My daughter was told repeatedly by other students on the math and Science Olympiad teams that she was smart for a white girl. My credentials to coach Science Olympiad were challenged by both parents and students. I have an MS in Chemistry and am ABD from a UC in Physical Chemistry but by virtue of being either a woman or a white person I was thought to possibly not have the ability to teach 8th graders “Crave the Wave” a very basic physics event. She ended up quitting all competitive academic teams after 8th grade, despite going to state, which in California is pretty darn hard. It is an odd cultural phenomenon and may be very localized.