Yes I might be wrong and depends how some interprets it. But everybody has to start somewhere. Even if volunteer job it helps the person to move up. Most employers look has you have any experience in work. You have to work some where 2-3 months, then start moving to your desired field. You are not going to get a mangers job after doing an MBA(after doing college) from here unless you from the prestigious university. Many student works part-time some to get the experience and hence most of the students have already working experience when there are out of college and it becomes easy for them to get job in their field of study. If you just study and not worked anywhere, no body is going to give a job just based on Academic qualification

I am not sure if this has been said in this post.

It is all in the outlook of how we want to view it. It not Desi or non-desi since we have people looking at a job to be menial or not depending on their outlook. Normally, Desi's view education to be of prime importance more than anything else. That is probably one of the reasons we are so competitive in the world and also we can produce so many Professionals. Looking at it from this perspective, it is kind of difficult to understand the logic of a parent wanting his/her child to do menial job when they can afford all the kid needs.

At the same time, if the background of the child was something different earlier, it might make immense sense that the person has changed into this job.
What we know is that the person is waiting in a restaurant. What made her do that is not known.

I do not think it makes any difference to be viewed socially since in this part of the world that is least of concern except in our own social circle where sometimes it matters.

As Candian immigrants, most of us should be proud of having worn steel toe boots at some point of time or other . I never held such jobs in India and I am pretty sure my lack of blue-collar training did not make me any less "professional" or less effective. That being said, both sides of the argument seem to get it right. A part time job in the paper route is okay IF the kid does not get hooked to those jobs.



Similarly with education, a major in Art History is good if taken with a minor in CS or bio-computing. Something to fall back on, if you fail to make it as an art dealer.