<p>Ghostt, I applaud your motive, and I wish the problem was racism as you believe, but I do not believe this is true. As an African American man who attended public schools in NYC, I witnessed first-hand that the root cause of the failure of African American children to achieve academically is the African American culture, not racism. “Deep-rooted racial discrimination” is a convenient excuse, since is absolves us of blame, but it doesn’t tell the story or address the problem (which helps explain why our people have not seen much progress in academic achievement since the Civil Rights movement and the passage of anti-discrimination laws). </p>
<p>The African American family is in disarray. The vast majority of our children are being raised in homes without a father, and often without a mother. Without parents at home to guide and raise our children, they lack structure and discipline. However, educational excellence requires structure and discipline. I am also very familiar with the Asian-American culture (I lived in Asia and am engaged to an Asian woman). With due respect to Asian students on this board, their collective success is not due to superior intelligence. It is due to superior expectations at home coupled and a strong work ethic. Asian parents see the importance of education and will make whatever sacrifices are necessary to see that their children have the opportunity to succeed. From the time their children are very young, they expect academic excellence. Most of the time, their children work incredibly hard to meet these expectations. Is it any mystery why they achieve in such large numbers? </p>
<p>I am originally from Africa, so I was raised in a culture that differed greatly from the culture of my community. Our family proved that poor blacks in America can achieve greatness, notwithstanding “deep-root racial discrimination.” We succeeded because we had the same “advantages” that most high-achieving Asian students have: two parents at home who expected us to study hard and achieve academically, while always reminding us that education was the key to success in this country. </p>
<p>Our people won’t excel at the levels of whites and Asians until we change our culture. I do not endorse abandoning our culture and adopting another. Rather, I endorse our people embracing their African roots the true source of their heritage. Look at the top schools in this nation and you will see hundreds of Caribbean and African blacks excelling. We need to embrace the culture that fostered this success. </p>
<p>I hope you take my points with the spirit in which they were intended. Like you, I want to see change. I yearn for a community of high achievers and will do what I can to see that happen, but I fear that our cultures knee-jerk desire to blame racism on all of our ills is actually perpetuating the problem.</p>
<p>Hello everyone. This question is not intended to be racist or offensive. Just clarifying. Ok so, When you go through descriptions of people who get accepted you can tell that hispanic, african-american and indian applicants get accepted with lower scores/performance indicators than white and asian kids. Forum, don’t you think this is unfair? Everyone has 23 pairs of chromosomes and everyone has exact same deadlines. Of course some people come from less financially fortunate families/areas/circumstances (but usually the ones who have guts and organization to apply aren’t) however shouldn’t we treat college acceptance as academic/ec/essay comparison? Should best deserve acceptances to good schools? For example an asian friend of mine applied to Cornell ED (Hotel management). Great scores, great essays, great ECs. He got deferred. I was surprised and slightly disappointed when I saw records from Class of 2014 and so many kids getting 1700s on SATs and I have 1-2-3 ECs getting in. Is this fair? Your opinion is appreciated. Thank you</p>
<p>Indian applicants are Asian, to clear that up, A great proportion of lower class people are minorities, and even other races of the lower class get a boost, to clear that up, second, white women are the greatest benefiters of AA, and AA is a small price to pay for… you know… SLAVERY and LYNCHINGS, also, even with AA in place, Asian still account for 20% of the Ivy League, and African American under 8%, so AA doesnt have as big of a affect as you think it does</p>
<p>African-Americans were enslaved in the United States for about 250 years and faced widespread legal discrimination as second-class citizens for another century after that.</p>
<p>Get back to me when affirmative action has lasted 350 years.</p>
<p>Income and family hardships should play a MUCH larger role than race. If two people with same stats, both high income, same level of essays, the one who is minority will get accepted because of the color of his skin. It’s reverse discrimination…</p>
<p>polarscribe, 250 years of slavery? for example I am russian and i know that my forefathers went through slavery too. why dont I get a benefit? i think I agree with theRADtomato47 on this one.</p>
<p>Yeah I agree with the OP, the acceptance of any minorities to college is incredibly unfair. We should kick them to the curb and make sure they know where they belong- in the dirt.</p>
<p>I am still baffled by how angry some of the students on CC can get when AA is brought up! I mean it is not as though 90% of students in top colleges are minorities. It’s more like 7 or 8% on average, it’s really doesn’t even have that much of a real effect! I don’t see this much of a crusade against legacy admission or recruited Athletes. It’s not as if some minority student is going to “take your spot”. If a college wants you, they’ll take you. End of Story.</p>
<p>I highly doubt that MANY people entered Cornell with scores of 1700. But you are looking at the situation objectively when the college acceptance process is way more subjective. Yes, everyone has the same deadlines, and 23 pairs of chromosomes, but you know very well we are not all the same. Many things affect who we are and our circumstances. History has a lot to do with it. Personally I would want to accept a Mexican student who had a significant experience crossing the boarder when he was 5 for example with a score of 1950. Than a typical private school Caucasian guy with a 2390. I think it’s more about the dynamic and diversity of people they are now searching for.</p>
<p>Two things. First, the reason people don’t mind legacy and athletic recruitment is it makes financial sence: legacies make donatians and athletes win games that sell tickets. </p>
<p>Second, I am jewish. Jews have been also universally oppresed. The reason legacy admission was created is to keep jews out of colleges. Only since ww2 have we been treated like actual people. Ill give you the real reason why we and asians (who were also hated) don’t get aa: we worked hard enough so we can stand on our own. People feel bad for black and latino people. But no one feels bad for us. Essentially, black people are being rewarded for not trying. My own parents were second class citesens because of thwir religion. But they worked hard their entire life and because of their sweat they got a good life. Others didn’t work hard and complained they were oppressed, so, now everyone feels bad for them.</p>
<p>oooo ******** they were enslaved over 200 years ago my, my race was discriminated against too with *<strong><em>ty jobs working on a *</em></strong>ing railroad being discriminated against yet get no advantage in college, also the Japanese were put into internment camps yet no advantage, yet being black you automatically get an advantage, AA does not work and in another 200 years they will be claiming they were slaves 400 years ago.</p>
<p>Hi, I’m going to take advantage of my great-grandfather’s hardships in slavery. Okay sure, I get 200k+ a year of income now, but my great-grandfather had it tough!
/end sarcasm</p>
<p>Though I’m all for basing AA on socioeconomic troubles instead of race, that wouldn’t make admissions need-blind, would it?</p>
<p>^ A majority of Asians didn’t start to come here until the 80s, your people weren’t bought over here as slaves, and Jewish people faced little discrimination in the US, go to a German University, then you’ll have AA</p>
<p>who gives a **** asians started immagrating over about the same time slavery was ending. Asians just worked hard instead of complaining and you now get penalized for working hard have fun complaining about slavery for the next 1003480283523 years instead of working hard.</p>