Achievement, Culture and Personality: The Case of the Japanese Americans

Abstract

Achievement, Culture and Personality: The Case of the Japanese Americans WILLIAM CAUDILL H lJf1Jara University GEORGE DE VOS University of Michigan INTRODUCTION achievement has on the importance M UCH of the literature on individual abilities, focused the relationship be­ of hereditary or learned as in tween IQ scores and educational or occupational success. In these studies, when discrepancies occur in expected predictions, the discrepancies are at­ tributed to other factors. For example, Terman and Oden (1947) use the added factor of individual personality traits to distinguish between otherwise matched groups-their high achievers being greater in prudence and fore­ sight, self-confidence, will-power and perseverance, and desire to excel. Recent workers have gone on to emphasize that such traits should be seen not only within the framework of the individual personality structure, but that these traits are also related to cultural values receiving very different emphases in lower and middle class levels of American society (Davis et al., 1951; Havighurst and Taba 1949). Some attention has also been given to the factor of ethnic background in accounting for differences in achievement. For example, Terman and Oden (1947) found that their Jewish subjects, while not differing significantly in mean IQ scores from the total group, had higher grades in college, received a higher income, and were concentrated more heavily in professional occupa­ tions. Thus, the indication is for something specific in Jewish culture to ac­ count for these differences, but beyond allusion to its probable importance, this factor has received little systematic elaboration. Early psychological studies of Japanese American children compared with other social and racial groups in California public schools (Darsie 1926; Clark 1927; Fukuda 1930; Bell 1933; Kubo 1934; Strong 1934; Sandiford 1936) give indication of a cultural factor at work which was not fully recognized or ex­ plored at the time. Strong (1934), in summarizing the achievement tests, grades obtained in school, and Binet IQ scores of Japanese American pupils in comparison with other groups in California schools, asks: How shall we explain the fact that the Japanese pupils in Los Angeles have about the same IQ as the average pupil and score about the same on educational tests but ob­ tain strikingly better grades? It may be that they possess to a greater degree than whites those qualities which endear pupils to a teacher; that is, they are more docile, occasion less disciplinary trouble, and give the appearance of being busy and striving to do their best. ... Another explanation would be that they come from poorer homes than the average and early realize that they must make their own way in the world; in consequence, they are better