May 3, 2007

School Stresses Out Calif. Asian Youth: Cellphone Poll

By RICHARD SPRINGER
India-West Staff Reporter

SAN FRANCISCO - Young people ages 16 to 22 - What are they thinking?

Now there are some clues to this conundrum thanks to a new poll commissioned by San Francisco-based New America Media.

A survey of 601 youths in California - conducted last fall by the state's first cellphone poll - found that Asian Americans were significantly more likely than whites, Latinos or African Americans to cite pressure to do well in school as the main cause of stress in their lives.

About 48 percent of the Asians polled listed it as the primary stress trigger, compared to 35 percent of white Anglos, 28 percent of Latinos and 25 percent of African Americans.

Money worries was the biggest stress issue for African Americans at 27 percent, while Latinos and white Anglos both ranked money second, at 23 percent and 18 percent, respectively.

By contrast, pressure to fit in was the second biggest cause of stress for Asian Americans at 16 percent, perhaps a key finding in light of what transpired recently at Virginia Tech with the killings by loner Seung-Hui Cho.

About 14 percent of both African Americans and Latinos and 8 percent of white Anglos listed not fitting in as the third most likely cause of stress.

The poll, done by Coral Gables, Fla.-based Bendixen & Associates and co-sponsored by the University of California Office of the President, found that California youth consider "family breakdown" as the most pressing issue of their generation (24 percent), ahead of "violence in their neighborhoods and communities" (22 percent), poverty (17 percent), global warming (14 percent) and anti-immigrant sentiment (7 percent). This question was not broken down by ethnicity.

At a press conference at the San Francisco Foundation here April 26 to release the survey's findings, pollster Sergio Bendixen said it was "very representative" of the racial make-up in California, with white Anglos comprising 37 percent of those polled, Latinos 39 percent, Asians 10 percent, African Americans 5 percent and 7 percent multi-ethnic.

He said the survey at first offered $5 for responses, but it had to raise that to $10 to get participants.

Bendixen said California youth are "overwhelmingly optimistic about the future." About 96 percent said that if they work hard, they "can achieve" their goals.

In the next 10 years, 78 percent said they believe their lives will be "better than it is now," while just 1 percent predicted it would be worse, 11 percent said the same and 9 percent never thought about it.

Seventy-three percent forecast they would have a higher standard of living than their parents, with just 8 percent predicting it to be lower.

New America Media executive director Sandy Close told a packed room of reporters from the ethnic press that the poll "reflects the optimism of the American dream."

Press conference panelist Raj Jayadev, youth coordinator of Silicon Valley DeBug magazine, opined that it is "less optimism than fearlessness." He cited young entrepreneurs he has encountered who hand out rosy business cards listing occupations like "entrepreneur, consultant and producer."

Close said the poll is not intended to provide pat answers, and opens up more areas for inquiry than it defines.

Bendixen cited one intriguing response that needs future examination on images of physical health.

Only 60 percent of Asians and Latinos - on a scale from one to 10 with 10 as "very healthy" - rated themselves at the highest level (8-10), compared with 73 percent of white Anglos and 80 of African Americans. Also, females rated much lower (59 percent:8-10) than males (73 percent).

Bendixen speculated that it could be because whites and African Americans participate more in sports programs at schools, but more scientific data is required.

By contrast, in mental health self-assessment, African Americans had the highest ratio at 8-10 (86 percent), while Latinos were second (82 percent). White Anglos (74 percent) and Asians (72 percent) trailed.

As Bendixen pointed out, these numbers become significant if they are extrapolated to California's total population.

Mental health professions, for example, may need to follow up to determine how issues like stress and family break-ups are talking a toll on youth mental health in the state.

In other findings, about 27 percent of the youth polled said they defined themselves by their "music or fashion preference," ahead of religion (16 percent), ethnicity (15 percent), race (14 percent) and personality (10 percent). (It should be noted, however, that ethnicity and race combined totaled 29 percent.)

About 68 percent of those polled said they oppose the war in Iraq, compared to 20 percent in favor and 13 percent undecided or not answering. About 65 percent of those polled said they have dated someone of a different race and 87 percent said they would "marry or enter into a life partnership with someone of a different race."