that helpful. The U.S. has its own karma to work out: the cultural legacy (and ideology) of "rugged individualism" and "me me me" that says that anyone can and should pull himself up by his own bootstraps. One of these days we will get it through our heads that "United we stand, divided we fall" has plenty of truth in it, even if it's been co-opted by the professional patriots. For sure a few million rugged individuals are easy pickings for national and multinational conglomerates.

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Is achievement worth it?
Posted by: Logic's Edge on Jul 10, 2007 5:29 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If you're going to look for self-esteem and validation from achievement, you're going to have to wait a long time to be happy.

The truth is that the taller you stand, the more people don't give a crap beyond a bit of lip service. But you sure do attract a lot more knee-hackers. So seeking external validation isn't going to get you far.

People with low self esteem that achieve things tend to either feel like phoneys about their achievement or develop brittle little egos with underlying anxieties.

People with a healthy level of self esteem probably aren't so driven, it's true. But they're also probably happier than the overachievers. Isn't happiness what's important in the end?

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Self-esteem vs. Insecurity
Posted by: mewhins24 on Jul 10, 2007 5:59 AM   
Current rating: 4    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I have always operated under the assumption that those with the most self-esteem are usually the quietest about it, while those who feel the need for constant outside validation are insecure and over-compensating.

By those definitions, I'd say Funtwo is secure and confident exactly because he is humble.

I'd wonder about those self-perception tests as well, if those students in the west who rated themselves so highly are doing it because they actually believe that, or because they are too insecure to do otherwise.

The article raised some interesting points, but I wonder about the definition of "self esteem" being used here.

Or maybe my perception of what self-esteem is is off.

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lionhead
Posted by: lionhead on Jul 10, 2007 6:25 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Get a clue.
This is a chicken-and-egg thing: Most schooled children (in the US and elsewhere) have to compete with one another via a grading system. "Achievement" is a grade--not an actual skill in doing something.

Folks who can actually build something that meets a need--a coherent sentence that can communicate a thought a bit deeper than "I am good;" a box whose sides meet and is strong enough to carry something; a weld that doesn't break when under tension; or stamina that gets them to their own destination, perhaps beating their own previous record for speed or distance or agility--few of these things are the focus of public schooling.

All growing young people need to feel effective. Maybe there's no difference at all in age with regard to the need to feel effective. Little kids are always doing something, building something, trying something--but many simply turn to adults (as they turn in papers and tests to their teachers) for validation of their "product." The validation is never left to the builder/doer to decide whether "it works" or doesn't.

Kids and everyone else do the stupidest most inane things to feel better than someone else (get a better grade, feel powerful); they never felt the true satisfaction of setting their own goal to build or do, then making their own assessment based on whether it "worked." This is what we've done to our kids and this is why we have narcissistic, ego-driven, stupid leaders--and a citizenry who'd rather spend time making a video of themselves than looking beyond their nose to a planet that may be soon be unable to support life.

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» Good points about non-academics Posted by: kepstein7777
Article on self-esteem and most comments -- a real snooze
Posted by: JPHickey on Jul 10, 2007 6:45 AM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I feel fortunate, indeed, that I don't know diddly-squate about self-esteem. From I gather here, it really has no definition, and thus is like an ink blot. Each sees whatever he/she thinks he/she sees in it.

For those of us who march to the tune of a different drummer, we find intrinsic satisfaction from both being uniquely alive, and mastering ares of life that we find interesting.

Perhaps we are not the dream materal for the academic/corporate/governmenal world, but many us break new ground through mastery of both skills and selfhood, despite all the degrogatory and vicious insult by the lovers of the system who are as likely as not to accuse us of being arrogant and narcissistic. To them, anyone who doesn't accept the dictates of conventional authority will be degraded as maladjusted, just because we have dared to make a couple little waves. Nothing worthwhile was ever accomplished by worrying about the comments from the peanut gallery. We will proceed on our own way come hell or high water! We were the great founders of this nation, the great artists, thinkers, and scientists! Or at least the ones who gave being that self thou truly is our best shot!

On the other hand, marginal narcissistic personalities like Dubya truly were born and raised to be "spoiled". This sort lacks any comprehension of equality of the inherent value of others, blinded with the rage of a difficult five-year-old. He still insists it's going to be "his way or the highway (for the rest of us)". He never was truly self-directed, self-actualizing or rightfully accomplished. He is the self-deluding puppet of the greedy and greedier! This sort of narcissist is stunted on the level of me and mine, and knows the price of all, but the value of nothing!

Most of the posts here are the saddest excuse for thinking that I've seen yet! Most of you should move to Arizona, one of the most backaward of states, wherre you'll fit right in.

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THE SELF ESTEEM FRAUD
Posted by: VZEQICVA on Jul 10, 2007 7:44 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
That says it all. Long before magnets on the refrigerator and competitive parenting, Kids did just fine. Achievement should always be rewarded. But, mediocrity doesn't get a prize. It's misleading to a child and a form of lying.It is not in the child's best interest. It serves some selfish need that parents have that causees them to live vicariously through their children. Get a life of your own and grow up. Allow the children to thrive. And they will. Thanks, ANNA

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asians and jews
Posted by: EasterBunny on Jul 10, 2007 7:47 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Lam has no evidence that self esteem, humility, narcisism, etc. have anything to do with educational success or failure. and the cultural differences are overstated. i've certainly known arrogant, overconfident asians and humble westerners.

i know a lot of asian "overachievers" and i think humility has NOTHING to do with it. the parents stress education and career sucess and make sacrifices for their kids' education and push it above all other things. it's the same things that a lot of jewish families i've known do (but they don't push humility so much!). the end result is the same, high educational and career success. you don't need to be humble, you just have to study and work hard and focus on succeeding.

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THE SELF ESTEEM FRAUD
Posted by: VZEQICVA on Jul 10, 2007 7:44 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
That says it all. Long before magnets on the refrigerator and competitive parenting, Kids did just fine. Achievement should always be rewarded. But, mediocrity doesn't get a prize. It's misleading to a child and a form of lying.It is not in the child's best interest. It serves some selfish need that parents have that causees them to live vicariously through their children. Get a life of your own and grow up. Allow the children to thrive. And they will. Thanks, ANNA

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The "I Am Special" song, and other thoughts
Posted by: fungus on Jul 10, 2007 9:36 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I used to work in a preschool where the kids sang the "I Am Special" song daily. This school was located in a very rough inner city neighborhood. Many of the kids lived in a housing project; drugs and violence were are all around them. One four year old girl used to tell me how her mother and she had slept in the bathtub the night before because drug dealers were shooting at each other and the porceline would protect them from stray bullets. These kids needed to feel validated, appreciated, and special. They needed a sense of self esteem to survive in these surroundings. Other children in a range of other surroundings also need this sense.

There is a huge difference between self esteem and self absorbtion. Children do benefit and grow when they are given the idea that they are valuable and that they have something to contribute to their community and the world. This can include a sense of humility, and the awareness that one can grow, overcome obstacles and respond to positive criticism in healthy ways. Self absorbtion, the current "It's all about me" attitude is destructive to communities, to the planet and ultimately to the individual. I really think this idea comes more from consumer culture and radical individualism than from schools. Maybe schools are a place where we can counter the current mood.

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"Too much" is bad? No kidding?
Posted by: Sojourner on Jul 10, 2007 10:15 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
It's redundant to say "too much is bad;" "bad" is what "too much" means. So the author of this piece is no help. One cannot but wonder about an analysis that is oblivious to such an internal self-contradiction.

Psychobabble, such as "You're narcissistic," is fool's gold. Without a treatment program, diagnosis is empty, except for displaying the author's intellectual poverty.

"Be more like asians"? That treats asians with a cookie-cutter, too. Like Kim Il Jung, you mean? Like the cultural revolution Chinese?

And if the irritant is that asians do better in school, especially in math and science, than any other ethnic group--so long as they are Americans, what's the problem? Just because someone doesn't display their self-esteem does not mean that it is lacking. Yes, majority Americans are show-offs. It sells. So long as selling and buying are what people identify with the good life, it will dominate.

How about an article on how it isn't necessary to play the game that the writer of this piece is as caught up in as the rest of us? An article on integrity? On authenticity?

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High self esteem... must come with ETHICS.
Posted by: BlueBerry PickN on Jul 10, 2007 10:29 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Association vs. Causation
Posted by: Gravitas on Jul 10, 2007 10:44 AM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Usually I enjoy his articles, but this one has let me down. I think every single Alternet author needs to take a course in associatin vs. causation. Because "self esteem" and lower test scores exists in certain populations together, it does NOT mean high self esteem CAUSES lower academic achievement. There are many other factors at play. Such as the fact that Asians tend to spend more time in school, face more severe consequences from parents if they don't do well etc. Asian schools are also good at teaching tests. They may well be ahead in math and science, but Japan still looks to the U.S. for innovation and out of the box thinking.

He also confuses genuine self-esteem vs. narcissm. Two different things. Most of us do not have true self-esteem because we are taught self worth comes from externals - how we look, what we own etc. Want to talk about how this affects academic performance. Look up the studies that say girls have lower test scores in math when they look at high fashion magazines. And when they take math tests in their bathing suits. Why? Their self-confidence plummets.

One more point I would like to make is just because Asian mores prohibit bragging in public, that doesn't mean they don't have self-esteem. Or even arrogance. My ex was Japanese American. Yes, he never bragged in public. "The nail that sticks up gets beaten down." But in private his head was so big he couldn't get it through the door!

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ONE WAY STREETS LEAD FROM ONESELF (YOU THINK)
Posted by: gs15 on Jul 10, 2007 12:13 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
People complain about the warm and the fuzzy
Without a word ‘bout the cold and the hard.
Politicos whine ‘bout how we’re too lax,
Yet never comes a point where we are too tough.
All they want to share with the others
Is the misery of their own existence.
See they just can’t stand to see
The others
The kids
The women
The colors
The trees
The animals
The subordinates
Themselves
Too happy or fulfilled.
Why that would prove
All the wasted time they’ve used up.

---Garrett Murphy

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Perhaps we should shift focus . . .
Posted by: yesman on Jul 10, 2007 2:24 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
. . . from "self esteem" to "self respect." Self respect does not come from a bloated ego or a distorted view of one's own importance. It comes from doing the right thing and being a good person, from getting along with your friends and neighbors, from working hard at a useful occupation, and from doing your duty to your family, community, nation and world. It comes from earning what you have and enjoying the fruits of your efforts. If you do those things, you are special, whether you sing the song or not.

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Saving Face
Posted by: Sparks56 on Jul 10, 2007 2:47 PM   
Current rating: 5    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
There was an Asian student at the university where I was on the staff. This student had gotten straight A's her whole life. When she was a junior she got the first B+ in her life. This student went up to the top floor of the campus library and jumped off. She felt her life was ruined because she didn't get an A. She left a note apologizing for shaming her family. Many Asians, Japanese and Chinese in particular, place an enormous mount of stock in appearances; saving face. As long as the "face" of the family that the community sees is proper, it doesn't matter how much silent misery is taking place inside the family.
I agree that modern children don't get enough discipline. They also don't get enough free, unsupervised time away from parents and other authority. I don't think the Asian model of strict discipline and the complete suppression of the individual is the one to follow.

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» That's hilarious Posted by: ateo
easy to say now
Posted by: skydog on Jul 10, 2007 8:11 PM   
Current rating: 3    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
1967 was 40 years ago. I bet you weren't even born yet. Certainly antiseptic spoiled white boy punk-ass metal shred crap like this hadn't been invented yet. And to be sure, this antiseptic spoiled white boy punk-ass metal shred crap is noise compared to what Hendrix invented out of his pure imagination and talent those 40 some years ago.

This nonsense just dazzles the beejeezus out of the little kiddies I know, but it don't mean sh!t to me. It's a soul-less performance from a goody-two-shoes kid from a wealthy family who's had everything handed to him, including that fancy guitar with the gold pickguard. That's supposed to be an example of humility? Anti-showmanship my ass -- it's all show. And no go.

"Another Hendrix" indeed -- never was one, never will be, and certainly not this guy. Drop some acid, smoke some dope, drink some booze, and have your joints realigned by a whore or two, and get back to me in about ten years, there, Funtwo. We'll assess your musical progress then. And get rid of that silly distortion and play like a full grown man.

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High IQs plus humility -- a nice combination in East Asians...
Posted by: Pat Kittle on Jul 11, 2007 1:57 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Oh sure, it's PC to not assign IQs to ethnicity. But it's getting harder not to.

Isn't affirmative action working AGAINST East Asian-descended students in US college admissions? Dare I say it? Maybe they're just smarter. Could that be why E. Asia is displacing the West in science?

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Haven't studies also shown...
Posted by: Aussie Kim on Jul 11, 2007 8:54 PM   
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...that stupid people rate themselves highly, while intelligent people are more modest?


Self-esteem should have a _basis_, not just be doled out to anyone who simply manages to breathe in and out without too much coaching. Self-esteem without morals, without achievement, without empathy, without education is simply another form of brainwashing for the ignorant.

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» RE: Haven't studies also shown... Posted by: Aussie Kim
I taught school for 30 years, during the "self esteem" era,
Posted by: Ellie1 on Jul 12, 2007 8:03 AM   
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and during that time grading was changed so there were no failing grades. No child could fail, no matter what effort or results they displayed. It might be wonderful if life were like that, but perhaps that is why our students no longer rate well against the rest of the world. Today there are no consequences for anything-mom and dad will not allow it. You cannot on the whole blame the schools for this-teachers have lumps on their heads for beating their heads against the wall of parents and administration who are up parental butts and afraid for their high paying jobs.

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social class is the problem not self esteem
Posted by: Joe on Jul 12, 2007 5:35 PM   
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schools in the us suffer because from grade 1 to grade 12 a person's social class is more important than education. it's all about where you fit in not about what you know. it has nothing to do with self esteem. how can the problem stem from self esteem when most kids are concerned with how they appear to others?

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impeachment
Posted by: gsaephanh on Jul 13, 2007 1:06 PM   
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Call in your vote TODAY for impeaching Bush and Cheney at this number: 202-225-0100

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office is taking calls voting for Impeachment of Bush/Cheney at 202-225-0100. PLEASE CALL TODAY. At the toll free capitol switchboard #s below, you can also call your particular district’s congressional representative to insist that they support impeachment for Cheney. E.g., for Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s H Res 333 for Cheney; please say:

“In addition to supporting Kucinich’s bill H Res 333, I would also support a similar Impeachment Resolution against Bush, especially after the disgraceful Scooter Libby sentence “commuting” and the following issues: wiretapping, torture, numerous 9/11 intelligence misrepresentations, the continued occupation of Iraq, gross negligence during Hurrican Katrina, the Valerie Plame CIA leak, […list your other grounds…] ..”[see resolutions on tab #2 for other grounds for impeachment]).

LANIC requests that Americans call today…Not tomorrow or next week. Every call adds to the extraordinary grasswoots and nationwide movement’s pressures on House Speaker Pelosi to act now .before further innocent lives are lost in Iraq and elsewhere. Last week 28 Americans lost their lives. Over the July 4, 2007 weekend over 400 Iraqis lost their lives…

SEND MAIL TO HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI: Attn: Nancy Pelosi, House Representative/Speaker of the House, 235 Cannon H.O.B., Washington, DC 20515 ; Pelosi’s Fax # 202 225-8259

Pelosi’s e-mail address :

Americanvoices@mail.house.gov

CC her at: sf.nancy@mail.house.gov

Please send her a pro-impeachment email and a specific call to endorse H Res 333. Note: On Saturdays/Sundays, Pelosi’s office has a comment line at which you can leave a voicemail. Your message will be transcribed and relayed to her. Please do encourage your family/friends to contact the same number. Refer them to www.bcimpeach.com for the actual telephone #s & contact info.

Find out who your Congressional representative is and call that person. For toll free numbers to your Congress rep: (800) 828 – 0498; (800) 459 – 1887; or (866) 340 – 9281. You will be connected once you name your congress person. The staff aid should take detailed notes and provided to the Congressional representative.

Final Note: Please say “I support Impeachment based on ____. I’d like to know where “[representative name]” stands on this issue.” Let’s strike while the Libby fury keeps the iron hot! Please call and Act Now!

PLEASE ALSO CONTACT THESE KEY CONGRESSIONAL REPS RE IMPEACHMENT:
Representative Capitol Phone Capitol Fax
Howard Berman 202-225-4695 202-225-3196
& 818-944-7200 818-994-1050

MAILING ADDRESS FOR BERMAN
Congressman Howard L. Berman
14546 Hamlin Street, Suite 202
Van Nuys, CA 91411

Henry Waxman 202-225-3976 202-225-4099
Loreta Sanchez 202 225-2965 202-225-5859
D. Watson 202 225-7084 202-225-2422
LindaSanchez 202 225-6676 202-226-1012
L. Solis 202 225-5464 202-225-5467
A. G. Eshoo 202 225-8104 202-225-8890
L. Roybal/Allard 202 225-1766 202-225-0350

http://www.bcimpeach.com/

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The article is wrong on for so many reasons and only perpetuates the Model Minority Stereotype
Posted by: akchang on Jul 13, 2007 4:06 PM   
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I could write 5 different essays on the errors made in this article, but for this post, I'll just stick to the issue of education and self-esteem.

Aside from the issue that American do suffer from confusing self-esteem, self-respect with arrogance, the article falsely equates humility with low self-esteem and wrongly states the reasons for Asian success in Academics. The reason Asians succeed in Education is because it is seen (though incorrectly) as the only means to have a successful life.

It's great to be good in school if that's the only way you define your life, but Asian Americans are incorrectly being boxed into that life when there are so many other options for success.

Even if low self-esteem were beneficial for academics, it hinders progress in the workforce. When you are unable to ask for pay raises, promotions, or better work environments, you will be overlooked time and again in corporate America. Thus success in academics is moot, since most Asian Americans work to succeed in academics in order to have a better career.

As for perpuating the stereotype, someone once asked, "What's wrong with being considered good at math and science?" The answer is simple. Nothing, except when you want to be an actor, painter, or any non-math or science profession.

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marvin 2
Posted by: marvin 2 on Jul 15, 2007 3:55 AM   
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Don't Americans temd to confuse 'sel-esteem' with arrogance?
We can't understand how someone can have self-esteem and still be modest. I think true self-esteem is really a sense of inner personal value and has nothing to do with narcissism or arrogance at all. Self-esteem is simply feeling that you are of value to yourself and your world.

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