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<p>But South Americans of European ancestry “who have transplanted to the USA” are “underrepresented minorities.” Go figure.</p>
<p>Help I accidentally chose “Hispanic/Latino” when I’m not. I’ve emailed the colleges about it, but how will the jeopardize my chance of admission?</p>
<p>Messing up on an application is common I actually messed up my social security and I still got accepted but I think it would be better if you called the school rather than email</p>
<p>@T2E64, I’m not talking about in the context of college admissions, but just in general.</p>
<p>It’s a mistake to refer to black people as African Americans when they aren’t. What do you call white people? You just call them white, you don’t call them European American. Black people are called Black people. It’s not racist, it’s more racist to call Blacks African Americans when they aren’t because it suggests you’re trying too hard to not be racist, which wouldn’t be a problem if you’re not.</p>
<p>Just a pet peeve of mine.</p>
<p>Trying to be unoffensive doesn’t imply some underlying racism that’s being “hidden”. But I agree with the rest of your post.</p>
<p>“It’s a mistake to refer to black people as African Americans when they aren’t.”</p>
<p>Peter: i’m quite older than you. People were called “coloreds” when I was little. But seeing as I later grew up in a majority black neighborhood, I felt no qualms about using whatever the nom de jour happened to be. Negro, Black, Afro Americans, African Americans – whatever my friends wanted to be called, that’s what I used. For you to assert that they aren’t “African Americans” although it is one among several self-preferred appellations is inexplicable. I call black folks what they want to be called because I’ve asked.</p>
<p>How about you?</p>
<p>SMH.</p>
<p>Oh, I think it’s explicable, T26E4. It’s just that the explanation doesn’t flatter Petersuu.</p>
<p>"African American =/= black.</p>
<p>African American is anyone from Africa, white or black.
Blacks are descendants of slaves.</p>
<p>pls don’t do this."</p>
<p>Um, no?</p>
<p>African-American is a term invented to represent people who are descendants of slaves, not people directly from Africa, or white people from Africa. Black is more general, and can describe African-Americans and Black people from Africa, the Caribbeans, etc. It’s not racist to call people African-Americans if they are, in fact, African-American, because the term includes rich culture and history that some people want to be associated with.</p>
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<p>How is it a paradox? Someone gets an arbitrary advantage in a competition, you give the competitor an equivalent and opposite advantage to even the scales. The evidence suggests that racial minorities are still victims of institutionalized racism, so a slight edge in admissions would in theory even the playing field. “Two wrongs don’t make a right” is not meant to be taken literally. </p>
<p>That being said, it’s ridiculous to discriminate against Asian applicants for doing so well in school, a product IMHO of the fact that it’s particularly difficult to get to America from China (thus filtering the immigrants), as I’m pretty sure they’re also discriminated against as a result of racism. Affirmative action isn’t supposed to ensure equal outcomes but equal opportunity.</p>
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<p>Certainly. I’m middle class but I definitely support socio-economic based affirmative action to reasonable limits. And any admissions officers that factor in legacies should be given a lengthy prison sentence for every crime any of their ancestors ever committed. That would be fun.</p>
<p>I have to agree with annoy-
It is extremely offensive when people claim us who are against AA as “racist”</p>
<p>Quote:
Blatant racism is ok if it’s purpose is to promote equality. Paradoxes don’t exist.
How is it a paradox? Someone gets an arbitrary advantage in a competition, you give the competitor an equivalent and opposite advantage to even the scales. The evidence suggests that racial minorities are still victims of institutionalized racism, so a slight edge in admissions would in theory even the playing field. “Two wrongs don’t make a right” is not meant to be taken literally. </p>
<p>That being said, it’s ridiculous to discriminate against Asian applicants for doing so well in school, a product IMHO of the fact that it’s particularly difficult to get to America from China (thus filtering the immigrants), as I’m pretty sure they’re also discriminated against as a result of racism. Affirmative action isn’t supposed to ensure equal outcomes but equal opportunity.</p>
<p>Quote:
Shouldn’t socioeconomic status should be a more influential factor than “Please indicate how you identify yourself?”
Certainly. I’m middle class but I definitely support socio-economic based affirmative action to reasonable limits. And any admissions officers that factor in legacies should be given a lengthy prison sentence for every crime any of their ancestors ever committed. That would be fun.</p>
<hr>
<p>It’s not. Just saying 2 false things in one sentence to draw comparison. I don’t think it’s too slight a boost. This isn’t a <spilt acid=""> <add base=""> scenario. It’s racism. Society should attack <racism> and not use some racism to balance other. Fight the source of it and it will diminish. Yes, it’s ridiculous. Look @ the average increase of ave. sat scores of asians skyrocketing.</racism></add></spilt></p>
<p>so is demographical information HUGE for the Ivies?</p>
<p>Snooze. Elvise, look up the meaning of the word holistic. If you want to be admitted on test scores alone. I suggest you apply either to auto admit scholls such as state schools, or apply in a different country. Sat scores are not the holy grail.</p>
<p>@GA2012MOM</p>
<p>I’m sorry how does that pertain to my post? I already know the meaning of the word holistic. When did I say I believe people should be admitted on test scores alone? I’m already aware of auto-admit schools. I don’t want to travel to another country. I do not believe that SAT scores are the <holy grail="">. </holy></p>
<p>Anything else mom?</p>
<p>elvis: Your premise about top schools’ anti asian bias gets eroded when one compares it to the actual, most blatant anti-meritocratic practice: international applicants. Since these excellent schools have good Fin Aid policies, they also get an inordinante amount super qualified applicants.</p>
<p>But if say, PENN were to solely admit the most metrically qualified applicants, then its International population would burgeon and push out domestic students. Does Penn allow this? Nope. The # of admits is capped and the international population is severely limited every year.</p>
<p>Tell me this: How many discussions have you had with your friends where you condemn that Indian (I mean from India) kid who “took” your coveted spot? </p>
<p>Or how about when you were grousing about Affrimative action and nursing grudges against URMs, where was the venom on behalf that Australian or kid from Chengdu or Estonia whose perfect SATs were rejected because the international quota was already met?</p>
<p>Inconsistency much?</p>
<p>I don’t have group hate discussions with my friends about kids <taking> college spots. First of all, it won’t be likely I’ll be going to a top school anyways. So, the spot they’d supposedly be taking wouldn’t even be mine. Regardless, if there were actually quotas on international students then why would I even be considered <in the="" non-white="" quota="">. That point doesn’t make sense. You seem to think I hate people of different races because I believe they are taking spots that don’t belong to them. You’re entirely wrong on this. I don’t like the system because it’s placing quotas on race. It’s judging applicants on race. Oh, and I know someone here has argued that <spots> wouldn’t be available anyways because the asian is never considered for the native american’s spot ect ect. The thing is…if illegal racial quotas weren’t in place and people weren’t judged on race then these barriers between group admissions wouldn’t exist! These quotas DO negatively/positively affect people. Nearly all polls show that affirmative action as an entire practice is declining in popularity over time. Eventually it will be gone. I don’t have a say in when atm. </spots></in></taking></p>
<p>Oh, and I don’t think I’m being inconsistent. I don’t condemn the indian kid. I don’t condemn the african american kid. I don’t condemn people based on their race.</p>
<p>I think it is really funny how people always attach Affirmative Action to race, especially when it really applies to other things such as gender, socioeconomics, sexuality, and religion.</p>
<p>IvyTired, yes luck is a factor. 90% of the applicants to Harvard are well qualified. So, there is a lottery impact.</p>
<p>Harvard hates Asians? Asians are a tiny percentage of high school graduates, but Asian enrollment exceeds combined Black and Hispanic enrollment.</p>
<p>^ There’s actually a strong argument made that all of the Ivy League schools have a relatively hard quota when it comes to Asian enrollment. The percentage of Asians enrolled in the Ivy League schools consistently hovers around 18-21%. I read an entire research paper on the subject, and if you’d like I could try to find it.</p>
<p>EDIT: Not a research paper, but an extensively researched article. I’m quite surprised that I found it, however, so cheers. It’s also quite long.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-myth-of-american-meritocracy/[/url]”>http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-myth-of-american-meritocracy/</a></p>
<p>EDIT 2: A clarification: that’s not to say that Harvard “hates Asians” or anything of the sort, but the preconceived notion that Asian-Americans are wildly discriminated against in selective college admissions has some weight.</p>
<p>Asians are a tiny 8% of high school graduates yet get 15% to 20% of the seats at MIT, Harvard, Stanford, etc. An Asian student has DOUBLE the chance of being admitted compared with non-Asian students.</p>
<p>In contrast, Hispanics are 15% of high school graduates but just 8% of the students at the most selective colleges. An Hispanic student has half the chance of admission compared with non-Hispanics.</p>