Chu says that first-generation immigrants have been too consumed with making a living to get involved in local issues. But that may change with the next generation, he says. Asian culture, furthermore, emphasizes conformity and family, rather than the individualism that is so much a part of the American landscape. Thus, Asians prize family ties over civic bonds. For Asians, loyalty is expressed through family relations, not patriotism.
Patriotism is important, but family loyalty is stronger.
Choi says she ran for the Board of Education to be a bridge between the public schools and the borough's growing Asian community, which accounts for about 20 percent of the enrollment. Asians, she says, commonly have a narrower focus on their children's education than do other parents in the United States. Still, few Asians run even for the school board. Choi says school policies are often written in technical language and hard to understand. That drives many Asians away.