The Hidden Hrdle Analysis

What do you think of when you hear about the land of opportunity? For me, the land of opportunity exists in America where a better life is promising and education is achievable. Over the years I’ve heard several stories regarding the hardships that many people have faced in hopes of achieving the American Dream. The American Dream is this ideal lifestyle that many, if not all, want to achieve since it ultimately signifies success. Focusing primarily on education, all races face certain challenges similar to others but at the same time very distinct. How is this so? Taking a few steps back, in order to obtain a successful job one must be educated enough so that others trust them in that profession. Although it is unusual that educational environments

There are African American students who criticize those pertaining to their race for having good grades, behaving well in class, and making education a priority. Fourteen year old Kareema Matthews from Harlem states “she’s black… and she wants to act like something she’s not” (Gregory, 45). Stating the obvious at this point, the history of African Americans has always been noticeably unjust causing people of color to mistrust and doubt the good intentions of the Whites. From the history of slavery, to the neglectance of civil and human rights, African Americans now have to face remaining loyal to their ethnic group and not becoming astray and choosing to “act white”: “She’s trying to be white. That’s why nobody likes her” (Gregory, 45). By joining the stereotypical “American Dream” many racial groups such as African Americans feel betrayed because they are categorized as the involuntary group as Ogbu suggests, they are a “part of the United States society because of slavery” and are befriending the opposing team (Ogbu,

Meaning that Asian Americans moved to the United States because they believe in “more economic well-being, better overall opportunities, and/or greater political freedom” (Ogbu, 290). This racial group also encounters discrimination similar to that of African Americans and Latinos but respond to it differently. In “Cognitive Socialization in Confucian Heritage Cultures” by David Ho, he directs his arguments specifically towards Chinese, Japanese, and Korean members since the Confucian heritage is on common grounds for these groups. The Confucian heritage often leads to cognitive conservatism meaning that students of this group are less talkative and exploratory (Ho, 289). Americans students are generally very outspoken and tend to judge those who aren’t. This is one way Asian Americans undergo discrimination; the student then has to adapt to a new lifestyle very different from their culture and create boundaries between what they know and what is foreign. The way Asian Americans seem to cope with this is by attempting until failure is not option. “Failure is the mother of success” is a strong belief that these cultures live by (Ho,