Here’s today’s COMMENT FROM AN OLD FART: Moi hopes that Jay Harris the young man who inspired this post does not reach the age of forty-five or fifty and have the words of Lerner and Loewe’s I Remember It Well racing through his head as he recalls the fact that he threw away a full ride to Michigan State. Of course, Mr. Harris may not live long enough to remember anything well. According to Wiki Answers, the question of the life expectancy of a rapper is anwsered as follows:
What is the average life expectancy of a rapper?
Answer:
About 27 years. See David Cloud’s Way of Life Ministries.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_average_life_expectancy_of_a_rapper
Ron Dicker reports in the Huffington Post article, Jay Harris Football Scholarship Reportedly Revoked By Michigan State After His Rap Videos Appear:
Jay Harris, a hotshot receiver from Downingtown High School East in Exton, Pa., saw his football scholarship revoked by Michigan State University after his explicit rap videos appeared on YouTube, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Despite the excitement he once expressed on Facebook about becoming a Spartan, Harris told the Inquirer that he wanted out of the full ride to pursue a rap career, but that he hadn’t had the courage to tell his parents. A Michigan State spokesman told the outlet that the decision was “mutual.”
Harris, aka Jay DatBull, recently posted nine obscenity-laced hip-hop videos on YouTube. One in particular (watch above), titled “Datbull 4 Life,” might have most influenced Michigan State. In addition to celebrating his female conquests, he is shown twice smoking what appears to be marijuana. The second time is in a car.
The video had collected more than 90,000 hits by early Wednesday afternoon — and lots of visitor response. Some applauded Harris; others warned he was throwing his life away. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/15/jay-harris-football-scholarship-michigan-hip-hop-rap-videos_n_3279859.html?utm_hp_ref=@education123
So, what is missing from this picture – a young man who is steeped in hip-hop culture and not a culture of success.
The question must be asked, who is responsible for MY or YOUR life choices? Let’s get real, certain Asian cultures kick the collective butts of the rest of Americans. Why? It’s not rocket science. These cultures embrace success traits of hard work, respect for education, strong families, and a reverence for success and successful people. Contrast the culture of success with the norms of hip-hop and rap oppositional culture. See, Hip-hop’s Dangerous Valueshttp://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1107107/posts and Hip-Hop and rap represent destructive life choices: How low can this genre sink? https://drwilda.com/2013/05/01/hip-hop-and-rap-represent-destructive-life-choices-how-low-can-this-genre-sink/
One person does not speaks for a group, but members of a group can often provide useful insight about the group.
Here is Arthur Hu’s take on INTRODUCTION TO BASIC ASIAN VALUES
One of the most central features of a culture are its values. Values are the standards by which one may judge the difference between good and bad, and the right and wrong things to do. Though some values are universally shared among all cultures, it is the contrast and differences in values of different cultures that can account for the interactions and perceptions that occur between different cultures.
Traditional values are a common thread among individuals in a culture. Stereotyping comes about because of common behavior patterns that are based on common values, and distortion and misperception can come about as a result of misunderstandings of those values. Stereotyping can also be dangerous because people are individuals with their own values which may vary a great deal from the traditional ideal. Values can vary quite a bit depending upon one’s generation, class, education, origin, among other factors. For example, there is considerable difference in what might be called “traditional” and “modern” American values.
Although each distinct Asian culture actually has its own set of values, they all share a common core, which is probably best documented in the Japanese and Chinese traditions, and by philosophers such as Confucius, whose writings had considerable influence throughout Asia. In the Asian American experience, these values interact with what might be called simply “western” or “Caucasian” values, but if one contrasts the values of America with those of Europe, it can be seen that these are really “Modern American” values that provide the best contrasts.
Asian values are very much inter-related. They all support the view of the individual as being a part of a much larger group or family, and place great importance on the well-being of the group, even at the expense of the individual. American values, on the other hand emphasize the importance of the well-being of the individual, and stresses independence and individual initiative. Although it may seem that values such as education, family, and hard work are shared between cultures, these values manifest themselves quite differently in the two cultures.
Some Asian values are so important that some of the cultures, especially the Japanese have given them names of their own, and are used commonly. Here is a list of some of the most outstanding values:
Ie (japanese) – The family as a basic unit of social organization, and as a pattern for the structure of society as a whole.
Education – The whole process of child rearing and education as a means of perpetuating society, and of attaining position within society.
Enyo (japanese) – The conscious use of silence, reserve in manner.
Han (chinese) Conformity, and the suppression of individual attriputes such as talen, anger, or wealth which might disrupt group harmony. (Chinese)
Amae (japanese) – To depend and presume upon the benevolence of others. A deep bonding in human relationships between one who is responsible for another, and one who must depend on another.
Giri (japanese) – Indebtedness, obligation and duty to others, reciprocity.
Gaman (japanese) – Endurance, sticking it out at all costs. Self-sacrifice for the sake of others.
Tui Lien (chinese) – Loss face, shame. The final standard as to how well one lives up to these values.
Family and Education
Probaly the most notable aspect of the modern “Asian Model Minority”stereotype is that of the academic overachiever. A number of asian students have done conspicuously well in terms of test scores, gifted student programs, admissions to prestigious schools, academic awards, and in classical music. Though obviously not all Asians fit this pattern, this trend can be attributed primarily to the basic notion of the family, and the central role that education plays in the family.
Great importance is placed on child rearing, and education is a fundamental aspect of this. Asian parents are more likely to spend much more time with their children, and drive them harder, sometimes even at the expense of their personal time and ambitions of the parents themselves. Though Americans might consider Asian parents to be dominating, parents in turn are expected to give children all the support they can.
While it would no be unusual for an American parent to hire a babysitter to watch the kids while they go out, or expect their children to put themselves through college lest the parents sacrifice their own stand of living, this is much less likely in an Asian family. Living in an extended family is not unusual, and filial piety, respect for parents is a very important principle.
Unlike the youth orientation in American culture, age and position are most highly respected. The Asian family has within it a heirarchy which is a mirror of the structure of society as whole. For example, the parent child relationship is carried further on to ruler and ruled, employer and employee. Education is the most valued way of achieving position, an success in education is viewed as an act of filial piety. In imperial times, examinations were the only way to achieve position in China. Even in America, education is seen as a key to social mobility, and economic opportunity. Education for their children was a major reason why many immigrants came to America from Asia. http://www.asianweek.com/2012/04/28/introduction-to-basic-asian-values/
There is no such thing as a “model minority” and getting rid of this myth will allow educators to focus on the needs of the individual student. Still, the choice of Jay Harris to pursue a rap career should have folk asking the question of what values are being transmitted and absorbed by Black children.
Resources:
Culture of Success http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/culture-success
How Do Asian Students Get to the Top of the Class? http://www.greatschools.org/parenting/teaching-values/481-parenting-students-to-the-top.gs
Related:
Is there a model minority?
https://drwilda.com/2012/06/23/is-there-a-model-minority/
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