Asian Leaders in the US

College Confidential Community
1

<p>So, I always see Asian overachievers in high school and then in college, but it's all just numbers and them being researchers, but where are the Asian leaders such as mayors and other political figures? You guys are so intelligent yet when it comes to leadership, I'm not seeing any (besides in high school because that's "good for college" >_>). I mean, are you all just number crunchers and math/science whizzes? </p>

<p>(I'm very sorry if this comes off as horribly racist, it's just I was having arguing with my parents about how hard it is to get into top schools with all these Asians who have crazy-good stats and my parents said that if you guys were so smart, then where are the Asian leaders?)</p>

<p>thanks,
ansar</p>

2

<p>One reason is that Asians are the super minority, they comprise only 5% of the population and even then most only recently immigrated to the USA. Also many Asians focus on science/medical/business fields as opposed to politics as those fields ensure better financial safety. Going into politics requires total knowledge of the American culture and many Asians are first generation. Here are some prominent Asian leaders: </p>

<p>Current Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke (former governor of Washington)
Current Secretary of Energy Steven Chu (also Nobel Prize Laureate)
Current Secretary of Veteran’s Affair Eric Shinseki (former Army Chief of Staff)
Current Governor of Louisiana Bobby Jindal
Former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Co-founder of Yahoo Jerry Yang
Co-founder of nVidia Jen-Hsun Huang
Co-creator of Youtube Steve Chen and Jawed Karim</p>

3

<p>My dad believes one-term limits on all political offices would improve the state of democracy in America by curbing lobbyist influence and removing “career politicians” from office and replacing them with citizens who wish only to represent their constituency and its needs. He doesn’t believe politics is a job. He’s 2nd gen Asian. There will be no Asian (well, half-Asian) politicians coming from this family. So yeah, from my experience, it’s not really a culture that values politics as a career, which is how you are, rather narrowly, I might add, defining leadership in this country.</p>

4

<p>Also if you look at the leaders of the top Asian countries that have immigrants in the USA, they are either engineers (China, South Korea) or economists/businesspeople (Japan, Indian, Philippines) prior to becoming leaders. None were dedicated politicians. Like Mike said, I think politics as a career is just not valued.</p>

5

<p>Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal</p>

6

<p>UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon</p>

7

<p>“I was having arguing with my parents about how hard it is to get into top schools with all these Asians who have crazy-good stats and my parents said that if you guys were so smart, then where are the Asian leaders?”</p>

<p>The Asians with the “crazy-good stats” worked hard to get them and if they are accepted into top schools they deserve to be.</p>

<p>Sounds like you got your racist attitude from your parents.</p>

8

<p>When did we say they didn’t deserve to be at the top schools?</p>

9

<p>Lulz. Please don’t drag this down into a CC-style one-sided affirmative action debate, because it’s not. Top schools have absolutely nothing to do with career leadership of any form.</p>

<p>Now that I think about it, careers in politics are not very popular in most circles in the US. In my rural area, which is mostly composed of working class and lower middle class people, it’s often seen as ludicrous when a capable young person chooses a career as subjective and as inconsistent as politics. People in stable careers are usually much more respected. Since, as others have pointed out, most Asians have immigrated relatively recently, they probably don’t feel well-established enough to assume public positions.</p>

10

<p>OP: I find your post incredibly offensive. I’m sure Asian kids aren’t the only ones who particpate in extracurriulars for college, take a look around you next time and you’ll find plenty of kids of all races who are high achieving, who excel at extracurriculars and who aspire to attend an elite college. </p>

<p>“You guys are so intelligent yet when it comes to leadership, I’m not seeing any (besides in high school because that’s “good for college” >_>). I mean, are you all just number crunchers and math/science whizzes?” </p>

<p>Just this statement alone shows how insular your outlook is. You automatically assume (and feed into the stereotype) that all Asians participate in extracurriculars because they are “good for college.” and that all Asians are “number crunchers and math/science whizzes.” I know plenty of Asians, myself included, who participate in extracurriculars BECAUSE THEY LIKE THEM AND ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THEM, not because they just think it’ll look nice on their transcript. Also, not all Asians are “number crunchers and math/science whizzes” --did you even read what you wrote? For heaven’s sake, if you want to argue about why it’s so hard to get into top schools, how about you point out the preference shown to legacies or recruited athletes?
Don’t just point to one race and whine and say that race causes you not to be able to get into a top uni. Who says they don’t deserve to get into a top ranked school? Please. Grow up.</p>

11

<p>

I generally refer to the CC asians…not them as a whole. Obviously there’s a whole lot of them that do things because they enjoy them.

I generally refer to the ones on CC. Also, a majority are math/science whizzes. I’m not arguing about why it’s so hard to get into top schools…that is not the topic of this thread. </p>

<p>Please don’t derail it.</p>

12

<p>LMAO OP u so coulda worded this post better lol. I don’t really find it offensive but damn ur so gonna **** off some people! lol Ur my new favorite person!</p>

13

<p>And why should you single out the “Asians” on CC? There are plenty of people of all races here, with plenty of kids with amazing stats of ALL RACES. Why choose to, when you are talking to your parents, refer EXPLICITLY to “top schools with all these Asians who have crazy-good stats?” </p>

<p>I know this is not the topic of the thread, but you yourself state that you used this reasoning as to why it’s hard to get into a top school. Just tell your parents that there are incredibly smart students competing with you–why drag in race at all? </p>

<p>I don’t believe that you are racist, I just find your statement to be offensive as you were singling out Asians as your main source of competition. You knew that this could happen (“I’m very sorry if this comes off as horribly racist”) so I do think that you should have couched your question in a different manner. </p>

<p>I’m done.</p>

14

<p>OP - you just aren’t familiar w/ the facts.</p>

<p>There are plenty of Asian-American “leaders” in California and Hawaii, and a growing number elsewhere.</p>

<p>For example, in the military (aside from former Joint Chief - General Shinseki):</p>

<p>General AntionoTaguba, USA, Ret.</p>

<p>Colonel Young Oak Kim, USA, Ret. (one of the most decorated US military officers)</p>

<p>BG Lie Ping Chang, USAR</p>

<p>RADM Ming E. Chang, USN, Ret. </p>

<pre><code> MG William S. C. Chen, USA, Ret.

Maj Gen Vernon Chong, USAF, Ret. M.D.

Brig. Gen. Robert Chu, USAFR

BG John Fugan, USA

MG John L. Fugh, USA, JAG, Ret.

BG John Gong, CA ARNG

MG Calvin Kelly Lau, USA, Ret.

Brig Gen Carol Lee, USAFR

MG Robert G.F. Lee, Adjutant General, Hawaii

RADM Samuel Lin, Assistant Surgeon General, US Public Health Service

Maj Gen Dewey K.K. Lowe, USAF, Ret.

MG John Ma, USAR

BG Coral Wong Pietsch, USA, Ret.

MG Stephen Tom, USAR

Maj Gen Darryll D. M. Wong, Hawaii ANG, Commander

BG Frederick G. Wong, USA, Ret

Brig Gen Jeannette Young, Air National Guard
</code></pre>

<p>BG Oscar B. Hilman </p>

<pre><code> MG Benny Paulino, USA Ret.

BG Eldon P. Regua, USAR

LTG Edward Soriano, USA.Ret

</code></pre>

<p>BG Clarence M. Agena, USA, Ret.</p>

<pre><code> RADM James Beebe, USNR

     MG Thomas Bostick, USA

    BG John Campbell, USA

    BG  Paul Y. Chinen, USA, Ret.

    RADM. Melvin M. Chiogioji

    Maj. Gen David E. Clary, USAF

    RADM Derwood C. Curtis, USN

    Brig Gen  Myron N. Dobashi, USAF, Ret.

    RADM Harry B. Harris, Jr. USN

    BG Jim Hirai, USA Ret, Asian Pacific Center

     BG Edward Y. Hirata, USAR, Ret.

     MG Eugene Seigo Imai, USA, Ret.

    BG Gary Ishikawa, USA. Deputy TAG, Hawaii

    Maj Gen  Arthur Ishimoto, USAF, Ret  

    MG Dennis A. Kamimura, USA, Ret.

    MG Jason K. Kamiya, USA

    MG Theodore S. Kanamine, USA, Ret.

    MG Rodney Kobayashi, USA, Ret.

    Brig Gen Susan Mashiko, USAF

    MG Vern T. Miyagi, USA, Mobilization Ass&#8217;t to the CDR U. S. PACOM. 4-10-06

    Brig Gen Allen Mizumoto, USAF. Ret.

    BG Bert Mizusawa, USAR

    RADM Kenneth P. Moritsugu, US Public Health Service

    LTG Allen K. Ono, USA, Ret.

    MG James Mukoyama, USA, Ret.

    BG Glen I. Sakagawa, USA, Ret

    GEN Eric Shinseki, USA, Ret

    MG Walter Tagawa, USAR, Ret

    BG Francis Shigeo Takemoto, USA 

    RADM Haruto Yamanouchi, USNR

    Brig Gen Irvine Kiyoshi Yokoyama, USAF, Ret.  

    BG Edward M. Yoshimasu, USAR, Ret

</code></pre>

<p>The thing is, we almost never see Asian-American military officers (as well as enlisted) portrayed in the media.</p>

<p>Plus, there are a good no. of Asian-Am mayors, city councilmembers, congressmembers, etc. in California and Hawaii (including the former head of the SFPD).</p>

<p>Not as many on the East Coast since the Asian community is less established/newer, but there are a few such as NYC Councilman John Liu; Edison (NJ) Mayor Jun Choi (btw, had to deal w/ a lot of racism during his campaign), Boston city Councilor Sam Yoon (who is also running for mayor) - as well as the Dean of Yale Law School and the President of Dartmouth.</p>

15

<p>stop the hating-on-Asians thread already. if you try hard enough, I’m sure you’ll be able to do better than one of the Asians in your engineering department.</p>

<p>get off CC and start workin harder!</p>

16

<p>and hurry up and cover this thread before pandem sees this :open_mouth: lol</p>