Asking Asian profs for LORs?

[clandry]

<p>I’ve heard from multiple people that Asians (Indians & Orientals) professors expect more from their students than most white professors.</p>

<p>Do you guys think these professors will be less likely to write a good LOR for a student? I can’t tell if they would write a good LOR for me because it’s hard to tell what they’re thinking…</p>

[Narratologist]

<p>

I’ve heard from multiple people that Asians (Indians & Orientals) professors expect more from their students than most white professors.

</p>

<p>Firstly, you probably shouldn’t refer to East Asians as “Orientals” since the term has negative racial connotations in the US. Secondly, academic expectations vary from professor to professor; you cannot assume that all Asian professors will be more challenging or demanding than non-Asian professors.</p>

<p>

Do you guys think these professors will be less likely to write a good LOR for a student? I can’t tell if they would write a good LOR for me because it’s hard to tell what they’re thinking…

</p>

<p>You need to ask each prospective LOR writer, regardless of his/her racial background, whether he/she will be able to write a strong letter of recommendation.</p>

[clandry]

<p>You can directly ask a professor if he will write you a good LOR? Wouldn’t that make you seem insecure?</p>

[Narratologist]

<p>Yes, you are essentially asking your professor whether they can write you a good recommendation, but you would presumably broach the subject with tact. No, it should not make you appear insecure.</p>

<p>From Berkeley’s career center:

First, make a list of professors and/or supervisors who will be your best advocates. Then, set up an appointment to discuss your request in person. Do not make the request via email. Be prepared to articulate your interest and reasons for attending graduate school.</p>

<p>Letters of recommendation are written strictly on a voluntary basis. The best approach is to ask potential letter writers if they are willing to write you a strong letter. If you sense reluctance or the answer is no, ask someone else.

</p>

<p>More info regarding this topic can be found here:
<a href=“https://career.berkeley.edu/grad/gradletter.stm[/url]”>https://career.berkeley.edu/grad/gradletter.stm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[SharpieMarker]

<p>I’m white and I still find the original post offensive… And of course you ask a professor if they can write a good letter of Rec. My advice, if you don’t have a somewhat personal relationship with them, did well in their courses/projects, don’t even bother. If you can’t find 2-3 you have that type of good relationship with try to form one now, great letters can really mean the difference in an application.</p>

[clandry]

<p>I didn’t mean for the post to be racist in any way. Just posting what I’ve heard from others.</p>

<p>I still have 2 years before I graduate (1 year b4 apping for grad school). So far I can only think of one prof who I know will write me a letter because I do research with him. Next summer I’ll probably have an internship/REU so I can probably get another one from the supervisor. What about additional LORs? How do you appeal to a professor if you’re not doing research or any projects with them, but only taking a class or two with them?</p>

[b_r_um]

<p>I’d be less concerned about the race of the professor and more about their cultural background. It’s a fact that people express their praise less enthusiastically in some countries. A letter written by a professor who grew up abroad may be intended as glowing praise but still sound lukewarm to an American audience. (Alas, asking if their letter would be “strong” or “positive” does not solve that problem…)</p>

<p>Of course that’s not universally true of all foreign professors, nor is it true that all American professors know how to compose a well-received letter. I have been operating under the assumption that the way professors talk about other students or colleagues in my presence is a good indicator of what “tone” letter I am likely to receive from them. I fared quite well with that approach.</p>

[Fuzzylogic2525]

<p>Orientals? Seriously? Not only was there poor word choice in that post, it also had a spectacularly racist undertone. Definitely could have handled that better. </p>

<p>In general effective recommendation’s should be from professors you know very well. If you have to ask these questions, you probably should get recommendations from somebody else.</p>

[gthopeful]

<p>Stop being offended for these profs. I have not found “oriental” to be an offensive term to asians from the far east (in fact, I have heard some of them use the term).</p>

[Fuzzylogic2525]

<p>I don’t know where you’re from so I can’t really comment, but here in DC, “oriental” definitely has a negative connotation. Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Thai, even “asian” will work better than “oriental”.</p>

[clandry]

<p>I’m from Colorado. Asians among themselves refer to themselves as orientals.</p>

[Narratologist]

<p>

I have not found “oriental” to be an offensive term to asians from the far east (in fact, I have heard some of them use the term).

</p>

<p>

Asians among themselves refer to themselves as orientals.

</p>

<p>Regardless, “Orientals” remains outdated and politically incorrect. I doubt you would use other terms - the N-word and its derivatives, for instance - that are readily circulated amongst certain minority communities. To be fair, I don’t think the OP’s initial post was intentionally pejorative; ignorant, yes, but not necessarily malicious. b@r!um’s post identifies the crux of the matter: the OP mistakenly conflated race with culture. For those interested in the topic, check out Robert G. Lee’s Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture and, of course, Edward Said’s Orientalism.</p>

<p>

How do you appeal to a professor if you’re not doing research or any projects with them, but only taking a class or two with them?

</p>

<p>Put simply, schmooze.</p>

[clandry]

<p>Oops I meant to say in my previous post that asians, I’m friends with refer to themselves as orientals.</p>