Ackee Soup

By Karlene Anderson

How do kids from different cultural backgrounds manage to beat the “cherubs from the land of the free” on the SAT’s, IQ exams, and even American history tests? Many honor students—complete with Benetton shirts and Bugle Boy jeans—who have watched the Japanese “Superkid” become the valedictorian of their senior class are losing sleep over that very question. Billy Joe Sixpack, the football MVP and valedictorian until a year ago, screams in agony because his chance of getting into MIT has been ruined by the “Sushi Kid.”

The answer to the question is simple. These so-called “Superkids” have been raised with the strong conviction that education is the most important attribute in the world. While the American teen worries about whether the “Whopper beat the Big Mac” or if Domino pizza workers are still trying to “avoid the noid,” there is probably an Iranian student in the house next door studying for an Advanced Placement Calculus test.

Our American fast-paced instant mashed potato family no longer remembers the hard work ethic that many foreign families still embrace. The mother of the Iranian student laboriously chops vegetables for the evening dinner, while the mother of the American student quickly stashes the latest microwavable gourmet dinners in the freezer in case her family turns up simultaneously for a meal. While the father of the Chinese student pours through technical journals, the American father zooms into the driveway with his new Corvette ready to don his jogging clothes for a fast run before settling down for the latest video. It is no wonder then that Johnny returns from football practice, works on his trig for ten minutes with the aid of a calculator, and spends the rest of the evening mesmerized by the latest Nintendo game.

The American family is always in a hurry—dash to work, rush to eat, hustle to make money. For what? To win the race toward more leisure time, the projected four-day work week would guarantee more spare time to pursue hobbies such as jogging, aerobics, swimming, cycling, and other mindless pastimes like shopping, lounging, and partying. “Move quickly and thoughtlessly” is the prevailing attitude of our American society.

The future of the United States will soon be placed in the hands of America’s MTV generation, and the responsibility of grave decisions concerning America’s future rests on their shoulders. However, in this instamatic society, it won’t take long to decide between the right to smoke and the right to breathe pure air. The decision between aborting an unborn child or bestowing the right to live can be made in an instant. After all, that’s the kind of decision-making which is being modeled in the home of the “now” generation.

Perhaps it is time for the American family to slow down and smell the Cremora. Foreign students are raised in a structured, stable environment and are taught to respect education. They know that hard work pays off. If they work diligently and patiently, success is inevitable. Motivating American students to re-examine their values and to realize the importance of a quality education will ensure their ability to become qualified leaders of tomorrow.