Jane Under Pressure
The Life of a Korean American Schoolgirl
by
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"I want to make my family proud. I need to make my family proud," Jane repeated to herself. On the one hand, Jane felt trapped in a stressful state because of her family's expectations. On the other hand, Jane knew her family believed in her so she felt the support of the world. Nevertheless, Jane believed she had to prove her worth. Jane was a Korean American schoolgirl and that meant schoolwork was not enough. Korean immersion classes on Friday nights, math and Taekwondo sessions on Saturdays and private cello lessons on Sundays. Who knew being 10 could be so intense?
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About the Book
Jane is ten years old but doesn't do things most children her age do. Instead of playing with friends and having fun, Jane spends most of her time studying.
In her book, Jane under Pressure: The Life of a Korean American Schoolgirl, author Sun Min shares Jane's dilemma. She feels the stress of school and the pressure to get stellar grades. Outside school, Jane takes cello, taekwondo and extra math lessons. For her, it is more than simply wanting to do well. She wants--needs--to do well to make her family proud. But when she falls short of her expectations, Jane learns what is most important.
Sun Min's story is of a young girl juggling the demands of being an American schoolgirl and her family's culture. While her story is not unusual, it is not always understood, even among those involved.
About the Author
Sun Min was born in Seoul, Korea and raised in Aberdeen and Seattle, Washington. She holds a B.A. in economics from Barnard College of Columbia University and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School. Nominated for a National News Emmy Award, Min was a network television producer for CBS News "48 Hours" and ABC News "20/20." She has been a New York City resident since 1989.