As Asian Americans gain unprecedented levels of educational and professional success, their visibility and presence has come under increasing scrutiny and even critique. Being a “Tiger Parent” today epitomizes a type of Asian immigrant intensity that may even exceed Amy Chua’s original “Tiger Mother” character. Drawing on research conducted at spelling bees with Generation Z spellers (born 1997-2012), this talk explores how “Bee Parents” who raise Indian American spelling bee champions leverage their Asian educational training to envision their children’s futures in an increasingly competitive youth world.
About the Speaker
Shalini Shankar is professor of anthropology and Asian American studies at Northwestern University. She is a cultural and linguistic anthropologist whose ethnographic research focuses on youth, media, language use, race & ethnicity, and Asian diasporas. She is the author of several books, including Beeline: What Spelling Bees Reveal about Generation Z’s New Path to Success (Basic Books, 2019);Advertising Diversity: Ad Agencies and the Creation of Asian American Consumers (Duke UP, 2015); and Desi land: Teen Culture, Class, and Success in Silicon Valley (Duke UP, 2008). Shankar is a 2017 Guggenheim Fellow, the recipient of grants from the National Science Foundation, and has appeared in numerous media, including NPR, BBC, MSNBC, CNN, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and the LA Times.
Event Details
Cosponsored by the Department of American Studies.
Originally published at asia.nd.edu.