Daily Princetonian Pokes Fun at Asian American College Applicants

Parents Forum
1

<p>I'm wondering how you all feel about this. I know many of CC's members in general are actually parents of college students or applicants, and many are Asian American. </p>

<p>This is an article that ran recently in the Daily Princetonian's "joke" edition. It's a joke article written from the perspective of "Lian Ji", a bitter Asian student rejected from the oh-so-hallowed halls of Princeton. It that plays on the "Textureless math grind Asian nerd student who plays piano but can't contribute intellectually or socially to the campus community" issue... which is, understandably, becoming a bigger and bigger issue each year. </p>

<p><a href="http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/arc...on/17109.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/arc...on/17109.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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Princeton University is racist against me, I mean, non-whites</p>

<p>By Lian Ji
Guest Columnist</p>

<p>Hi Princeton! Remember me? I so good at math and science. Perfect 2400 SAT score. Ring bells?</p>

<p>Just in cases, let me refresh your memories. I the super smart Asian. Princeton the super dumb college, not accept me. I get angry and file a federal civil rights complaint against Princeton for rejecting my application for admission. They rejected me because I'm not blond or blue eyed and my name doesn't end with Ockefeller IV or Osworth. I try convince my mom and dad to change my name to Jack Bauer (they could keep their own last names if they wanted to), but they told me Jack only graduated from Berkeley. Not my faults. All I get is huffiness from Princeton admission office and even fellow Yalie Jojo M. T. Witts-Piley. The Daily Princetonian no help either. Only make funs of my unfortunate circumstances.</p>

<p>What is wrong with you no color people? Yellow people make the world go round. We cook greasy food, wash your clothes and let you copy our homework. Brown people are catching up, too but not before the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Plus, two Princeton professors showed that racial preferences for black people and Hispanics hurt admission opportunities for me. I mean, Asians in general. The Great Wall Street Journal support my case. What more you want?</p>

<p>Dean of Admission Janet Rapelye say, "Anything that seems unfair is under scrutiny." Hello? Ni hao ma? Does Rapelye have any idea what unfair means? Did she have to be work on the Union Pacific railroads and haul ass? I don't think so. Woman.</p>

<p>Then she have nerve to say my outside activities were "not all that outstanding." What do you mean not outstanding? I make record for number of science fairs entered. I stay after school with Mu Alpha Theta eight hours everyday after school to memorize the 2,309,482,039,482,309 digits of pi. I play yo-yo. I memorize William Hung dance for college application video (See <a href="http://www.youtube.com%5B/url%5D"&gt;www.youtube.com&lt;/a> for my peformance. Aleksey Vayner's dance scene almost as good as mine. Almost.). I play in New Jersey Youth Orchestra five years in row. Violin, piano, viola, clarinet and cello. All at same time. Not oustanding? Ai yah.</p>

<p>Princeton claims that it increase diversity by rejecting an Asian-American. You make joke? My mom from same province as General Tso. My dad from Kung Pao province. I united 500 years of Rice Wars. I invented Asian glow — new color, new race. Hey, what about yellow fever? Heard that's hot on this campus. This is as diverse as you can get.</p>

<p>Plus, no-color people all go to Ivy Club; I would have made Campus Club alive again. Plus, I would have created first Asian a cappella group. Plus, I would have starred in first Chinese Opera in McCarter Theater. Plus, I would have join USG, become USG president better than Rob Biederman. Who you think get better deals with Ivy Garden boss anyway? Plus, I know how to make bubble tea. Plus, I would have taken one engrish class and be liberal arts. Writing seminar count, right? Multiply, I make DDR varsity sport.</p>

<p>I not complaining though. Yale suck ... I mean, I love Yale. Lots of bulldogs here for me to eat. I can wear my knockoff polo shirts, and no one notice. Fake Burberry, Coach and LV? A-okay here. Plus where else can I get rob, beaten and mugs all in the same week?</p>

<p>*Lian Ji is a member of the Class of 2010 at Yale University. He plans to be Princeton GS '14 if Princeton stop being so dumb. He does not hate white people and in fact would like to extend an open welcome to all races (including no-color) to his Chinese New Year celebrations held in Berkeley College. *

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<p>What's your reaction? </p>

<p>Mine: Yeah, not funny. Not even amusing. Can you imagine them writing a spoof column written from the perspective of an affirmative action black student, playing on stereotypes like being low-educated, low-income, basketball and hip hop obsessed, all written in a gangsta "Fo 'shizzle homies!" style?</p>

<p>Wouldn't happen. But I guess since its just Asians, its okay to make fun of. Hats of to the brilliant minds at Princeton.</p>

2

<p>The article is offensive.</p>

<p>"Can you imagine them writing a spoof column written from the perspective of an affirmative action black student, playing on stereotypes like being low-educated, low-income, basketball and hip hop obsessed, all written in a gangsta "Fo 'shizzle homies!" style? Wouldn't happen. But I guess since its just Asians, its okay to make fun of."</p>

<p>About 5 years ago, the U of Minn. daily newspaper -- one of the largest circulation student papers in the country-- ran a so-called comic strip that did make fun of blacks. It contained Ebonics, had the characters drinking large cans of booze, disrespecting women and spouting profanity. It was supposed to be funny, and I heard that the cartoon was drawn by a white student who allegedly loved rap music and thought black people were cool. Believe it or not, apparently, he wasn't trying to be offensive, but most have gotten his perspective of black culture from gangsta rap.</p>

<p>The black student organization protested, and I believe it was then that he and the newspaper staff realized how offensive the comic strip was.</p>

<p>It's not just the Princeton student journalists who sometimes lack a clue.</p>

3

<p>The article is VERY offensive. I have ZT it to other Chinese web sites</p>

4

<p>I agree - offensive and a poor attempt at humor. Wonder if it will become a big deal like the one a few weeks ago where some college paper (can't remember where) wrote an offensive article about AA and black students? Or is it OK to bash other races? (rhetorical question folks - I don't think it is ok)</p>

5

<p>
[quote]
About 5 years ago, the U of Minn. daily newspaper -- one of the largest circulation student papers in the country-- ran a so-called comic strip that did make fun of blacks. It contained Ebonics, had the characters drinking large cans of booze, disrespecting women and spouting profanity.

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<p>Disgusting and idiotic. I'm glad they at the least tried to make amends for it. Will Princeton do the same? I'm betting that they'll just insist to Asians and all offended that it was simply the joke edition, after all... and people will draw the conclusion that Asians are not only social losers, but can't take a "joke" as well.</p>

<p>So it goes. Is it really the 21st century?</p>

6

<p>This will -- and should -- generate a firestorm of criticism. It is way out of bounds. It makes me think less, a lot less, of Princeton and The Daily Princetonian. Heads ought to roll.</p>

7

<p>This is way out of bound. I am glad that my son (an Asian) decided not to apply to Peinceton this year.</p>

<p>Sad for the people in Princeton who allowed this article to be published. Thought they are smart enough. Over-estimate them, I guess.</p>

8

<p>Way over the line.</p>

9

<p>I fail to see the humor in this article. You would think that it is open season on minorities. </p>

<p>The Dartmouth review published on it front page a picture that was offensive to Native American (the preseident of the Dartmouth review has since resigned)</p>

<p>Tufts did a poor job at satire in one of its student journal, which published satirical song ridiculuing blacks </p>

<p>Now Princeton. It makes me sad to see how so many book smart people can be so life stupid</p>

10

<p>This is another proof that Princeton is indeed pathetic.</p>

<p>I didn't appreciate it when Reno made fun of South Koreans as vicious dog eaters.</p>

<p>I don't like the pun on the bulldog either.</p>

11

<p>The link is broken by the way</p>

12

<p>Offensive crap.</p>

13

<p>Fixed link: <a href="http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2007/01/17/opinion/17109.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2007/01/17/opinion/17109.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

14

<p>I notice that the column is part of the Princetonian's annual joke issue. The offensive comic strip that University of Minn.'s newspaper ran also was part of a joke issue.</p>

<p>I wish that students would learn the difference between being funny and being offensive.</p>

15

<p>Offensive can be forgiven, as long as it's funny: "Blazing Saddles," "Animal House," "Airplane"</p>

<p>If it ain't funny, and it has no other redeeming value (like over-the-top parody value), it's just offensive.</p>

16

<p>Saying "it's a joke" doesn't make this any more acceptable. Of course it's a joke. It's a bad, blatantly offensive, horribly mean-spirited joke that reflects really badly on anyone who said "Hey, this is funny! Let's publish it!"</p>

17

<p>It made Princeton look bad, and to the extent that the Princetonian is supposed to reflect the best journalism that Princeton has to offer, it should.</p>

18

<p>What a revolting "article."</p>

19

<p>It just goes to show that some supposedly very smart people can be incredibly dumb sometimes.</p>

<p>If this piece reflects the quality and intelligence of the students that Princeton DID admit, then I'd say that the real-life Jian Li has a legitmate complaint.</p>

20

<p>Everyone else has hit on the fact it was "wrong-headed" from the start but it was also not funny. Just not funny at all. I can't believe anybody would have thought that was funny. Not exactly quality stuff.</p>