The idea of anti-Asian bias in college admissions is gaining further traction in mainstream media. This article in the Boston Globe perpetuates the rather simplistic idea that equates higher mean SAT scores for Asian applicants with an “Asian Ceiling” that discriminates against Asian American students.
The article draws on Espenshade’s study, which I reviewed last year, and which can lead to an oversimplification (dare I say “white-washing) of the situation. At least my friend Oiyan Poon gets it right:
“When you look at the private Ivy Leagues, some of them are looking at Asian-American applicants with a different eye than they are white applicants,’’ says Oiyan Poon, the 2007 president of the University of California Students Association. “I do strongly believe in diversity, but I don’t agree with increasing white numbers over historically oppressed populations like Asian-Americans, a group that has been denied civil rights and property rights.’’ But Poon, now a research associate at the University of Massachusetts Boston, warns that there are downsides to having huge numbers of Asian-Americans on a campus.
In California, where passage of a 1996 referendum banned government institutions from discriminating on the basis of race, Asians make up about 40 percent of public university students, though they account for only 13 percent of residents. “Some Asian-American students feel that they lost something by going to school at a place where almost half of their classmates look like themselves – a campus like UCLA. The students said they didn’t feel as well prepared in intercultural skills for the real world.’’
Oh yeah, and is anyone else creeped out that there was a seminar at a national college admissions conference that was titled, in all earnestness, “Too Asian?”
Asian American in California don’t know how lucky they are to attend school where they are among Asian people.
I attend school in the MidWest and I was taunted and stereotyped. I was never comfortable.
I think Asian American in California live in a bubble, the fact of American still see Asian in a very negative light. I wish I had gone to a school in California I would feel much more well rounded and not cynical as I am today.
My comment is off-topic from your post, but this part in the article that you posted made me “laugh”: “Hsu argues it’s time to tackle this issue, rather than defer it, as Asians’ superior performance will likely persist.” So what, this means they’re worried that, “OMG! Now we HAVE to admit to ourselves that, ‘Hey! People of colour aren’t as stupid as we thought!’ Dammit! I thought we had a system in place designed to uphold white privilege! So why the hell are these minorities doing so well?!”
I’ve noticed a recurring trend in which whenever an Asian-American sings well (A.I) or compete as figure skaters, people are all, “What!? I thought Asians were supposed to stick to their stereotype! Omg, this is a *SERIOUS* issue here! We *must* analyze the reasons why these Asians are rising… NEVER MIND THAT THEY STILL CONSTITUTE A SMALL PERCENTAGE! Never mind that they are still the exception, not the rule!”
Whenever people are afraid of this “Asian invasion” (another term coined to produce fear of the “Other”), I like to remind them that Europeans are still the #1 desirable immigrants and rich, upper-class white people are still in power. Therefore, relax, people. We Asians are a visible minority, that’s why we stand out so much. You could have three Asian people in the room and five white people, but then someone will evidently says “Ugh. Look, there’s way too many Asians.”
This doesn’t make sense to me. How is “having huge numbers of Asian-Americans on a campus” the problem? I wasn’t aware that all Asians have the same culture.
And the article forgot to address how “regular” asian-americans (the non super achievers) are marginalized. Maybe REGULAR white students can get into pretty good schools but REGULAR asian-american students won’t, because we’re supposed to have higher scores in order to be competitive.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/sats/interviews/yoo.html
I am writing a research paper on this. You must read the link!! Oh and do you know what percent of the us population is Asian American? black, white, etc. if you do, please email me
They don’t. I guess he’s just making a politically correct concession to the reader, no one wants to read about how genetic diversity in China alone is greater than that of Europe, Mid East and South Central Asia combined.