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<p>Fun (?) historical fact: two generations ago there used to be a fair number of Jewish players in the NBA, and there were quite a few Jewish jazz musicians (although I don’t know what the balance was between instrumentalists and singers). Ethnic patterns of occupational preference, because they aggregate millions of separate decisions by distinct individuals, are subject to change from era to the next.</p>
<p>Windy, that was a joke :-).</p>
<p>Sorry… I missed that one. The public education system teaches to mediocrity because it is democratic and inclusive and that is why it’s participants are falling behind in competition for elite admissions. In the far east where they are less concerned with equal opportunity they address the resources to those most capable. In many ways in China in particular it should be viewed as human rights violations. Then the smartest of that system come here and go to Harvard. Go figure.</p>
<p>The schools can really only teach subjects. Parents need to teach intellectualism and values by example. Back to the topic of the thread and Michelle Hernandez, that’s the point of her “Middle School Years” book. Of course putting a show on Nickelodeon where the brainiest kids are the most popular and get all the girls or guys would probably have an impact too! (another joke, but Windy, you’ve got me nervous that my Jewish humor gene is deficient - :-)</p>
<p>The reason why your conversion remark is disturbing (and quite frankly somewhat offensive, although I’m trying to see your “humor” here) is because you obviously must know that mere conversion would do nothing. As you stated above, “What the numbers point out is that the learning environment being provided by the vast majority of American households is placing their children at a severe disadvantage relative to groups that are statistically overrepresented.”</p>
<p>There would be no advantage to conversion unless the learning environment being provided by the household were to change–that would not occur by simply converting. Rather, a wholesale change would have to be made and if that change were made, it shouldn’t matter if the family were Jewish or not.</p>
<p>windy wrote:</p>
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<p>If so, I guess we need to add a new acronym for the relatively tiny proportion of non-Jewish white admits, as they are an “under-represented majority.” (69% U.S. population vs. 20-30% of Ivy League admits). Certainly some serious community outreach for this segment is in order. (…wait, we already have one, its WASPs!) Irony, folks.</p>
<p>I’ve warned my son that the legacy that helped him might not apply for his cihildren. Their best chance is if he marries a very athletic URM while he’s there:)</p>
<p>Actually, from my observations, the most severely underrepresented minority at Ivy League schools is blondes. Seriously! You’ll get a couple of towheads on the volleyball team (or whatever) but I doubt that blondes are even in single digits as academic admits at most Ivy League schools. I think a national investigation is in order! This is clearly discrimination.</p>
<p>;)</p>
<p>Oh, Kluge: You mean to suggest that Harvard Law School has not been overrun by blondes ever since Legally Blonde appeared? How disappointing!</p>
<p>Sveral years ago when my daughter was in high school, we invited my husband’s colleague from China who was here on business to our home for dinner. It was the colleague’s first visit to the U.S. and she was very surprised when, after dinner, I told my daughter to go do her homework, since it was a weeknight. She told us that Chinese people seriously believe that kids in the U.S. don’t do much school work at all and that U.S. parents don’t make their kids study, while the situation is totally opposite in China. While obviously these stereotypes about level of emphasis on studies arenot true of 100% of Chinese or U.S. families, there is definitely some validity to these generalizations.</p>
<p>My daughter tried to convert to blonde but ended up canteloupe.</p>
<p>Ah, well Muffy, there are those who are born blonde, and those who achieve blondeness (blonditude?) through hard work and sacrifice. Canteloupe is a rare but tragic consequence of those who strive and fall short. My condolences to your daughter. (And I’ll skate graciously past the suggestion that she might have fallen prey to the intentional canteloupists who darken our nation’s future.)</p>
<p>kluge: priceless post.</p>
<p>Muffy: I love strawberry blonde. Can cantaloupe perhaps be converted?</p>
<p>kluge: as the bard says (Twelfth Night): Some are born blonde and some have blondness thrust upon them. (Just to amplify your witty post.)</p>
<p>She put a lot of time and effort and sacrifice into striving for blonde and did it ALL by herself, did not get assistance from me or a professional consultant. Are there any competitive universities whose colors are brown and canteloupe?</p>
<p>“Cantaloupe” is the title and protagonist of a story my D2 wrote in elementary school that I treasure to this day . . . And she is a strawberry blonde.</p>
<p>Brown? It’s brown at least. Check out websites. Princeton is black and orange, so very very very dark brown and cantaloupe?</p>
<p>mammall: Stop! Your D is just too lucky! Strawberry blonde too? I love Marg Helgenberger’s hair. (mammall – just kidding of of course.)</p>
<p>One blonde we know is only intermittently so–when she is not blue or orange or pink. Under all that hair, she is Chinese; so presumably, her original color is black or brown.</p>
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<p>That starts as early as CTY summer programs. Yeah, this demands an investigation. ;)</p>
<p>I left out the middle part of the quote because it was rattling in my brain and would not surface: Some are born blonde, some achieve blondness and some have blondness thrust upon them.</p>
<p>tokenadult: Does this confer URM status on blondes? Ah, a reason to “convert.” But will have a problem with our roots. (I know, groan, groan.)</p>