Youth: My Personal Definition of Success
A college sophomore on what the great immigrant drive for success has meant to him.
Trying to retain the traditions that my parents have continuously instilled into my brain ever since their rupees became dollars has created a confusing existence. In an attempt to be a model child in the eyes of my parents, I have attempted to adequately juggle the social pressures and traditions of two different cultures.
Surprisingly, however, there are benefits to this juggling act. The internal seesaw of adapting to the successes and struggles of my bicultural identity has illuminated corners of my life to which I would have been blind otherwise. Mainly, I have developed confidence in my views because of my increased understanding of commonalities and distinctions in Indian-American culture.
Living in the Modern World
My sentiments match those shown in Master of
None, a Netflix series by Aziz Ansari, where he exposes
the subtle and overt racist idiosyncrasies that modern
society places on Indian-Americans. Aziz admits
that he, along with immigrant children who have developed
their own American identities, do not truly
deserve all the luxuries for which their parents toiled
heavily. For this reason, he and his friends work hard
to feel less guilty. Dr. Min Zhou, a sociology professor
at the University of California at Los Angeles, states
this notion well: “With so many educated, skilled, and
ambitious members, the [Asian immigrant] group provides
role models and creates ethnic capital...With all
this commitment behind them, the children of Asian
immigrants are expected to perform exceptionally and
to work twice as hard as other Americans.”
Parental Motivation
As a student, I have always thought that my efforts
in gaining wisdom from my educational experiences
would demonstrate the largest “thank you” to my
parents. After all, any parent who sees the success
of their children would be proud of not only their
child’s tenacity, but also their own. My parents never
truly expressed any grief about the difficulties of
pursuing higher education in America, and adapting
to a new lifestyle in a new country. So, I feel the need
to make the most of my education—to show them that
what they endured is worth my endurance.
Academic Success
Ignitable phrases of success have been ingrained
into me before I was even born. This mindset seems
to add fuel to the driving force of Asian Americans excelling
in education today. When I was in high school,
many students stressed over “major failures,” or menial
losses—like getting the A but not the A+. Playing on
the team, but not being the captain. Advancing to the
next round in an academic competition, but not winning
first place. Although I was guilty of this mindset,
it seemed justifiable. After all, that’s what colleges were
looking for—the ability to stretch beyond mediocrity.
In order to cater to colleges, we transformed into individuals who absorbed every opportunity for service, leadership, and uniqueness. Fortunately, I realized early that I would have to play the college game well in order to be fulfilled. Come senior year, I unexpectedly changed: even though I joined these activities for my leisure and résumé, I ended up gaining self-confidence and wisdom as byproducts.
Defining Success in College
What does that say about the college admissions
process transforming students into powerhouses of the
stereotypical idea of success? Are Indian-Americans
taking baby steps to reach the minimal standard that society deems adequate, or are they willingly struggling to take large strides and reach goals larger than they can imagine?
Such a nebulous definition of success has a special place in my conscience. If I had narrow goals as a student heavily involved in STEM, I would have only focused on getting a 4.0 GPA in chemical engineering. Furthermore, my contributions, such as this writing, would not help me reach the grand, conventional view of success. However, exploring this passion will teach me how to balance personal and professional growth, which will always be more important to me.
These ideas can be reflected onto anyone of our ethnicity, as the generational gap in culture automatically makes the topic of academic success ubiquitous. Is our lifelong dedication to achieve partially derived from a need to support our hardworking parents? I believe so.
If we view our duties and responsibilities as motivators rather than requirements, we can achieve our goals. We can seize every opportunity. We can challenge the world.
Marianne Williamson once said, “Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
Sumit Pareek is a sophomore studying chemical engineering at Penn State University. A version of this article was first published in India Currents.
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