<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>This has nothing to do with racism. It’s a different culture, you do realize Africans are the most educated migrant group? Of course, they’ll trump African Americans.Plus, it’s a whole different culture. Take it from me, we Africans strive to be the best and, even thought we don’t always make it we always try and try again. We’ll use any means at our disposal and, being smart is actually smiled upon in the African community. In the black community, not so much.</p>
<p>What proportion of African-Americans go to college - the top third or so? What proportion of Africans get to travel halfway around the world to go to college in the U.S. - the top tenth of one percent perhaps? If you compare the 67th-percentile of any population to the 99.9th-percentile of another, you’ll inevitably get differences.</p>
<p>There is nothing racist about this, nor is it a problem. Africans come here for a better life; they take advantage of all the opportunities given to them.</p>
<p>I look at it like this: Blacks and Africans have been given the same opportunities with Affirmative Action; Africans have just capitalized on those opportunities better.</p>
<p>Agreed. The perceived differences in performance have more to do with the fact that there is a sort of founders’ effect, if you will, when migrant populations leave their homelands. If you were to compare entire populations against each other, you’d see some remarkable similarities.</p>
<p>yeah, this is pretty much not an “african v american black” issue, but a “native born american v immigrant” issue. immigrants often come here with more drive to succeed than do many native born, simple as that. if they wanted shi**y schools and low opportunity they could have stayed where they were. and not only do they have the drive, those frem africa sometimes hae more educatied parents as well to help and guide them through the educational system. </p>
<p>ive read that researchers have found a similar ethic among asians. that those just here or one generation removed are often increadibly hard working and ambitious, but that ambition and adcademic drive fall noticably in the second generation. the longer they’re here, the less engaged they become in education.</p>
<p>Ironically, the ethnocentrism causes us ignorant Americans to assume that the intellectual split between Africans and African Americans is a matter of racism.</p>
<p>I don’t like some Africans. SOme of the ones I’ve met have been so arrogant.
You might be getting Harvard educated but there are far more American blacks in real positions of power in gov’t, business, etc than there are Africans.
SO yea, just stay in academia and go find a cure for malaria and save your country</p>
<p>^True, but I cant lie and say I dont understand where howdy is coming from. Lots of Africans try to differentiate themselves from the blacks here as if where they came from and who they are is some how better than blacks who have been here for generations…It’s sort of counter to the pattern you see with other groups and immigrants. Immigrants usually try to become a part of established communities of people with similar backgrounds, but it seems like African immigrants try to separate themselves…but then again, there is a unique history that isn’t present with other groups.</p>
<p>Yes, that’s very true. But telling them to “stay in academia and go find a cure for malaria and save your country” is asinine. In African culture, education is one of the most important things. That’s why African immigrants take advantage of every opportunity they have. For example, I attend one of the top schools in the nation. Out of the 15 or so Black/African-Americans in my class, 10 are of African descent. </p>
<p>My parents are African immigrants, so I’m very familiar with what you brought up, emmele. Over the years, their opinion has changed drastically. They aren’t against blacks here; they just don’t want to be subjected to the same stereotypes. Ya know? My parents have told me many stories about how they were discriminated against because of their skin color. What’s a new immigrant supposed to think? They didn’t experience this in their country. As they adapted to Western culture, they realized that their assumptions about blacks here were unfounded. </p>
<p>However, I know of many Africans who haven’t changed their opinions. They think all blacks walk around uneducated with pants below their waists, which is wrong. Some people are soo narrow-minded.</p>