I wish I weren't Asian

College Confidential Community
561

<p>Sorry, last post, but there are so many ignorant comments on this thread that I just can't resist.</p>

<p>::Too be fair - we should probably make a distinction btwn Hispanic and Mexican (and btwn white Mexicans and mestizo or indigenous Mexicans).::</p>

<p>Uhhh ... why exactly should we? Hispanic does not refer to racial group, it refers to the peoples of Latin America. I grew up in Mexico. Many of my friends there are of purely Spanish origin and are what you would call 'white'. They are still hispanic. If they were applying to college in the U.S., they would put down 'hispanic.' There's no arguing there.</p>

562

<p>lilybbloom,</p>

<p>I've actually met Mexicans who eschew the label Hispanic/Latino-- especially those with mostly Spanish heritage. It's not something that never happens.</p>

563

<p>think about how true it is though. Im sure a large portion of asians planning on rigorous studies act so. I myself being Asian, am a polar opposite of this description though. I have seen dozens of "textureless" Asians at my true, which is why stereotypes like these exist. Sure, there is a large portion who are not, but mashing people together in one is the lazy american way :P. What i say to this: turn the other cheek, and be proud of your cultural heritage.</p>

564

<p>
[quote]
You all need to lose your sense of entitlement. It boils down to this: Colleges need diversity. Yes, ETHNIC diversity. They need whites, blacks, hispanics and every other ethnic group in the U.S., and if it makes it harder for Asians to get into Princeton, then so be it. If you have a 4.0 and a 2400 on your SAT, you will get into a good school that will prepare you for life and success. It might not be Harvard or Yale. No one is entitled to an education at Harvard or Yale.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Is this "sense of entitlement" you speak of the same as a desire for equal treatment? Because if it is, then I will never lose my "sense of entitlement."</p>

<p>Colleges do not need ethnic diversity. They need good students who have the potential for successful careers and therefore alumni donations. They need good student-athletes for marketing and money. They need the occasional "development case" for, well, developments on campus. They do not need an "ethnically diverse" student body (read: a certain percentage, give or take, of a group that can lobby Congress for historical grievances.)</p>

<p>This "inner-city kid" you speak of has a difficult life not because of his race but because of his low socioeconomic status. I, along with many others here, feel that if preference is to be given, then it should be given to students of low socioeconomic status.</p>

<p>You, like most supporters of racial preferences, claim that so-called "under-represented" students are at a disadvantage because most are poor, but when we proclaim support for a compromise of socioeconomic affirmative action, you spit in our hands and claim that the reason said "under-represented" students are disadvantaged is because of their skin color.</p>

<p>Under the current system, the son of Black immigrants is given preference, even though he likely comes from a family that values education, hard work, and self-sufficiency (c.f. asking for preferential treatment.) Under the current system, the daughter of upper middle-class Blacks is given preference, despite the possibility of her having been enrolled in a private school, private tutoring classes, and so forth.</p>

<p>The day you racial preference supporters decide that the compromise of socioeconomic affirmative action is acceptable is the day that we start helping truly disadvantaged students, not students who happen to belong to a certain racial group.</p>

565

<p>fabrizio, preference is sometimes given to students with low socioeconomic status.</p>

<p>gosh. why can't everything be based on INDIVIDUAL merit??</p>

<p>i think there should be a law that makes sure colleges don't know the race of the student when considering admissions. that way, everything could truely be based on individual merit.</p>

566

<p>Fabrizio i think you need to get off the computer and live life...diverstiy is what makes america great. Colleges DO need diversity..</p>

<p>This thread is by far diversity at its FINESt...you have everyone from white,black, asian, hispanic etc alll offering there own diverse opinion. Everyone is intergrating their cultural belifs into this one topic. I think if there were just asians and whites in this thread there would be much to debate and the same if it was just blacks and hispanics.In a matter of days this thread has over a whopping 560 posts. </p>

<p>If anyone of you can prove that diversity hasnt contributed to this thread. Or having others present their ideas against yours didnt make your belifs stronger or weaker or even stayed the same then diversity has not done its job and inevitably AA doesnt serve a purpose.</p>

567

<p>
[quote]
fabrizio, preference is sometimes given to students with low socioeconomic status.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Exactly sometimes</p>

<p>
[quote]
gosh. why can't everything be based on INDIVIDUAL merit??

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Because not everyone has equal opportunities.</p>

<p>
[quote]
i think there should be a law that makes sure colleges don't know the race of the student when considering admissions. that way, everything could truely be based on individual merit.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>But names are often a giveaway. Jet Li or Sam Liang are more likely to be asian etc.</p>

568

<p>Because a malnourished and impoverished member from a lower socio-economic bracket does not have the equal amount of opportunities that a member belonging to a higher socio-economic bracket does.</p>

<p>One group can go to the top boarding school in the country while receiving private lessons from tutors of various disciplines, while another has to work at McDonald's to help support his or her family.</p>

<p>That being said, the current state of affirmative action is rather perverted and reforms should be sought.</p>

569

<p>"Because not everyone has equal opportunities."</p>

<p>i agree that socio-economic standing should be taken into consideration. but why should a rich black person have any advantage over a rich white person? when it comes down to it, the goal of AA is to take into consideration the opportunities the applicant has had access to--something that is not always correctly illustrated by race.</p>

570

<p>Omg Thank You So Much For Saying That
I Am Asian [indian] And 100%% Proud</p>

571

<p>mj93, I fully agree with you there.</p>

572

<p>I can't believe you people are saying that colleges shouldn't strive to have ethnic and cultural diversity. </p>

<p>Scary. </p>

<p>To the person who said that some white Mexicans dislike the label 'hispanic' --the people you are referring to clearly don't understand what the term means. And to those people for whom the term has dirty connotations and would rather not be associated with it, well, I don't really give a crap what they think anyway.</p>

573

<p>Any Takers?</p>

574

<p>::i think there should be a law that makes sure colleges don't know the race of the student when considering admissions. that way, everything could truely be based on individual merit::</p>

<p>The fact of the matter is, black and hispanic students tend to have lower SAT scores and less opportunities for extracurriculars than other students. You say the system should be based on socio-economic status. Fine. Asians would still be whining about being 'discriminated' against because they are too rich.</p>

575

<p>lilybbloom,</p>

<p>A little courtesy goes a long way. Please, remain courteous.</p>

<p>I realize that it's odd for people to dislike the term, but that's just how they feel. You claim that you don't care how they feel, but why not? Shouldn't people have some discretion when it comes to the labels they want applied to them?</p>

576

<p>Sure, but it doesn't make them any less racist or ignorant. Again, the word 'hispanic' is not a racial term. </p>

<p>His·pan·ic (hĭ-spān'ĭk) Pronunciation Key<br>
adj.<br>
Of or relating to Spain or Spanish-speaking Latin America.
Of or relating to a Spanish-speaking people or culture. </p>

<p>n.<br>
A Spanish-speaking person.
A U.S. citizen or resident of Latin-American or Spanish descent.</p>

577

<p>I apologize for going on a rant like this. But it frustrates and angers me when I perceive that the words 'Mexican' and more generally 'hispanic' have come to have negative connotations in the U.S. </p>

<p>Even in college, where people are supposedly educated and wordly, I cringe every time I hear people use the word with a slightly derrogatory tone. It's almost become <em>accepted</em> to understand 'Mexican' as being dirty and second-rate.</p>

578

<p>lilybbloom,</p>

<p>Not everyone from Spain identifies as a Spaniard. Nor is everyone in Latin America truly Hispanic in an ethnic sense. We should be careful with our brushes, lest we get too broad.</p>

579

<p>yes, it's true that "hispanic" has a negative connotation in the US, esp. in the border states.</p>

<p>I was interviewed by the Wall Street Journalist quoted in the article (Dan Golden) and I do have to admit that Asians have it harder than others. I am asian, and although I don't work very hard, there is no way to tell through my grades/test scores. I have lots of EC's and tons of leadership crap, plus theatre and varsity captainships, but still.......4 waitlists and 2 rejections.
I know two people from my school that got into harvard with lower stats than mine: one acceptance was definitely merited, the other was......well, she was hispanic. She's prob in the top 10 of the class, etc, 2100-2200 SATs, good but not spectacular, no sports, AVID, has a job, really nice person, but still.....on the day when the results came out I told her that she'd prob get in b/c of affirmative action, and she did!
I'm really happy for both of them, but i can't help but wonder how many people had better "merit" than she did, esp. other asians (not necessarily me b/c i f**ked up the app/interview)....</p>

580

<p>ixjunitxi,</p>

<p>
[quote]
Fabrizio i think you need to get off the computer and live life...diverstiy is what makes america great. Colleges DO need diversity..

[/quote]
</p>

<p>No, colleges do not need diversity. And, as far as I'm concerned, I don't think you know me.</p>

<p>This thread has had over 500 posts because it was started last year and it covers one of the most controversial topics in American education today. I think before you castigate me for "not living life," you should restudy Algebra and English grammar. Everyone is singular, therefore using 'their' to refer back to it is not correct. Is it so difficult for you to choose either he or she, but not both?</p>

<p>I believe that every individual is inherently unique. My race does not make me unique; it is not the cause of my having a different opinion than my White friends or my Black friends. We have different opinions because we're different people. Novel concept, no?</p>

<p>My point is, we'd have diversity even without an ostensible "commitment" to it.</p>