Comments on: Why Asians Are Good At Math, Finally, A Legit Theory

By: Philippe Naffis

Philippe Naffis — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:02:23 +0000

I’m an Asian American living in America…and I think it’s a pity how America takes English more importantly than mathematics and science. I am ashamed to be only be allowed to learn in my school Algebra II as a 15 year old. I should be able to solve problems in Algebra II when I was probably 12 or 13…I just don’t understand the system in America schools.

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:03:36 +0000

But the advantage of americans to us asians. Well, they are good at english (duh?!?) but other americans dont know how to spell it. I dont get it why dont they know the spelling of their own language. While us asians are good at everything.

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 04:01:09 +0000

the reason why asians are good at math because at school teachers teach some advance and complicated topics for students. Thys makes the students to think critical and widely. I’ve experienced it too. When I was 16, in our school we already studied calculus.When I reach college,well, its easy for me to cope up with the subjects. I can say that Asians are really good in math. Im not saying asians only but some other race too.

By: Will

Will — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:16:16 +0000

Hey Lin, thanks for your opinion, but aggregated math statistics doesn’t lend any support to this assertion:

“What I know is that African American is the dumbest people in the whole planet and Chinese are the smartest in the world plus the other Asian races.”

By: Will

Will — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:15:10 +0000

So I didn’t want to confuse using a theory to explain or assert that all Asian’s are better at math. But instead, looking for a theory that can explain for why statistically as a whole, Asian’s outperform others in American Schools when it comes to math.

So think about it this way, out of all Asians, we’ll find X% are just like any other Americans, Y% are from Asia, and Z% are born here but still have the same language capabilities had you were born Asia. By explaining why any of those subsets do better at math can explain why aggregated Asian-American student data shows Asians are better, even if, not everyone in that population is doing better.

I’m no mathematician or statistician of course, but that’s how I think of it.

By: The Seoul Searcher

The Seoul Searcher — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:50:13 +0000

Does this account for Asian-Americans who don’t even speak their ancestral language? Or are they just smarter?

By: think of a name for me

think of a name for me — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:48:30 +0000

Excuse me for the criticism, but it’s controversial since for native born kids (or just anyone who got used to English) to think in any language other than English at school. That because they are so used to English since they speak English during school, a primary English environment. So just how applicable is the think-in-Chinese-advantage?

By: Lin Xuan

Lin Xuan — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 06:46:37 +0000

I am Chinese and i am the only Asian kid in school. Everytime when there is a math test I score the highest in the class and some people never even acheive a high score in math like me. I am smarter than all the boys in my class and some girls beat me in English because I am no that good in reading comprehension.
What I know is that African American is the dumbest people in the whole planet and Chinese are the smartest in the world plus the other Asian races.
I know that Afican American people are very scare to compete with Chinese people, because in the second last day of school my math teacher was asking people to compete with me and none of the people dares to compete with me because they are too scare.
What I know is that IN STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL TONS OF ASIAN KID GOES THERE BECAUSE THEY SCORE VERY HIGH ON THE SHSAT TEST. IN STUYVESANT HIGH SCHOOL, ESPECIALLY THE CHINESE KIDS GOT A PERFECT SCORE ON THE SAT AND GOO TO TOP UNIVERSITIES. CHINESEAND OTHER ASIAN SCORE AN AVERAGE BETWEEN 2310-2400 ON THEIR SAT TEST.
SO THAT IS WHAT I KNOW SO FAR
THANK YOU

By: Selphie

Selphie — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:36:11 +0000

I’m asian american. I’m also really bad at math lol. I’m also a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell and I’ve read Outliers. It’s a very good book. There is a chapter dedicated to why Asians are so good at math and he actually also goes into a lot of detail about culture and perhaps how agriculture even plays a role in it. Strange huh? But it makes a lot of sense. There are some quotes by educators stating that the most important part of learning math is having persistence — and Gladwell cites some studies where Asians and Asian-American kids have shown more persistence in test-taking and problem solving. so really that’s all it is — we were taught to be more persistent and hardworking! lol

By: asDF

asDF — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 05:13:07 +0000

counting is a very small part of math and if every race in America has the same curriculum, how much would langugage really effect things?

I am Chinese American and right now as freshmen going to sophomore, I can get over a 600 on my SAT in the math part so given that I am studying more, should be able to get 700. Anyways, I think we are better at math because of these factors:
1) tutoring: most Asians have a lot of tutoring for exams like SAT compared to many other races like Africans that do not care as much about education.
2) thinking the right way: that’s what it all comes down to. You just need to know how to play with numbers, use a calculator and remember important formulas.
3) every race is good at something and is better fitted for something. For Asians, it just turns out to be math.

for asians living in asia or for asian immigrants to US, they have an extra advantage that there math is years ahead.

and then again, every race is good at something