"Race" in College Admission FAQ & Discussion 11

Applying to College
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<p>I make observations of white people because <em>I</em> am one of them. We also are the majority. I can only speak from my point of view.</p>

<p>Wow, this thread is really showing me that we are far less progressive in terms of race relations in this country than I thought we were. I have always hated that term “whitesplaining” but I can really see it clearly now. There is clearly a reason it is a term. </p>

<p>And yes, I visited China this past summer (amazing trip) and was asked multiple times to pose with strangers, who wanted to touch my hair. I never felt offended because they were so friendly and nice, wanting to ask about America and talk to my daughter. Many people told her she was lucky to live in Meiguo and were interested to hear if she spoke Chinese. She made them smile when she said she would be studying it at college.</p>

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<p>I hope I’m not guilty of whitesplaining. Sorry if I am.</p>

<p>Funnily enough, I know quite a few foreigners in China who are extremely tired of the hair touching thing. Imagine it every day for 20 years. Many of those who are most sensitive to it are white Americans.</p>

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<p>A good professor friend of mine with a strong Indian accent after 20 years of teaching (taught at CMU, Northwestern, and currently at another top 20 school) was regaling us with stories of what his students have said to him about his accent. </p>

<p>He said for a while he tried to go with an American accent for an year or two in the beginning, would practice everyday how to enunciate words the American way etc but found that he was lapsing into his original accent unconsciously in the middle of the lectures. He had many of his Indian students come up to him and tell him that he sounded really bad when he was moving back and forth and he needs to stick to one or the other and it was better if he stuck to the Indian one since people understood it well despite his accent. He said he has stuck to it for a while now and has been able to be an effective teacher.</p>

<p>May be OP’s D needs to help her Chinese teacher with helpful comments and help her in other ways rather than worry about her ‘racist’ classmates?</p>

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<p>Asking someone where they’re from is somehow offensive? I work with people from all over the globe. When I meet someone with an accent, I usually get around (once I get to know them) to asking about their homeland. I get to know them better by doing that, and hear some interesting stories. My buddy Loc is from Vietnam. Tsue is from mainland China. Inna’s from St. Petersburg, Russia. Wouldn’t it show incredible indifference on my part if I didn’t know this? Some of the comments on this thread are jaw-dropping, including the one Bay pointed out.</p>

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<p>You should be aware that many foreigners (or those who look foreign) do find this behaviour at least intrusive, if not offensive. They might get asked where they are from several times a day, and it gets old fast.</p>

<p>The issue is not so much if you ask them once you are already in a conversation (it’s part of the American getting to know you ritual, after all), but if you ask them when you don’t know them or just met them. I have been asked by strangers when buying coffee, and when finishing a cellphone conversation, for example.</p>

<p>Compare it to tall people always being asked if they play basketball.</p>

<p>In many cultures (such as large parts of Europe) showing ‘indifference’ by not asking direct questions about the other person is polite. You might like this: [So</a> Where You From? | Arts & Culture | Smithsonian Magazine](<a href=“http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/So-Where-You-From.html]So”>http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/So-Where-You-From.html)</p>

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<p>This is classic whitesplaining.</p>

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<p>Non-Hispanic whites are no longer the majority in CA.</p>

<p>It is probably best not to make generalizations about people based upon their race (including whites), if you are trying to be a role model for others about race relations.</p>

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<p>Perhaps not necessarily per se, but when it is repeatedly asked of a native born citizen with the implied* assumption that s/he is a visitor or recent immigrant, it can be tiresome.</p>

<p>*Or explicit, as in “Where are you from?” “[some place in the same country]” “Where are you REALLY from?”.</p>

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<p>BlueRoses what percentage of students at this school are from OOS? You can easily look it up on collegepr0wler under Diversity.</p>

<p>How do you know your daughter wont end up at a school peopled with those same kids?</p>

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<p>“texas, thanks for the support (I say, sarcastically.)”</p>

<p>Happy to help. </p>

<p>“And if our family is guilty of raising a child who is sensitive to others and thinks racist stuff is unacceptable, well, guilty as charged. We are far from perfect, but we have worked very hard to make sure our children were around other kids of color, same race role models and in an environment where people are respected.”</p>

<p>I did not mean it in a hurtful way.</p>

<p>[UCLA</a> Girl Withdraws From School Due To Backlash Over Racist Rant - Even Though She Wanted To Make Entire Blog Dedicated To The Subject! | PerezHilton.com](<a href=“http://perezhilton.com/2011-03-19-alexandra-wallace-wanted-to-make-anti-asian-blog-withdraws-from-ucla#sthash.KlYXUgTX.dpbs]UCLA”>http://perezhilton.com/2011-03-19-alexandra-wallace-wanted-to-make-anti-asian-blog-withdraws-from-ucla#sthash.KlYXUgTX.dpbs)</p>

<p>[Racist</a> Party Picture Lands Penn State Chi Omega Sorority In Hot Water](<a href=“HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost”>Racist Party Picture Lands Penn State Chi Omega Sorority In Hot Water | HuffPost Voices)</p>

<p>[The</a> Daily Pennsylvanian :: Christopher Abreu | Racism taints the University](<a href=“http://www.thedp.com/article/2011/04/christopher_abreu_racism_taints_the_university]The”>Christopher Abreu | Racism taints the University | The Daily Pennsylvanian)</p>

<p>[Racist</a> Anti-Asian Article Printed In Princeton University?s Student Newspaper | C.A.R.D](<a href=“http://card.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2007/01/22/racist-anti-asian-article-printed-in-princeton-university’s-student-newspaper/]Racist”>Racist Anti-Asian Article Printed In Princeton University’s Student Newspaper | C.A.R.D)</p>

<p>[Racist</a> Frat Prank At University Of Chicago: Phi Delta Theta Says They Are Victims In Anti-Gay, Racist Stunt](<a href=“HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost”>Racist Frat Prank At University Of Chicago: Phi Delta Theta Says They Are Victims In Anti-Gay, Racist Stunt | HuffPost Chicago)</p>

<p>[The</a> (Un)Suprising Racism at Elite Universities](<a href=“http://www.blackyouthproject.com/2013/04/the-unsuprising-racism-at-elite-universities/]The”>http://www.blackyouthproject.com/2013/04/the-unsuprising-racism-at-elite-universities/)</p>

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<p>“This is classic whitesplaining.”</p>

<p>I have no idea what that is since I am a brown. Can you tell me what would be brownsplaining so I can get a hang of whatever you think you are telling me?</p>

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<p>It’s ok, brown people can whitesplain (just as women can mansplain). That’s one what in which they are not ideal terms.</p>

<p>It is when someone patronisingly tells a member of a less-privileged group that any discrimination that they feel is somehow imagined or their own fault, or acts as if someone is less knowledgeable or intelligent on account of being a member of such a group. Google can help you.</p>

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<p>Sounds like “whitesplain” is a racist term then?</p>

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<p>Nope. In our society, it is almost entirely white people who are in a position to do it. (Though I do agree that the term is not ideal.)</p>

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<p>I would tell OP’s daughter to leave the school if she feels discrimination against herself or unhappy about the school.</p>

<p>I would tell her not to cry over her Chinese professor or any other foreigner. As a naturalized citizen, I have been through it all and so can her professor. Her professor will do well, move on to bigger things in other Universities and won’t care a whit whether someone is mocking her (teachers are not blind and they do know when some white girls in the back bench are being stupid but they only care about those that are serious about their class).</p>

<p>Most of us foreigners are thick skinned and having made the 5000-10,000 mile journey to live in foreign lands, will find a way to ignore most insults that happen to us.</p>

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<p>Ah, that dratted “almost entirely” limitation raises its ugly head, which makes all generalizations based upon race, offensive.</p>

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<p>That sounds like quite a generalization…</p>

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<p>… what? So if I say it’s almost entirely white people who have white hair, that’s offensive?</p>

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<p>The two largest states in the nation are currently minority majorities?</p>

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<p>“That sounds like quite a generalization…”</p>

<p>I am sure you know more about it since you have lots of immigrant friends.</p>

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<p>:'(</p>

<p>It is not biased to say that white people by virtue of past and present imperialistic policies + institutionalized racism + generally being the historical power group/majority have certain advantages or experiences that differentiate them from outsiders. </p>

<p>And it is not racist to say that people in majority groups, by virtue of NOT having the same experiences find it much easier to gloss over issues that bother people.</p>

<p>Stop trying to victimize yourself in this situation. Something might be a damn joke to you, but to someone who’s got personal ties to an issue, it can be very hurtful. A bunch of white kids calling some lady a ‘dot-head’ may be just a joke, but it hurts that individual and makes them feel unwelcome. And sometimes, it can lead to more violence.</p>

<p>[AFP:</a> Brilliant Asian Americans face ‘bamboo ceiling’](<a href=“http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g7A4mO75ZXiRduxKH3y6KPy_lYtA?docId=CNG.faf8df20a253202de74b7bc7ee29c335.11]AFP:”>http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g7A4mO75ZXiRduxKH3y6KPy_lYtA?docId=CNG.faf8df20a253202de74b7bc7ee29c335.11)</p>

<p>[Dotbusters</a> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dotbusters]Dotbusters”>Dotbusters - Wikipedia)</p>

<p>[The</a> Model Minority Myth: What 50 Years of Research Does and Does Not Tell Us - Higher Education](<a href=“http://diverseeducation.com/article/52979/]The”>http://diverseeducation.com/article/52979/)</p>

<p>@Texaspg, your attitude is horrid. Yeah, as a 2nd gen, I got over it. My parents got over getting paid less and jackasses saying terrible stuff all the time. No doubt, many immigrants are enormously successful through hardwork. But that doesn’t mean these attitudes have to be and that it will never change. </p>

<p>I really hope you guys making light of this situation one day experience the same pain that others go through. (Oh and inb4 all the nativist arguments that are ‘why did they bother immigrating in the first place’, you can take a hard long look at what western powers historically did to people in those areas. )</p>

<p>OP, I wish you and your daughter the best of luck. We like to pretend we’re past race when we really aren’t at all.</p>