<p>
</p>
<p>That was a great recap of the whole 3/5ths issue. It’s always great when someone knows their history! 
All I would add is that blacks weren’t counted as “3/5ths of a person”; rather, only 3/5ths of the blacks would be counted as people, and the remaining would not be counted at all in terms of representation.</p>
<p>"I don’t think that that constitutes more <em>assimilation</em> than people who’ve lived in this country for hundreds of years, frankly many of whom have lived here longer than the people who claim they’re not “assimilated.” "</p>
<p>I dont think saying that many blacks are not “assimilated” or “anglo conformist” if you prefer is an attack on them. I am not saying one culture or the other is superior. I am not saying that the differences are due to an obstinate refusal to assimilate - I think they are mainly due to discrimination, in all its forms. And goodness, I am not denying that there are millions of african americans who are fully assimilated in every meaningful way, including african americans who keep distinctive traditions they value.</p>
<p>A friend of mine who lives in the same county as we do once commented that it felt odd to him to be the minority in a town that was heavily Catholic. I suspect WASPs are a minority in our town too though with a larger African American population than his town there might not be a Catholic majority. Like Shrinkwrap I found myself counting black faces when we were on college campuses. They just look so unlike our school or our town, or our neighborhood.</p>
<p>The only African American country singer I can think of is Charlie Pride.</p>
<p>I think the white Republican thing is pretty regional.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth I didn’t notice the heavy Asian presence at Berkeley until I saw the 100% class. My thought at the time was something like “Hmm you might notice this if you majored in bio.”</p>
<p>"My daughter just laughs when her chinese classmates tease her that she is awfully smart for a white girl. "</p>
<p>We never get that. I guess they have bought into stereotypes too. Oy :)</p>
<p>Confession</p>
<p>We have a shy nerdy (white) kid. We were nervous about some schools being too preppy, too “greek” and too partyish. </p>
<p>We kept looking for Asian faces, and were pleased to find them. </p>
<p>Does that make us racists?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Not at all.</p>
<p>By the way, you and Susie are bringing snacks to tonight’s crossburning, right?</p>
<p>
I didn’t know the race of the person objecting to the Asians in your opening post. If those whites feel so strongly that over a third of the school, or almost 9,000 fellow students, being white is inadequate for them, i.e. isn’t ‘enough’ of their own race to feel comfortable, then I say it’s racist - it’s certainly showing a very strong racial bias. If that’s not ‘enough’ of their own race, I wonder what is? Would they only feel comfortable at 50% white, 75% white, 90% white, or 100% white? Maybe it’s like you said - they’d only be comfortable being part of the majority and don’t want to experience being in a racial minority. This is beyond the idea that there’s not enough diversity - it appears to be that it’s a case of there being ‘too much diversity’ to suit them.</p>
<p>
I don’t consider that racist - it’s being racially aware. I admit I did the same thing at UCLA and UCSD since there are proportionally so few blacks on those campuses although with roughly 1,000 black undergrads at UCLA it wasn’t as if one never saw them.</p>
<p>BrooklynDad, </p>
<p>I don’t think it makes you racist, but I do think it shows some prejudices. We all have them. I didn’t want my D to go to a school with large numbers of people from New Jersey (my home state) or Long Island.</p>
<p>“I admit I did the same thing at UCLA and UCSD since there are proportionally so few blacks on those campuses although with roughly 1,000 black undergrads at UCLA it wasn’t as if one never saw them.”</p>
<p>But it is still important to note that you NOTICE it. When I first moved to my N.Cal suburb, black faces where so rare, that if I saw one I didn’t know, I thought “who is that?”. I have been here for more than 15 years now, and not long ago I realized it wasn’t at all unusual for me to see black folks I did not know, and to see several black folks in the same day!!!. When did that happen? And when we go south, we see Black people EVERYWHERE!!!. Where I grew up, if I saw a white person on “my” bus, that didn’t get off by Jamaica Avenue ( Queens), everyone stared, and wondered “where are THEY going???” Now I don’t want to speculate here, on what it means on a personal level, but I HAVE to acknowledge that even on a very superficial level, it is a different experience. The ultimate "superficial’ experience like that for me was spending a month in Nigeria. “Bazooka Joe” was Black! Hmmm…that was in the days before there were whole advertisements and cable channels populated with Black people.</p>
<p>It seems to me there are MANY parts of the country where “Asians”, and “Hispanics”, and all that goes with it ( I’m thinking mostly food here…YUMMOOO!), notice the same thing. It must be nice sometimes, that many communities of California are not among them.</p>
<p>"Not at all.</p>
<p>By the way, you and Susie are bringing snacks to tonight’s crossburning, right? "</p>
<p>Kosher sushi, will that do? :)</p>
<p>Asian is a very broad term:</p>
<p>[Asian</a> American - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_American]Asian”>Asian Americans - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>*
Current estimates indicate that about 14.9 million people report themselves as having either full or partial Asian heritage, around 5.0% of the U.S. population. The largest ethnic subgroups are Chinese (3.53 million), Filipinos (3.05 million), Indians (2.77 million), Vietnamese (1.64 million), Koreans (1.56 million), and Japanese (1.22 million). Other sizable groups are Cambodians/Khmers (206,000), Pakistanis (204,000), Laotians (198,000), Hmong (186,000), and Thais (150,000)*</p>
<p>When some people use the word Asian they mean Chinese or those with mongoloid features. </p>
<p>One thing to note is that there are students who do not want to take a class with too many Asians (specially Chinese) as they feel that they would have to work harder to get good grades, which to me is stupid reason to avoid a class. (Some students have told me this themselves). I do not know if it is being racial, or stereotyping. </p>
<p>Second even though the US population is 5%, the California population of Asians is about 13% and the population of Asians in some of the metro areas and cities is even higher (around 20 to 30%). So, yes there are a disproportionate number of Asians in the top of California Colleges, but it is not as stark as it seems. We have take these numbers in context.</p>
<p>This is true Maze.</p>
<p>I am actually an Asian-american. Judea is part of Asia, no?</p>
<p>Judea was conquered by the Roman Empire, making you Italian. So that means you’re bringing pasta.</p>
<p>How come nobody ever attacks future Smith students as sexists?</p>
<p>I think you have to take motive into account here. If the unease is based on simple prejudice, or on inaccurate stereotypes, then it may be racist, or at least irrational. If the unease is based on some genuine shared characteristic that affects campus life, then it’s more reasonable. I have trouble seeing what that characteristic would be that would make anybody uneasy about a campus with 40% Asians, though.</p>
<p>*USC-UCLA-Dad,</p>
<p>I think the point made by those who feel uncomfortable going to college with “too many Asians” isn’t that they represent the majority but that they are equal to or exceed the number of whites. Your information shows that to be true at UCLA. Remember, most white people in America are used to always being the largest group, whether at work, worship or play. When something that has always been changes it can create some conscious dissonance. *</p>
<p>I went to a high school in San Francisco with an Asian majority population (>75%), and nearly all of my Asian friends chose not to apply to UC Santa Barbara for the reason taht they considered it too white (with an Asian population <20%).</p>
<p>^
I have to concede that perhaps California is an unusual situation. The public universities get most of the students - cost being a key factor - and Asian Americans who live in California flock to them. Perhaps Asians seeking a college with a plurality of Asian students are just like white kids seeking a college where they fill comfortable, and that comfort level invariably (coincidentally?) leads to college where whites are not just a plurality but the majority. White kids may not be as conscious as minority kids are that race is a factor in their decision. They don’t have to be. Away from California, the HBCUs, and a few schools in the southwest, whites will be in the majority everywhere they look. They don’t have to think about it.</p>
<p>I hate to admit this but I’m actually kind of glad I didn’t bring my kids up in California. The state may be very diverse, but it feels like there may be a bit too much tribalism for my taste. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like the northeast either. I grew up in New Jersey and went to undergrad in NYC. I hated the racial balkanization, the so-called “ethnic” neighborhoods, where your life was at risk if you wandered into the “wrong” neighborhood and didn’t look like the dominant ethnic group. That’s the way it was back in the 60s and 70s, anyway. </p>
<p>This may sound strange, but as an African American, I actually prefer the bland, vanilla, non-elite, homogenous midwest. I’d live in Iowa over either coast any day.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Too busy calling them all lesbians, in my experience.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>It is fine for a student to feel unattractive towards UCB or chose another college over UCB because it is less diverse or too Asian.</p>
<p>But it is racism on part of the adminstration to stop admitting Asian student because UCB is too Asian.</p>
<p>The first is freedom of choice but the second is mere racism.</p>
<p>No, I don’t think it’s racist.</p>
<p>
Actually, I’ve always felt the opposite here in California and the west in general. The people here have always seemed to me to be far less concerned about race and ethnicity as it seems that many in the NE seem to be from my very limited perspective. I was really surprised the first time I heard of so many ‘categorizations’ by race and ethincity expressed by so many in the NE. There’ll be some ‘tribalism’ by some people everywhere.</p>