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Well, the point is to figure out why this is true. It is definitely not genetic. The reasons are mostly due to horrible K-12 teaching as well as ridiculous American cultural beliefs about math aptitude being inborn and not teachable. </p>
<p>Of course, no one should push a math hater to major in engineering. But in contrast with the people of most other countries, Americans have a a real cultural bias and fear of math. The problem starts in elementary school when students spend all day with a teacher usually female who has a deep love of literature and art, and often an ambivalence or worse towards math. Math specialists finally appear in middle school and high school, but uninspiring, mediocre teachers are the norm. Math is like any other subject – completely teachable if the instructor is knowledgeable and enthusiastic.</p>