America has become fascinated with the National Spelling Bee.
According to the Atlantic , ratings for the Bee this year on ESPN attracted more than 1 million viewers to a network more used to seeing bodies collide, sweat flying and cheer leaders shaking their pompoms.
The spelling bee has become the Superbowl for Indian Americans with Indian Americans having won for seven straight years.
Many analysts have tried to figure out how have Indian Americans come to dominate the competition.
Those articles inevitably point to the competitors work ethic, the value they place on education and the training Indian Americans receive from regional competitions in their ethnic community.
But those sore of articles have always made me feel uneasy as it seems to imply other ethnic groups don’t work as hard, don’t study as hard and don’t train as hard.
It seems to fall into the minority stereotype that seems to be places on so many of the Asian American subgroups.
However, is ignoring the race of these winners the solution? Is it the answer to a truly color blind society?
That’s the thorny question the Atlantic tries to tackle. See what side of the issue it ultimately took and we’d love to know what you think.
