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October 11, 2008
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News, Views and Careers for All of Higher Education
Oct. 10, 2006
Too Asian?
“Rachel, for an Asian, has many friends.”
Related stories
- Is ‘Holistic’ Admissions a Cover for Helping Black Applicants?, Sept. 2
- Inquiry Into Alleged Anti-Asian Bias Expands, June 11
- New Challenge to Affirmative Action, Nov. 14, 2006
- Justice O’Connor’s Deadline, Sept. 18, 2006
- The Missing Black Men, Dec. 5, 2005
That’s the kind of line that apparently is turning up more and more in letters of recommendation on behalf of Asian American applicants to top colleges, according to experts on a panel called “Too Asian?” at the annual meeting of the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
When the recommendation line was cited as the kind of bias — even perhaps well intentioned bias — that pervades the admissions process, many in the audience at first seemed angry that in 2006 people would reference race in that way. But when it came time for audience comments, one high school counselor said that counselors feel they have no choice but to mention students’ Asian status and to try to make it seem like their Asian students are different from other Asian students.
“We make those comparisons because we feel it’s the only way we can get through and get our students looked at,” said the counselor, to knowing nods from others in the audience.
Many Asian students and their families have for years believed that quotas or bias hinder their chances at top Ivy or California universities. But to listen to panelists — and members of a standing room only audience — the intensity of concern has grown, as has mistrust of the system.
In the discussion at the NACAC meeting, participants tried to talk frankly about Asian students’ perceptions and colleges’ perception of Asians — with several people admitting that they were simultaneously denouncing stereotypes and saying that some of them had at least partial truth that colleges and high schools need to confront.
Admissions officers, while defending the overall integrity of the system, admitted that bias is a real problem. And advocates for Asian students admitted that they are challenged by the many Asian families who want to consider only a subset of institutions.
Many counselors — during and after the session — said that they have little doubt that when applying for undergraduate admission to research universities, white applicants are getting admitted with lower test scores and grades than Asian applicants are. One high school guidance counselor told the panel of experts that a sign of the distrust of the system is that he is increasingly asked by Asian American students if they would be better off applying to college if they declined to check the race/ethnicity box on the applications.
Jon Reider, a counselor at University High School, in San Francisco, urged the questioner to encourage students to continue to check the box, and he questioned whether leaving the box would do much good. “If your name is Wong.....” he said to laughter. But he also noted that one of the many ways Asian Americans today don’t fit stereotypes is in their names. The Asian American woman on the panel — and admissions official at Colorado College — was named Rachel Cederberg.
The prompt for the discussion was an article that ran last year in The Wall Street Journal about “the new white flight.” The article reported that white families were leaving some nice suburbs with great public schools — or sending their children to private schools — as districts became “too Asian,” apparently meaning districts where after-school academic programs are more popular than soccer. While the school districts about which the article was written have criticized the piece, many at the NACAC meeting said that the attitudes quoted in the article were real — and were playing a big impact in college admissions.
Reider said he thought the article and the question of “Too Asian?” that it posed was “shameful” and said that he was “embarrassed” as an American that such a piece would appear today. He asked whether anyone would think of publishing an article called “Too Latino?” and compared the bias to the kind of bigotry that for decades limited the enrollment of Jewish students at top private universities. “This is a racist question,” he said.
He also said that the bias is real — and cited his experience in his previous job as part of the admissions office at Stanford University. There, he said, the office did a study some years ago in which it compared Asian and white applicants with the same overall academic and leadership rankings. The study was only of “unhooked kids,” meaning those with no extra help for being an alumni child or an athlete. The study found that comparably qualified white applicants were “significantly” more likely to be admitted than their Asian counterparts.
Stanford’s admissions office responded with some serious self-reflection, he said, and officials now spend some time each year studying different kinds of bias — like letters that compare Asian applicants to other Asians — in an attempt to weed out any unfair judgments. With bias removed, he said, “there’s no way that a school or college can be considered too Asian.”
At the same time, he and others said that part of the problem in admissions today is created by Asian applicants — and especially their parents — who tend to accept only certain colleges as legitimate options.
Colorado College, where Cederberg now works, has an Asian population under 10 percent — a figure that is quite typical for liberal arts colleges. Asian students are considered to add to diversity to the college and she has the full support of the college in recruiting them, she said.
Based on working with institutions where Asian enrollment exceed 25 percent — something that is increasingly common at elite publics in California and top universities elsewhere — she said she hears lots of talk about admissions officers who complain about “yet another Asian student who wants to major in math and science and who plays the violin” or people who say “I don’t want another boring Asian.”
She said she wishes more Asian students would look at liberal arts colleges. A broader problem, several speakers said, was an emphasis on just a few kinds of institutions.
Mike White, principal of Lynbrook High School, in one of the districts The Wall Street Journal wrote about, said that he has a very tough time persuading Asian students to look at the California State University campuses, including nearby San Jose State University, which has many academic programs in areas his students want to study.
If they don’t get into the University of California campus of choice or Stanford, he said, many prefer to enroll at a community college and transfer to a UC campus rather than attending a Cal State campus. White stressed that he didn’t mean to be critical of community colleges, but that it struck him that his students were ignoring institutions that were a good match — just because the institutions didn’t have a perceived level of prestige.
Reider described an exercise he does for Asian parents in which he tells them about two institutions. At one, he describes walking through a beautify campus, meeting a president who knows all the students by name, seeing labs that are first rate, and learning that science students are admitted to top graduate and professional programs, based in part on their original research. At the other institution, he describes how he meets a smart science student frustrated that he can’t get any work done because of the loud music down the hall. When Reider walks down the hall, a student blaring music tells him it’s a party school.
After he describes the two campuses, he says he tells the parents “you’d want your kids at the first school, right?” They agree. Then he tells them that the first institution was Whitman College (although he quickly adds that it could have been a few dozen other liberal arts colleges) and the second institution was Harvard University. And then, he said, the parents all say that they were wrong when they answered the question the first time, and they still want their kids at Harvard.
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Comments
Too Asian
I have know this proble existed for the past 5 years. Fortunately, my asian kids come from Burma, Canada, Jamaica and often do not play an instrument and are quite different to their US counterparts hence still giving them an edge in getting into top schools overseas...Maybe they should move to Jamaica....
Sandra Bramwell-Riley, Educational Consultant at Versan Educational Services, at 2:10 pm EDT on May 13, 2008
Asian?
My view is that coverage of such debates panders to the people who want to make such distinctions.
I wish I knew what you meant by Asian. Chinese? Indian? Kazak? Israeli?
The whole concept of ‘too Asian’ is ridiculous, from the suburban racism it covers up to the vagueness and ridiculousness of the term.
Stephen Downes, at 6:50 am EDT on October 10, 2006
No mention in this article of the elephant in the room- affirmative action. It is not just about those terrible white men anymore, Asians are a prime target and this is perfectly legal until the 14th Amendment returns. The racial balkanization created by affirmative action is nothing less than scary. Look around this violent world to see where this ultimately leads.
Concerned, at 8:00 am EDT on October 10, 2006
Too Asian?
I suppose an ideal admissions policy—one based upon the qualifications of the individual—would include identification of applicants by ID number instead of name, with no information concerning the ethnicity of the applicant. But that would make it difficult for institutions to meet their racial... er, diversity quotas.
John W. Bales, Prof. at Tuskegee University, at 8:45 am EDT on October 10, 2006
Too Asian
Concerned seems to have mistaken the solution for the problem. The problem is a long history of racism, imperialism, nativism, colonialism and oppression that has systematically denied access for Asians to the educational system. If we look around for the causes of the problems mentioned, no evidence (or logic, for that matter), supports the thesis that affirmative action is responsible. I am pleased to see that the problem of excluding Asians (a kind of negative action) is being addressed, even if from a “they all look alike to me” perspective.
Bob’s your uncle, Professor of History of Science and Technology at University of Minnesota, at 8:45 am EDT on October 10, 2006
The problem is a long history of racism, imperialism, nativism, colonialism and oppression that has systematically denied access for Asians to the educational system.
Yet you seem to be implying that all Asians were subject to this history, which I would argue they were not. From another racial/ethnic perspective, my mother’s family is of Hispanic descent and came to this country in the early 20th century. They were not victims of “racism, imperialism, nativism, colonialism and oppression.” Rather, emigrating to the United States freed them from the economic and political oppression of their South American government. Yet, I am still able (which I do not) claim Hispanic on job/educational applications and supposedly be given a “plus” factor. Applying blanket victimhood because of race/ethnicity negates the diversity of experiences of racial and ethnic minorities, while at the same time ignoring injustices that may have been experienced by various white cultures (i.e. individuals of Irish-descent in the early 20th century were subject to far greater racism/discrimination than my Hispanic family ever was).
K.T., at 1:30 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
Too much of a good thing...
I find it typical that the professor from Minnesota is quick to dismiss any criticism of affirmative action as not being logical. I was a supporter of this approach, but I have seen over the years that it is not “responsible for problems mentioned", but that it does perpetuate it. The leaders of my Mexican-American student group criticized affirmative action. Now it has changed the face of racism/stereotypes whereas now Asians in this story can be categorized as being “Too Asian".
Manuel Arredondo, Coordinator at UT-Pan American, at 1:30 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
Too Asian ?
Too White ? Too Asian? Too Male ? Too much a member of the wrong race or gender ? Tough Luck ! Now not only are admissions race based, but what career path you’ll follow will be too ! Why on EARTH would you try to persuade ANY student regardess of race or gender , a student focused on Maths and Sciences, to switch to a Liberal Arts focus when Lib Arts fields are overstaffed and underpaid due to crowding, yet our nation is having a Math and Science education crisis !Boggles the mind....
Kit, at 1:30 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
What I do
Well. Just some note from an Asian — not necessary reflect all Asian’s view.
I told my kids there will be racism in their future. I want them to see it a way to better themselves and eventually they will shine.
I think we all like that to go away, but we need be realistic. On the other hand, we, as American, have to think about what really consititute racism. Personally, I think the line should be at ‘given equal chances’. I really don’t think the percentage of population should be a guideline.
Asian, at 1:30 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
What About Outcomes?
Let’s turn the question around. What are the Asian kids with those highly desirable educations giving back to society? For what are they using their math and science skills, or their violin skills for that matter? Few Asian-Americans are attracted to, for example, cancer research, agronomy, educational leadership or even teaching music to disadvantaged youth. What’s the point of all those violin lessons? And what’s the point of going to Harvard, whose job is to prepare society’s future leaders, when Asian kids are not interested in those leadership roles?
This isn’t about race. It’s about culture. Asian-American kids are shoehorned into educational and occupational paths by dominant parents and strong sub-cultural pressures to conform and obey. Maybe when these young people are able to break free and pursue their own goals, the fancy educations will seem less important than finding the right education to fit the individual.
Chances of that happening? Probably not good.
From the OC, UC Irvine, at 1:30 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
a really even playing field
BYU, Colonialism? I mean, the US did a lot of things, but with the exception of a brief period in the Philippines, the US does not have much of a colonial legacy in Asia. Moreover, I don’t see how colonialism worked to deny people access to state universities that they were otherwise qualified to attend.
Maybe it is time that state universities simply end the practice of accepting letters of recommendation and personal statements, and considering race. Any application with a reference to background (that is ethnicity, race, or legacy) would be summarily rejected. Likewise, students would be excepted to take certain core corses in high school, and students without such a background would also be summarily rejected.
Sure this is rough justice. Sure it would mean that students that “like art but hate math” might have less of a chance, but it would make the student body much easier to track, and it would make the process much more fair for all involved. All a student would need to do is look up what courses he needed to take, and do well in them. This wouldn’t solve the problems of high school grade inflation, or manipulation via transfer credits, but it would be a start.
After admission, the school would be free to extent scholarships to students based on other characteristics, such as race. The students would then know how much their race is worth to the school – in dollars.
Larry, at 1:35 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
work ethic, science and math
While I was in graduate school in history at UCLA (1983-93)it was clear that South Campus (devoted to the hard sciences and mathematics) was heavily “Asian” (I have no idea what the countries of origin were, but I would guess Indian, Japanese and Chinese descent), while North Campus (devoted to the humanities, social policy, and all the arts) was almost devoid of “Asians.” If the latter, through a strong work ethic come to dominate certain fields and beat out the non-"Asian” others, then I say more power to them. Maybe the competition will stimulate a return to more rigorous studies in fields (i.e. science, math, engineering, medicine, public health) that are crucial to the world we live in.
clare spark, INdependent Scholar, at 1:35 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
Too Asian?
In a country of sixth generation Europeans who have forgotten that their own ancestors were once Too German, Too Scotch, Too Polish, Way Too Swedish and far far Too Welsh or Too Irish, it is only natural that they be the new gatekeepers of what is now Too Ethnic, period.
Remembering your roots and knowing your own immigrantion history is a part of being balanced both spiritually and intellectually as you age. So many people who enjoy saying “I am a mutt” are now in a position to the gatekeepers on admission boards. We need more immigrants on these boards. People who are not as threatened by someone who remembers who they are or who is different. Would these gatekeepers then keep o their own ancestors I wonder...How ironic.
Naina Ayya, Communications Manager at N/A, at 1:35 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
Too Bad
Isn’t it interesting that in one article there is discussion that some campuses are “too Asian” while in another article, we complain that campuses aren’t Black enough (California’s Missing Black Students)? My favorite, of course, is that students are “too boring.” Universities really need to get a clue sometimes and realize that most people simply want to get ahead by working hard and doing what they love to do and are best at. Since when is that such a bad offense?
Not Available, at 1:35 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
Underrepresentation has to be considered
This article takes a very simplistic approach to a complex issue. For some institutions the issue of underrepresentation is as important as diversity. We know that some Asian groups like the Japanese Americans have reached a level of group mobility (including very high intermarriage rates with whites) that precludes them from being classified as “disadvantaged.” The University of Wisconsin System only counts Asians of Southeast Asian background as members of underrepresented groups (along with Blacks, Latinos, and American Indians).
William Velez, Professor at UW-Milwaukee, at 1:35 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
Too Black? Too Poor? Too [Fill In]?
May we also ask “too Black” for college basketball recruitment? On the other hand, how about “too Black” or “too poor” for college dropouts or for those who never even reach college? Why should a group be institutionally punished as victims of their successes?
Terrell Owns, Too Black? Too Poor?, at 1:35 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
boxes
One high school guidance counselor told the panel of experts that a sign of the distrust of the system is that he is increasingly asked by Asian American students if they would be better off applying to college if they declined to check the race/ethnicity box on the applications.
Isn’t the answer to this question “obviously yes"? The institutions may not want to lose the information, but from the perspective of an Asian applicant to an elite university, of course they should leave the box blank. The “if your name is Wong” response all but admits this— checking the box is neutral at best if there are other cues to race, and detrimental at worst.
anon, at 1:35 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
negative action
I encourage readers to distinguish between “negative action” and “neutral action.” It is true that if Asian Americans (or some subset) are not included in affirmative action programs, they indirectly are burdened given a finite number of slots — just like Whites are burdened because they too also excluded from affirmative action programs. (I am putting all complexities regarding merit, legacy, geographical preferences, etc. aside for the moment.) But in this case, if we compare an Asian American’s treatment with the treatment of Whites, we see complete neutrality: they suffer precisely the same burden. This is “neutral action.”
By contrast, this story raises concerns about Asian Americans being treated worse than Whites. Put another way, an Asian American applicant who was denied admission would have been admitted if she were White. This is what I call “negative action.” The recent study by Espenshade and Chung (The Opportunity Cost of Admission Preferences at the Elite Universities, 86 Social Science Quarterly 293 (2005)), although unclearly written and framed, estimates that Whites receive a 50 (SAT) point preference over Asians. Getting rid of affirmative action for underrepresented minorities would do nothing to respond to this preference granted to Whites.
Surely there are good arguments, if controversial, that justify affirmative action programs. What good arguuments exist to justify “negative action” against Asian Americans?
For an article introducing the concept of negative action, see http://papers.ssrn.com/abstract=707624
for an article examining recent implicit social cognition findings and their implications for “fair measures", see http://ssrn.com/abstract=873907
Jerry Kang, Prof. of Law at UCLA, at 1:35 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
Quotas will always hurt the situation in the long run. By lowering the bar for one or more groups we keep them from achieving their potential.
I would hate to be the straight A student who was denied admission/opportunity because of my race — while my straight C friend is admitted.
I have seen this happen in a family with adopted children of different races. The better student was ‘rejected’ and the worse student was ‘accepted’ — same family, different biological check-box.
This isn’t a good solution for long-term success. As far as I am concerned (and I am not Asian), I would be perfectly happy to have every prestigous institution 100% Asian — if those were the kids that most deserved admissions.
Josh, at 2:20 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
‘affirmative action’
Guess what folks. At a lot of liberal arts colleges these days WHITE MALES are beneficiaries of ‘affirmative action,’ which basically means that white females, like their Asian counterparts discussed in this article, need higher test scores than males to get into the school. Because schools define diversity in a number of ways, these white males are given preferential treatment. So what! Schools should always be interested not just in test scores (which only measure certain skills), but also in getting a mix of students — based on sex, race, class, ethnicity and sexual orientation, not to mention diversity of talents and skills. News flash 2 — one of the reasons to go to college is to learn about how to live in our diverse world, but if you are surrounded by people just like you, that’s a bit tough...
white female, at 4:05 pm EDT on October 10, 2006
Reply to From the OC’s:
To “From the OC":
Have you not heard of Dr. David Ho, 1996 Time Man of the Year and one of the leading AIDS researchers out there? and many others...Yet you want to stereotype an entire group by making a blanket bigoted comment that they don’t give back to society. Also, last I checked, you need to be given a chance to give back to society. Hard to get a leadership position when the door is closed before you even think about getting there.
Looks like someone needs to do more thinking and learning about important Asians in society rather than living up to the UC Irvine party/safety school reputation.
Charles, at 5:35 am EDT on October 11, 2006
Or we could learn a little history
Charles Hirschman and Morrison G. Wong. 1986. The Extraordinary Educational Attainment of Asian-Americans: A Search for Historical Evidence and Explanations. Social Forces 65(1), 1-27.
None of this, on either side, is as simple as we want it to be. We could have conversations about race grounded in actual historical reality or we could keep trading platitudes we all believe in that say nothing.
I can’t get my college students to read so I don’t know why I’d think any actual contextualized historical analysis would matter but what the heck.
Teaching and Learning about Race, at 1:27 pm EDT on October 11, 2006
The most germane question here is why are Asians have to have a higher SAT score and GPA to gain admission to the most selective colleges in this country?
To the one who questioned the contributions of Asian scientists. Just take a look at the most selective journals in the worlds, you will find many Asian names, in every journal and every issue.
MSS, Professor at School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve Univesity, at 4:10 pm EDT on October 11, 2006
It seems that a common assumption here is that without Affirmative Action all these schools would be perfectly happy accepting as many Asians as qualify. I find it hard to believe that supposedly race free admissions would actually live up to such standards.
Also, the views on Asians as math oriented etc. seem to fail in making distinctions between second, third, and so on generation Asian Americans and Asian Immigrants. Culture wise, and for the sake of a true diversity of viewpoints etc. on Campus (not just check box race quotas) this really needs to be taken into account.
KC, Grad Student at U Mich, at 4:30 am EDT on October 12, 2006
I’m sorry I got to this so late. To David Ho, I think one has to add Mohommed Yunus (Bangladeshi), whose Grameen programs not only work in less-developed countries like Bangladesh and Mexico, but are also at work in New York City and other parts of the US where the ruling powers are generally oblivious to the under-advantaged.
And Larry, while it might not be _called_ colonialism (some prefer the term “occupied"), a visit to Okinawa or Seoul might change your mind about the US’s legacy of colonialism in Asia.
Thane Doss, Tokyo
Thane Doss, at 11:30 am EDT on October 12, 2006
being too asian is not real
i dunno you guys for some reason did not post my other comment. I see people bashing affirmative actions or other minorities yet when I say things about white people who are the real problem you guys shy away.
The system is making us think like, “o too many asians apply to too many of the same colleges", when you think about that, you find out how dumb it is. It is definately not because too many of us apply to the same colleges. It is because they accept a certian amount in. I mean do white people ever have a quota. My cousin just got snubbed from going to Harvard because “too many” asians already got in and had to go to Dartmouth.
And seriously forget all this affirmative action talk. That is definitely not the reason. So very few other minorties get to get into those higher end institutions, that if they could use affirmative action it would not affect the number of Asians getting accepted.
James, at 11:20 am EDT on October 13, 2006
Okinawa and Korea and colonialism
Mr. Doss, I have been to both places.
Korean was never an American colony. It was annexed by China at one point. The US has a long history and tortured there, and still retains a military presence, but I don’t follow how the US’s presence in Korea has somehow prevented Koreans in the US from gaining admission to universities.
Your argument regarding Okinawa makes a little more sense, as post-war, the island was under US administration. While my knowledge of the history of the island might not be as great as yours, as I understand it, the administration of the island was relatively hands-off, and the locals pretty much chose their own government. Perhaps they lacked the ability to select an emperor or kick the Americans off. Again, there were, and still are bases on the island, and there the normal problems with foreigner militaries, but I don’t see how this prevents Japanese-Americans from obtaining admission, on the same basis as American-Americans (like me) to American schools, in America.
Larry, at 11:20 am EDT on October 13, 2006
“one of the reasons to go to college is to learn about how to live in our diverse world, but if you are surrounded by people just like you, that’s a bit tough...”
In an elite college, you may be surrounded by people all the colors of the rainbow, but they’ll be “just like you” in at least one important way — they’ll be from wealthy families.
Imagine two pairs of people. First Pair: Ross Douthat, and a coalminer’s son from West Virginia.Second Pair: Ross Douthat, and an Arab-American graduate of Harvard.
Which pair is truly “diverse?”
Knemon, ABD at UCB, at 5:05 pm EDT on October 16, 2006
To “From the OC”
Asians don’t contribute back? Do you want to tell me why Materials Science Engineering is #1 in the nation at UIUC and why a large proportion of my department’s professors are all Asian?
Also, I’m sure a philosophy major has a place in the workplace. I’m sure an English teacher can contribute something to technology. There is no reason to argue against Math and Science as they provide the new innovations while humanities tend to do nothing except educate what we already know.
Harvard Medical School is one of the best research facilities (for things including CANCER) in the world, maybe that’s why so many Asians want to go there.
Also, maybe you should think whether the leadership positions for Asians are there...and whether certain leadership positions are more a popularity contest (cough*Student Council*cough).
I had a friend go to Cornell University. I was better academically (14 APs to his 2), athletically (2 sports vs 0), and had more leadership (7) than his “no leadership” on his application.
So why is it that he got into Cornell while I didn’t? Is it because I’m “Too Asian” or because he wasn’t?
Oh yeah, and by the way, I was a tutor in high school and in college. As well as being part of the disadvantaged youth (parent’s average combined salaries ~30,000). I spread the knowledge of QuestBridge and Quest Scholars (programs for disadvantaged youth) to my high school—not one counselor knew about those programs.
This conflict is about race. These cultural pressures and dominant parents don’t always exist for just Asians. How many Soccer moms and overbearing dads coach their kids to be the next Mia Hamm, Tiger Woods, or Lebron James? I see far more white parents living vicariously through their children’s athletic accomplishments—with Asian parents, there is just a simple explanation that you received this award as a token of your hardwork, and no massive celebrations.
I have never felt pressured to be anything my parents want. I simply pursue what I want, and I picked Materials Science Engineering because it is the prepratory major for nanotechnology—the future of medicine and one of the biggest topics of research today (btw, most of the Materials students are Asian).
Fancy education? Sure, a school like Harvard or Princeton might be “fancy” but at the same time, they’re recognized internationally for their academics. So if you are an exceptional student who wishes to find the what is best for you, you tend to look for schools that are known for their education, and Ivy league schools tend to have the best professors who pump out discoveries...meaning a lot more if you get lab experience with them than State U’s professors.
Sigh...end ramble.
To the OC, Student at UIUC, at 7:25 pm EDT on October 16, 2006
from the OC
I think “To the OC” said a lot about “From the OC’s” ignorant comment, so I’ll try not to repeat anything. This whole thing about being “Too Asian” applies to medical school as well. When I was applying to enter medical school (my figures may be fuzzy since it was almost a decade ago), Asian Americans comprised roughly 20% of the entering 1st year medical school class, though we only account for ~6% of the general population They also had higher test scores than the average student of other ethnicities. Ergo...one can surmise that for an Asian to get into medical school s/he must score higher than someone of a different race.
And that person’s comments about Asians not contributing to cancer research and the community? So laughable that it’s not even offensive. Many of these kids go to medical school (among many other reputable fields), and the years of dedication and sacrifice they put into serving their communities, is that nothing? He or she forgets that residency program affiliated hospitals do more than their fair share in taking care of indigent people who are otherwise shunned by fancy, older private practice doctors from an era of training when white males dominated the admissions list. He or she should also do a medline search on cancer treatment and see how many Asian names pop up on the articles...
Frank, at 4:00 pm EDT on October 19, 2006
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I find the last big interesting, about the 2 different colleges. It reminds me on how people nowadays don’t seem to put an emphasis on actually getting a good education, but an education that has a certain amount of prestige attached to it, which they assume is a better quality education.
John, at 4:10 am EDT on October 26, 2007