>> hello and welcome to "global 3000." today, we'll be talking about immigrant communities in the united states. we'll be exploring how second-, third-, or even fifth-generation immigrants are transforming american society. here's what's coming up. raising the bar -- how asian americans are driving academia. torn between two lives -- young namibians struggle with tradition. and spot the species -- researchers studying the amazon rainforest.

the united states of america is a society defined by immigrants. in recent years, asian americans have become the fastest growing ethnic minority in the u.s. as the proportion of hispanics has declined, more than a third of immigrants to the states come from asia. both these recent arrivals and chinese americans whose ancestors helped build the railways have one thing in common -- they usually outperform their caucasian american peers at school and university. a recent study argues that this is partly down to cultural expectations. in asian communities, talent is often seen as the result of hard work, rather than a gift. here's a look at how this injection of asian values is shaping america. >> it smells like beijing, tastes like shanghai, and sounds like hong kong.

but this is the u.s. san francisco's chinatown reflects asia's influence on america. the first chinese immigrants came to the new world as laborers in the 19th century. their descendents celebrate their heritage with a tai qi demonstration at the asia festival. anson liang and angela pan immigrated from singapore five years ago. the couple felt constrained there. >> it's my dream, so i came to silicon valley to do my start-up and i think that's the place to develop my business and my career. people here are more open, more used to exchanging ideas, sharing your dreams, sharing your resources with each other. >> the drive to succeed among young asian americans is a major factor in san francisco's booming economy.

for anson and angela, it's all about moving up. they want to make it on this side of the pacific. like many other asian immigrants, they combine conservative values with a real ability to adapt. they enjoy america's creative freedom but still value their own traditions. >> anson is aiming for the top. his new company uses space in a shared office for young entrepreneurs, sponsored by established silicon valley firms. anson's business idea is an online lending platform for family and friends. his target group is start-up entrepreneurs like himself. but anson's learned from his business partner daniel lieser that asian reserve won't get him very far here. >> i definitely want to be that person because definitely the stereotype of asian people that we seem to be more conservative. people would like to protect an idea instead of sharing it with their friends or families or

with their co-workers. >> learning to negotiate unfamiliar freedoms in the u.s. while maintaining their own traditions is a balancing act and one san francisco's asian community manages well. the mood here at the asia festival here is confident. a third of the population here have asian roots. many immigrants and their children have worked their way up to middle and upper echelons of american society. life on the cosmopolitan pacific coast has changed many asians. but they've also changed america. gym class at the mission san jose high school in silicon valley. here, the growing asian influence is particularly apparent. the school gets better table tennis and badminton results than it does in american football. when principle zach larsen attended this school, nearly all of his classmates were caucasian.

today, nearly 90% of the 2200 students are asian. he explains how the academic climate has changed. >> i've heard kids joke about the b is an asian f and that sort of thing. but overall, the kids work hard and they do very, very well. our school's average gpa is quite high, up in the upper 3s and the kids work hard and it shows. >> whether solving equations or learning languages, they are diligent and eager to learn. but the competition among the students, and the high expectations of many asian parents, is also evident -- they want their children to be the best of the best. conflict among the students is rare, ambition is the norm. and to cope with all the pressure, they've set up self-help groups. because asian students often have a real fear of failure. >> i have a few friends who are of caucasian backgrounds and their expectations lie in sports and athletics. they drive themselves so hard in

sports, whereas for me with my background, my parents are immigrants from india, so their expectations for me are for me to excel in my academics before anything else. >> i know personally if i don't study, then i know i'll fail a test, and if i fail a test i know i'll disappointing my parents and stuff like that. that puts stress on me to do better later on, you know. >> but the only ones who make it in silicon valley are people determined to succeed and those who can pitch their ideas well. microsoft invited 500 start-ups to present their business models. anson liang and his partner daniel lieser are among those competing for this major investor's money. the quiet entrepreneur from singapore is feeling energized. >> we definitely feel very excited at this event, our founder showcase is one of the most permanent events in the bay area. we are very happy and excited being one of the finalists and winning the competition in this event. >> today they're loud and clear,

the asian voices in america's cosmopolitan chorus. along with newcomers like anson, well-educated descendents of earlier immigrants are climbing the career ladder. journalist noelle chun has a good job at motorola. she was born in san francisco and feels 100% american. >> some of my friends joke that because my family has been here for five generations and i'm fifth generation chinese that i'm practically just american now. but i think that's simplifying it a little bit too much. i do still feel a very strong connection to my chinese background even though i'm five generations in, and at the same time i don't claim to know what it's like to be a real chinese citizen living in china either. >> chinatown might symbolize the unskilled jobs of a bygone era but the well-educated generations of asians in america are conquering new horizons.

>> but you don't need to go far to find yourself caught up between different cultures. africa's younger generations often struggle to reconcile traditional and modern ways of life. despite its linear borders, africa is home to many nomadic tribes trying to preserve their cultures in the face of change. many follow the cycle of the seasons to sustain their communities. but some have settled down, like the himba in namibia. cultural values among the himba rate tradition higher than education. so, few of their children attend school. those who leave the community to seek their luck in the city often find themselves torn between two cultures. meet zuma katjiuonga who just found tradition has turned his personal life upside down. >> ondjongo is a himba dance. it looks as if zuma katjiuonga belongs here. but in some ways, this namibian is different.

the 29-year-old works for the state tv broadcaster in the capital, windhoek. he trained there to become a lighting technician. zuma katjiuonga is the only member of his family who went to school and learned a trade. the himba tribe member has worked at the nbc studios for over five years. and for five years, his world has been the modern world of the capital with its shopping malls, infrastructure, and restaurants. any extra money he has goes to his family. sometimes he pays a visit to his people in opuwo, right up in northern namibia. it takes a whole day for zuma to reach his village. he hasn't seen his family for three months. before he sees them, he needs to change his look.

>> now i have to change into my traditional clothes and get rid of these city life things, so that i can go to my uncle and go to the holy fire. otherwise i'm not going to eat or drink anything down here at home. that's why i have to do all this. >> along with traditional dress, a ferric oxide paste is applied to his skin. it's a mix of finely-ground red sandstone and beef fat. it will protect him against the sun and is a tribal tradition. every homecoming is a celebration, and today is no exception. except this time, his uncle has a surprise for him. in a tribal ceremony, zuma is being married off. his uncle has more influence than zuma's parents.

he's considered an elder and a powerful figure. >> here is the boy. he has been married in accordance with our tradition. he came home to marry. i will give him this jar of milk to drink from. he was gone and he has returned. i have married them, now he has a wife. he has his wife. he is married. >> his new wife is also his cousin. that is another tradition among the himba. >> it's like a nightmare that i had to go through. like now i do not know. it's something hard, like a nightmare that i have now to go through, to see how do i have to

explain to the person that i have been with down in the city. >> back to the modern world. in town, zuma lives with a partner, a woman he also wants to marry. he's worried his partner in town will have little understanding for his situation. >> i really can't let her go like that. i hope, maybe she has something at the back of her mind that she is not want to tell me now that she is maybe going to tell me later, but i hope everything will remain the same. >> i felt bad, someone who i have been with almost two years -- to be told that he is getting married to someone else, i felt

bad. my heart was broken. >> you are more special. you are the first one even if i married her first. >> i don't believe that. the love is going to be shared amongst two people. i don't think it will be the same. >> don't worry. nothing will change. >> perhaps zuma katjiuonga will be able to reconcile his two lives. >> when we get down here, you forget macaroni and whatever. whatever. >> the himba tradition allows a man to have several wives. gender roles are clearly defined. >> we himbas are told from a young age that one day we will

marry our cousins. we just have to agree, even if you do not want to, you have to marry your cousins and than you -- and then you stay home with your uncles or aunts. this is the himba way. we marry among ourselves. >> this is the pressure that i have been living since i started school, because i have to balance my life between two lives. i do not have any other option. it is something that i have to face, is the life i live i am -- i live. and i am living two lives. the city life and my original life where i come from. >> zuma katjiuonga doesn't yet know if his life will change for the better or for the worse. but he does know that he will always go back to his people, the himba.

>> in india, too, many are torn between the demands of tradition and modern life. we meet one man now who seems to be at one with the place he has found for himself in the world, elax sikander, tells us what he thinks about the world we live in today. our global questionnaire. >> my name is elax, second name is sikander. my age is 24, and i live in jaipur. india is incredible. we have a textile business here which is silk, cotton and linen, all kind of things we are making here, all kinds of bed covers, all kind of suits, all kind of things

my brother, who is bigger than me, he take orders from all l over the world. and he has also good connections to people around the world. girls. always, i need friendship with the girls. like, good girls, who can support me, who can meet me every day, and enjoy with me all the time. i don't have any problems. i am happy, because we have a good business. we have our own factory here from which we export in the whole world and to the local market also.

chicken, mutton, fish. like that. that's why i become a little bit healthy. germany, where you live. >> why? >> because there a lots of -- are lots of people who are really nice. like you. i need to be win myself. like more rich. more powerful. please bless me! >> well, bless us all then. now you don't need us to tell you how important the amazon rainforest is to our global climate. those 6.7 million square kilometers of lush green are rightly known as the lungs of the world. and yet economic considerations often come first in the countries who have a share of

this unique region. seemingly separate decisions to clear land for farming, build dams, or grant new logging licenses all add up to a destructive force. in colombia, a host of initiatives have combined to try and change attitudes. the only chance for preservation, these activists feel, is to catalogue exactly what will be lost. we follow a group of researchers as they take stock of nature. >> this is a young boa constrictor. just one of thousands of species living in the amazon rainforest. it's a landscape of superlatives -- the biggest continuous forest in the world, nearly the size of australia. nobody knows exactly how many species live here.

large parts of the rainforest have yet to be explored. one thing's clear, the biodiversity here is under threat. climate change and deforestation are taking their toll. a research group sets off from the southern tip of colombia to a lagoon near tarapoto in peru. they plan to take stock of the wetlands. >> this expedition is to conduct a biodiversity study. for this biodiversity study, we want to find out what fauna is found here, what flora is found here, and to determine the value of this region. >> the scientists will spend two weeks looking for fauna. dirk embert is a specialist for reptiles and amphibians. the researchers keep their eyes open as they approach their

destination. >> this expedition aims at generating arguments for why this region should be protected. so, the more successful we are, the more fauna we find, maybe species -- that could happen -- the more biodiverse the area is, the stronger our argument is to make this a protected area. >> the research group makes their base in a small, indigenous community on the border to peru. the welcoming committee is not just made up of tikuna indians -- a poisonous snake has come along as well. the reptile experts get to work. >> it's a viper of the bothrops family. and practically all snakes from this species are extremely poisonous and aggressive.

>> first, a photograph for the records. at the end of the expedition, the researchers will compile a book listing all the animal species they find in the region. a poisonous snake in the middle of the village is dangerous. so, for everyone's safety, they kill the snake and preserve it for scientific purposes. >> finding a snake so quickly was real luck. we might find one or two a night if we're lucky. we haven't even started work yet and we've already had our first snake. that's really great. >> then another creature shows up for the photo shoot. a tarantula of the avicularia genus poses for the camera. the second catch for the scientists -- with no effort on their part. it's a promising start to the

expedition. then the search begins in earnest. over the course of the day, the researchers will make plenty of discoveries. meanwhile in bogota, colombia's capital, protecting the amazon is also on the agenda. at the nature conservation organization wwf, ximena barrera coordinates international support. germany is involved. >> the german government is important for us in our attempt to get all the amazon countries around on the table. so, thank you all for being here. it's great to talk about the amazon vision today. >> office work and diplomacy rather than a jungle expedition. ximena barrera manages and supports the project directors of the amazon nations. colombia, brazil, ecuador, and peru want to coordinate their protection efforts better and, want to cooperate within the context of the international

climate initiative. >> when you're working on a national level, you have other challenges to deal with. on a political level, you're working within different timeframes. governments change, new players come along. a lot of our work is about trying to understand these different short and long-term timeframes on the local and national levels. >> from theory to practice. the amazon expedition is now deploying fishing nets. the biologists are excited. the biodiversity of this section of the river has never been studied before. >> these fish will get to be this big. >> their first catch includes more than a dozen different species of fish. >> we've only examined five meters so far.

>> the researchers are on a high. >> we've only been for two hours and we've already caught more than 50 different fish species. it's very possible that we've discovered some new species. we won't know that until we're back in the lab and have examined their scales, and counted their teeth to determine the differences. >> the chances of discovering new species increase with every catch. the reptile and amphibian specialists search through the night, the most promising time for them.

>> this will become a 2, 2 1/2 meter-long boa constrictor. >> the boa constrictor has its own photo session the next morning. while it's not news that this snake lives in the amazon, for their book, and for the scientists researching the biodiversity of the region, it's appearance is a real help. >> and that close encounter with nature brings us to the end of this edition of "global 3000." as always, you can see all of today's reports again online. and do post your comments to join our global debate. but for now, from me and the whole global team here in our berlin studios, thanks for watching and bye-bye. captioned by the national captioning institute --www.ncicap.org--

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