LogFAQs > #884034280

Lorenzo_2003 posted...

legendary_zell posted...

There's tons of factors that differentiate a Chinese, Indian, or Nigerian immigrant from a kid in Baltimore, Chicago, New Orleans, etc.

Some of those immigrants barely speak English and their cultures are not exactly in synch with whichever US American community to which they move. Don't downplay the massive disadvantage these students face when they have to compete with US students, who are all privileged by comparison.

I'm an immigrant, why would I downplay the struggles of immigrants? I'm FULLY aware of language and cultural barriers to success. I dealt with them myself (not so much the language barrier though). What you're saying is simply not true though. A US native student who was living in one of the housing projects destroyed by Hurricane Katrina is not necessarily privileged in relation to an immigrant. They will face a lot of the same issues and a lot of different ones. One group faces language and cultural barriers. Another faces generational poverty and the legacy of racial and class discrimination over centuries.

Go to the 5th ward of Houston sometime. It's a truly eye opening experience. When I came to the US as a child, we didn't have much of anything. We lived in a house with 12+ people, my dad rode his bike to work at McDonalds etc. We were the immigrants you're talking about. Yet we were 10x better of than the people in the 5th ward who were facing generational poverty, segregation, disconnection, crime, and hopelessness like you wouldn't believe. They are living in tin shacks and apartments that violate every housing code ever devised. Immigrants at least have family/community to share burdens or hope or previous education or SOMETHING. The people living 10 minutes away from luxury apartments in downtown Houston on the other hand had nothing and no one they knew had anything either.
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