Unschooling as a Chinese American

Why would you give up your chance for upward mobility after all we’ve sacrificed for you?' say my ancestors as they roll over in their graves.”

It can be lonely to go against the grain when formal education is presented to generations of Asian young people as the golden ticket to assimilation, achievement, and affluence. We need mutual support and courage as we resist the cultural pressures, fight against the racist stereotypes, and expose the whitewashed narratives that we’ve consumed.

Resisting the Cultural Pressures

The Chinese have a deep reverence for education. Young people are taught to apply the Confucian values of self-perfection, diligence, and perseverance to their studies. In ancient times, these values were reinforced through a system of imperial examinations—a series of tests that determined who joined the ranks of the elite bureaucracy.  Doing well on an exam could literally skyrocket you from rags to riches! No wonder many Chinese parents have emphasized good grades through the ages. Especially among immigrant parents like mine who left Asia and came to the States on student visas and research scholarships, formal education is believed to be the doorway out of poverty and into opportunities.

Because of these cultural and familial expectations, choosing to unschool is profoundly counter-cultural for many second generation Asian Americans like me.

We have to resist our own doubts as well as the pressures from our communities.”

Our reasons for unschooling have to be more compelling than our cultural scripts.

For me, I believe that young people shouldn’t have to be tested and evaluated at every turn, conditioned to believe that their worth is tied to their performance and the judgment of others. They deserve the freedom to be their authentic selves and learn in ways that are meaningful to them. Growing in our confidence and conviction about our why helps us to stand firm against the cultural pressures from family and friends.

Fighting the Stereotypes

Many Asian Americans believe that conventional schooling is working for their families. We’ve learned to game the system so that our young people end up on top, rewarded for their good grades and academic excellence. There is very little incentive to reform, abolish, or divest ourselves of a system that appears to benefit us.

Iris on loneliness in unschooling

In contrast, a growing number of Black and Brown families are unschooling because they recognize that the system is stacked against them—their children are disproportionately punished, discriminated against, and overlooked.

While we do not necessarily deal with the same labels as Asians, we still have to resist racist stereotypes—assumptions that we are all smart, quiet, good at math, un-athletic, submissive, etc. Asian American young people who want to explore and express the fullness of their personhood and their myriad of interests are not necessarily given equal opportunity in leadership, sports, or drama, especially in majority white schools and communities. Instead, they’re expected to stay in their lane.

Choosing a self-directed education means we don’t have to play by the unfair rules of a racist system but can proactively create communities, opportunities, and experiences that defy the model minority stereotypes.”

Resisting the Colonization of Our Education

The worldview that we’ve been fed through the school system represents the story of white colonization. People of color have few opportunities to learn of their own histories through their own lenses rather than through the white gaze. Curriculum, teaching styles, and standardized tests are all based on Western models, the white Western canon, and a version of history that is rooted in the delusion of white supremacy.

Iris Chen on not being alone in unschooling

Unschooling allows me to go off-script and introduce my young people to an entire world of people and perspectives that have been deliberately ignored and silenced—stories and experiences that are relevant to them as ethnically Chinese individuals and global citizens. Instead of swallowing whole the spoon-fed narrative, we get to savor the stories that resonate with us, taste the wealth of flavors beyond the white palate, and discern for ourselves what to absorb and what to spit out.

If you’re from a background like mine where unschooling is a radically counter-cultural choice, know that you are not alone. There are a growing number of us who are striving to overcome the obstacles so that our young people can be free. Join us!