South Asian youth spell their way to success

Earlier this year, the Scripps National Spelling Bee champion was Anamika Veeramani. Her winning word:

ANAMIKA VEERAMANI: Stromuhr. S-T-R-O-M-U-H-R.

MODERATOR: We have a winner.

And last year Kavya Shiv-shankar won with…

KAVYA SHIV-SHANKAR: L-A-O-D-I-C-E-A-N. Laodicean.

MODERATOR: We have a champion.

You’ll notice the pattern. These days, when a South Asian does not make it to the top three of the spelling bee, that makes news. So it may not come as a surprise that now there’s an exclusively South Asian Spelling Bee. The competition is held in over nine cities, and it's sort of the boot camp for South Asian “wanna-bees.”

The competition took place in June, and KALW’s Sandip Roy went to see what it was all about.

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SANDIP ROY: I felt like I was walking into a secret training camp for some sort of elite South Asian spelling commando task force, otherwise known as the India Community Center in Milpitas, on a recent sunny summer afternoon.

The written elimination rounds for the 63 contestants had just ended, and they were announcing the results.

RAHUL WALIA: I am told all 63 spellers have made it into the oral round. If you guys were planning to leave at an earlier time today, I suggest you start calling and canceling all of your evening plans because we are going to be here for a while.

Rahul Walia founded the South Asian Spelling Bee in 2008.

WALIA: For long, the South Asian community – the Indian community – has been, you know, given a stereotype of being only studious or geeky. But with spelling bee, it’s kind of our sport.

There are veterans present, like 13-year-old Akhsay Aitha from Dublin. He’s been doing it since he was six.

AKHSAY AITHA: I used to have a lucky shirt but then it got too small.

And, at this point, he’s a little world-weary.

AITHA: I don’t necessarily like it because it’s a lot of rote memorization. Kinda boring. But if I am good at it, why not do it?

And then there are the first timers. Like 8-year-old Arjav Rawal from Fremont.

ARJAV RAWAL: Mystique – Can I have the word again?

MODERATOR: Mystique.

RAWAL: Mystique. Can I have the origin?

MODERATOR: Greek, Latin, and French.

RAWAL: M-Y-S-T-I-Q-U-E.

MODERATOR: That is correct.

It’s Arjav’s first spelling bee, but he knows all the champion bees, like Kavya Shivshankar. He’s seen her on TV.

RAWAL: When she won I was like, ‘I want to become like her.’ And then this year I watched preliminary, the semi final, the finals - everything. I was spellbound. My desire got higher to become the spelling bee champion.

Arjav put up a brave fight but ultimately was stumped when asked to spell “fibrillation.”

RAWAL: I was like oohh man… I was happy I could make it this far.

On stage the kids might be duking it out over words like “fibrillation” and “tachycardia.” But the real action is off stage.

Dad in t-shirt and shorts is texting updates. Mom has a binder and is writing down all the words. Little brother is mouthing along. Grandpa is in a Cisco baseball cap taking pictures on his mobile phone.

And everyone is wondering, ‘What would Kavya Shivshankar’s father do?’

RADHA SUBRAMANIAM: I’ve seen Kavya’s dad. He is so committed. I am nowhere near that. If my son isn’t doing as well as Kavya, it could be that I am not doing as well as Kavya’s dad.

That’s Radha Subramaniam. Her son Mayank went to the nationals last year and is trying again this time. Radha says it’s no big secret why so many South Asians are such busy bees.

SUBRAMANIAM: Our background tends to force us to bang on our kids heads until they do it. If you keep rapping about it all day long, kids bolt under the pressure and say, ‘Oh god, let me just do it.’

As one by one the kids topple, some mothers urgently appeal. I feel their pain when one girl gets the word “spareribs.”

SPELLER: Can I have the definition?

WALIA: A cut of pork ribs and breastbone, separated from the bacon strip.

SPELLER: S-P-A-R-I-B-S.

WALIA: Sorry that is incorrect.

The hapless girl was probably just a good vegetarian. But it seems wannabe spelling champs need to vary their diets a bit more. No one is asked to spell “curry.” Instead, they get words like “ramen,” “sukiyaki,” “praline.” Akshita Muralidhar got stuck on that one.

AKSHITA MURALIDHAR: I have never heard of it before.

Neither had her parents.

SHUBHA MURALIDHAR: When they asked her “praline” – both of us didn’t know the spelling.

The other problem for the super-engaged parents is that most of them grew up knowing English, but a different kind of English, says Sanjay Srivatsa.

SANJAY SRIVATSA: Our English medium is based off the British system. So our pronunciations are somewhat different. Also not just pronunciation, also spelling is different. Tomato, tomater. Sulphur, sulfur. Just like Oscar Wilde said, ‘Two nations divided by the same language.’

He says it’s frustrating when someone stumbles on words like “soltan” because they’ve grown up hearing their parents say “sultan.” But he says he encourages his son to keep going.

SRIVATSA: Many of these kids are just used to winning everything they touch their hands on. Now and then a little reminder of reality and a little humility goes a long way. Good for the soul.

Now it’s past 8 pm and the light is fading. It’s been 19 grueling rounds. The audience is thinning out. But finally, a winner emerges.

ANVITA MISHRA: The next word, if you spell correctly, you will be the next champion.

MODERATOR; Silivicolous.

SPELLER: Silvicolous. Definition please.

MODERATOR: Living in or inhabiting woodlands.

SPELLER: Origin please?

MODERATOR: Latin and English combination.

SPELLER: Silvicolous. Am I saying the word correctly?

MODERATOR: Yes.

SPELLER: Can I have it in a sentence please?

MODERATOR: Some species of pheasants are entirely silivcolous.

SPELLER: S-I-L-V-I-C-O-L-O-U-S.

Thirteen-year-old Anvita Mishra is the 2010 Bay Area spelling bee champ. Anvita goes on to the national South Asian finals in New Jersey.

For others, like Radha Subramanian’s son Mayank, it’s the end of the road. Mayank shrugs off his loss. But his disappointment is clear. He’s been doing this since he was six. This was his last bee. He is aging out. He muses over what he’s learned.

MAYANK SUBRAMANIAN: A lot of words. What I still haven’t learned is how to cope with failure.

Mayank’s brother has just turned four. And already the spotlight has shifted to him. His mother says she doesn’t think he’s the spelling bee type. But...

RADHA SUBRAMANIAN: I am getting other parents asking me this question, ‘Now that Mayank has done it and almost finished it. Now it must be time for your younger one to do it.’

Now, That’s what I call P-R-E-S-S-U-R-E.

For KALW News, I'm Sandip Roy.

This story originally aired on August 11, 2010. On August 14, 2010 Sacramento's Anvita Mishra won the National South Asian Spelling Bee.