• many asian american students feel uncomfortable to speak up in class
• silent in "thought"
• quiet = traditional asian culture?
• native english-speaking asians as shy as limited english-speaking asians
• "situational non-assertiveness" "internalized oppression"
• Paulo Friere says that oppression makes the oppressed dehumanize themselves
• oppressed people come to believe that the source of their problems lie in themselves, and not in their oppression by other people
• memmi "are we timid because we let ourselves be oppressed?"
• oppression hinders one's ability to think and reflect, they cant easily perceive the structural conditions of their lives
• they dont look critically at their stereotype "they fatalistically accept their exploitation"

they react in a passive manner, "culture of silence"

• the educational system does not teach us joy of knowledge, doesnt encourage capacity of natural intelligence , but we comply to a way of learning that is limiting and disempowering
• teachers are seen as legitimate holders of knowledge
• a good student is quiet and unquestioning
• abilities and intelligence become defined solely by grades
• in early 70s, asian-americans adopted passive and quiet behavior as a way to survive their oppression
• education is seen as way to fight off racism
• invisibility is a way to fight off being racially targeted