Race at the Top

An absorbing work of ethnography. . . that looks at the complex power and social dynamics at work in a system where success seems both scarce and an absolute imperative. Strikes a nice balance between academic and popular audiences. * Chicago Tribune * As uncomfortable as the question might be, we must ask whether changing demographics in America's most competitive high schools and colleges will affect our educational values. In a truly postracial society, the answer would be no. But as Tufts University sociologist Natasha Warikoo argues in her new book, Race at the Top, an ethnography of how Asian and white parents approach childrearing, high-school education, and each other in the tony suburban community of Woodcrest', Asian immigrant parents differ strikingly from their native-born neighbors. * The Hedgehog Review * [Warikoo] makes an important contribution to the critical study of class-specific processes of racialization in general and the ambivalent role of racism in upper-middle-class liberal milieus in particular. * Ethnic and Racial Studies * In communities across the country, white and Asian parents argue over whose style of parenting is naturally better. Rather than consider such either/or questions, Warikoo effectively demonstrates that each group is making strategic choices that best advance their own children. As she passionately writes, the real argument should be how to support the children being left behind. * Pawan Dhingra, Amherst College * This powerful book is a significant addition to our understanding of envisioned pathways to success among Asian American immigrant parents and youth in the US, as well as the continued and contested power of whiteness in the current historic moment. Warikoo underscores key ways in which Asian parents benefit from the historically 'locked in' system of race exclusion that makes privileged spaces like Woodcrest possible in the first place. * Lois Weis, author of Class Warfare: Class, Race and College Admissions in Top-Tier Secondary Schools * Warikoo's powerful new book is a must-read for all social scientists of immigration, education, and inequality in the US, as well as for parents who want to do 'the best for their kids' while creating an inclusive society. This first-rate analysis will be on course syllabi for years to come. * Michele Lamont, Harvard University * A vivid portrait of a key class segment of American society; one that has the imprint of an immigrant influence, and that grapples with change as a result of that influence. Race at the Top is a game-changing study that deserves a wide audience. * Tomas R. Jimenez, Stanford University * In this eye-opening book, Warikoo deftly guides us through the difficult waters of race, class, and achievement pressure-and how they intersect-in an East Coast suburb. She brings to this exploration many talents, including the ability to vibrantly convey people's stories and a keen understanding of both parenting and research. This is a very insightful, engaging, and important book. * Richard Weissbourd, author of The Parents We Mean to Be *