<p>A study published in the American Journal of Education showed that over one-quarter of black college freshmen were immigrants from Africa, rather than native born twice as many as in the general population. For Ivy League schools, the figure was 40%.</p>
<p>Diversity initiatives and race-based financial assistance, all designed to help black Americans, have ended up helping foreigners rather than the native-born precisely because the programs are race-based.</p>
<p>Conservative writer James Taranto in the Wall Street Journal argues</p>
<p>at least as measured by enrollment in elite universities, black immigrants and their children are succeeding in America far more, on average, than blacks whose families have been in the U.S. for generations--i.e., the descendants of slaves. This is a strong argument against the proposition that black underachievement in America is primarily the result of present-day racism.</p>
<p>While many would argue against that claim, Taranto has found some unlikely allies. In promoting diversity in higher education, liberal author Eric Alterman feels affirmative action has outlived its usefulness, and has in fact become a political liability. He would rather see it tied to class, rather than race, saying, Im interested in helping poor people, not black people, not Chinese people, not American Indians, not anything.</p>
<p>Do you agree? Is racism still a problem that needs to be addressed directly? Or is the real problem poverty, or lack of opportunity, or something more color-blind like that? Leave a comment.</p>
<p>You are quoting, word-for-word, a post which can be found on the internet at least as far back as March, 2007. (The study referenced appears to have been published in late January of that year.) So my question is:</p>
<p>Even if a paper is due, why not an original question? Even the last paragraph (“Do you agree … Leave a comment.”) can be found on those posts on forums in 2007.</p>
<p>Odd wording though, in the title.
Wouldn’t an African here be an African-Amercan if he were a naturalized citizen?
Wouldn’t a black fellow born here be just an American? Or perhaps, an American of African ancestry?
Or wouldn’t a visitor here from Africa just be an African visiting?</p>
<p>My ancestry is English, with minimal German and Irish. I consider myself just an American.
Am I incorrect?</p>
<p>In my sons’ independent school that has selective admissions, almost all of the AA students have parents from “the islands” and a few have continental African parents. I don’t know a single one who has American born parents. This is in the NYC area. </p>
<p>In my sons Catholic elementary/middle school, it is not quite such a striking gap, but there are more children of African and island parents than native AA parents. I am only going back to the parents’ generation, and in all cases both parents are non American born when I state they are from the islands or Africa. </p>
<p>So, yes, there is an issue. I am not familiar with any research in the area since that is not something that I’ve sought, but I am well aware of the fact as it exists in my environment. </p>
<p>I also notice in the same small sample that there are very few, if any Mexican immigrant Hispanics. Again, I am targeting the birthplace and where the parents originated. Both schools have programs for Hispanic and AA students to encourage them to apply and attend the schools.</p>
<p>Africa has great schools for its elite, who are the only ones who get to leave and go to college in the US. Top African high schools and “colleges” (like high schools) are much more competitive academically than our high schools, although with fewer extras. That’s got to be a contributing factor. I know African schools don’t rank internationally, but that’s because they test the whole population, not just the elite.</p>
<p>i think that on average, people who come to america are seeking academic freedom, so it would make sense that they would try harder because they value education more.</p>
<p>Harvard magazine had an article “Roots and Race” in 2004 addressing the same issues, so what the Op posts is nothing new. There are probably a few threads right here on CC that addresses the same things.</p>
<p>I would also suggest to Op that s/he look at some of the research by Mary Waters, who specializes in the study of immigration, inter-group relations, the formation of racial and ethnic identity among the children of immigrants, and the challenges of measuring race and ethnicity.</p>
<p>Old issue and somewhat of a dead horse in that some elite colleges have begun efforts in their admissions office to look closer at their African-American applicants, that is in the main, the descendants of enslaved Africans brought to the United States. Creole folks, you might say, whom were subject to discrimination and represssion based on law and custom in the United States.</p>
<p>The urban public where my kids attend has both “African American” kids born here, descendants of slaves, and refugee Bantu Somali kids, also descendants of slaves, survivors of war and refugee camps, victims of severe repression themselves, who missed a lot of schooling until they got here. African Americans make up about 40% of the school; Somali students make up maybe 4% of the school.
On the whole, the African American kids are attending four year colleges in higher percentages. The Somali kids are attending community college. Future generations may show a shift - it will be interesting to follow this.</p>
<p>Maybe recent immigrants from all those different countries in Africa, from Botswana to Tanzania to Gabon, plus the Caribbean islands and so on, can contribute more to diversity than a more culturally homogeneous group of African Americans whose families have been in the US for many generations.</p>
<p>Just anecdotal evidence: My kids HS has a large percentage of Nigerian, Sierra Leonian and Kenyan immigrant kids (some born here, some born overseas). By and large, those kids are high achievers (top 10%) compared to African-American classmates (total school is 70% minority). Parents are very involved, attend parent-teacher meetings, etc. even if they are working two jobs. Just a very different priority to education. All of the URMs from our school who have attended Ivies are African descent.</p>
<p>I think Northstarmom, who is AA, used to have this concern. I think she was bothered that many of the efforts to have diversity on campuses were not really helping the under-privileged AA kids who were the descendents of American slavery. If the purpose is to correct past American injustices AND to help these particular kids rise out of poverty/inner cities, then choosing kids who simply have the same racial makeup does not accomplish that.</p>
<p>I agree. Same issue with Spanish kids (parents from Spain) included as Hispanic. We have friends whose kids consider themselves “hispanic” but whose parents are from Spain of French descent. Not sure that’s true to the spirit of the designation, but Spanish was their first language!</p>
<p>That’s a concern, but what annoys me way more are whites of African descent (white South Africans for example) who game the admissions system by calling themselves “African American,” since they technically do have ancestors from Africa. We occasionally see kids engaging in that kind of sophistry here on CC.</p>