Learn English – Another verb for “speaks to”

I think neither skate nor skirt have the meaning OP intends, which seems to me better covered by to coast (verb sense 3) to act or move aimlessly or with little effort.

I used to respect Felix, but now he just coasts by at work. (note: "by" is common, but optional to some)

They regard the usual explanation, that Asian-Americans have an ‘education culture,’ as circular.

This refers to the term circular argument (or circular reasoning). Why do Asian-Americans send their kids to study for the Stuyvesant entrance exam? Because they have an education culture. Why do they have an education culture? Because they go to good schools. Why do they go to good schools? Because they get admitted into them. How do they get into them? Because they get prepped for the entrance exams.

From a logic perspective, circular arguments are a fallacy – because of their circular nature, they don't hold water.

The thing is, though, that, often, cultures really are circular. In some families, what matters is military service. In others, it’s religious adherence.

The author is saying that, even if it is a circular argument, we should acknowledge that it's often rooted in reality. Many times, we are who we are because we became who our parents wanted us to be (or, at least, we learned to value the same things our parents valued).