Foner explores the educational patterns of early Jewish immigrants.  I find it completely understandable that few of these children of immigrant studied past eighth grade. Children’s contributions to income much more important in these circumstances, as they were needed for labor services and could work with an eighth grade diploma.

I was interested to find that native born minority students are often worse students than immigrant children.  I find this point intuitive, as the public school system offers a variety of programs to help them.  Furthermore, Foner draws attention to the fact that, if these students do well in school, it is their track to assimilating into the majority or minority middle class.

I found it particularly interesting that Foner considers culture and race as a factor that plays a role in educational success.  She cites the example of Chinese and Korean parents who value their children’s success in school as a way to measure their family’s respectability.  Educational success is also important to South Asian parents as well, and these parents tend to reiterate the “Asians-are-good-math” stereotype.  Below are some “desi” (of or pertaining to the subcontinent) rage comics that identify the importance of educational success to which  South Asian immigrant children are subjected by their parents.

The first image draws attention to the pressure from parents to do well in school and receive high grades.  The second image, however, is perhaps more interesting.  It draws attention to the effect of parents’ attitudes on these children.  The comic, albeit an exaggeration, sheds light upon the way in which South Asian children themselves adopt the educational standards of their parents.