From Paper Tigers and From Between the World and Me, the lines that stuck with me most were, respectively,
“There is something salutary in that proud defiance.” and
“Educated children never offered excuses- certainly not childhood itself.”
The quote from Paper Tigers stood out to me because it is a good summary of the point of the reading. That Asian people are upheld to such a prestigious standard by themselves, their parents, and their peers, and, as in the reading, there are Asian people who feel like they’ve failed their parents by owning a restaurant and not becoming a doctor or lawyer.
The quote from From Between the World and Me stood out to me because students, especially students of color, are expected to grow up years beyond their age to be considered educated. Complacency is not seen as weak-willed, but as respect, obedience, and intelligence. If a group of 12 year olds are being loud and rowdy during class, they are seen as disrespectful and unintelligent. They aren’t seen as what they are: 12 year old children.