V-i-c-t-o-r-y: South Asian kids use hard work and studies to win spelling bee

Vanya Shivashankar,  left, and Gokul Venkatachalam

TWO YOUNG Indian Americans tied for first place in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. That makes eight years in a row in which Indian American kids have captured the spelling crown. 

Eighth-graders Vanya Shivashankar and Gokul Venkatachalam were named co-champions last week after spelling word after word correctly for 20 rounds and two hours.

The dominance displayed by south Asians in the spelling bee has given rise to a lot of speculation over the reason for this phenomenon.  It is not genetic. There is no gene for spelling inherent among south Asians just as there is no science or math gene that seems to give the edge to east Asians.

It is not that south Asians are smarter than other ethnic groups. The difference, it appears, is persistence and that old axiom, "practice makes perfect." 

Of course the explanation is more complicated than that. There is the socio-economic environment the kids have been surrounded in. Most of the south Asian contestants are second generation immigrants and their parents are generally in the professions such as doctors and engineers.  There is a high value placed on education in the south Asian American culture. Instead of driving their children to Little League or soccer practice, they are driving them to science and match competitions and spelling bees.

The Washington Post examined the phenomenon:

"First, there are the stories which seem to imply some sort of clear connection between 'Indian American' culture and spelling-bee performance. Maybe there's even a genetic propensity for the perseverance and focus required, or something that happens only in South Asian American homes. All that amounts to a line of thought that says Asian -- and in particular Indian American and Bangladeshi American -- homes and bodies are the keepers of a set of phonetic secrets, passed from generation to generation. But that is really a modern and deceptively flattering take on persistent notions about Asian secrecy, mysticism and world dominance. It's also what sociologists call a "positive stereotype" -- notions that while not inherently derogatory but prevent us from knowing or understanding others as individual human beings." ​

Colorlines has a good read examining the reaction to the success of South Asians:

"... the narrative of cultural exceptionalism is misleading and harmful. It’s safe to say that all families place an emphasis on education and want their children to succeed. However, not all families have access to resources and institutions that enable their children to do well. When we rely on culture as the reason for success, we ignore the structural realities that prevent many children of color or poor children from reaching their goals. We also end up placing the onus on families to ensure academic achievement, rather than compelling the public and private sectors to also provide valuable services and benefits that can help all children succeed."

Most of the eventual winners have been to the Scripps contest multiple times. Getting so close the first few times gave them the motivation to study more and devote more time with the dictionary.

In the last 15 years, spelling contests have become ensconced in the South Asian American community with regional contests to prime the kids for the bit Scripps bee. There is even a South Asian Spelling Bee with a $10,000 prize. Contests like these serve as the "minor leagues" prepare the youngsters for the pressure and intensity of the national contest.

“I think that the activity of spelling bees has grown in prestige among certain South Asian-American communities,” said Northwestern University professor Shalini Shankar, who has been studying South Asian dominance of spelling bee culture.

“I would say that it’s not a uniform phenomenon among South Asian-American communities, but among those that do value this activity, they’ve really taken to it and they compete year round in different spelling bee circuits.”

It's no wonder that the best spellers come out of this incubator system. 

Vanya's and Gokul's win has also given rise to the usual rants from the racist element in America who can't get a handle on America's changing demographics and the idea that our country is a nation of immigrants. I won't even bother to repeat their criticism. No doubt, you can conjecture what they are.

"I look forward to the day, as do I think many of our South Asian participants, when they are called what they want to be called -- Americans," bee director Paige Kimble, the 1981 champion, said after the winners were declared.

###