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GOLDSEA |
ASIAMS.NET |
ASIAN AMERICAN ISSUES
ARE IVY DEGREES WORTH THE SACRIFICES
nding their kids to elite universities is the dream of every Asian American parent. Or so it seems. And there is no shortage of young AA willing to oblige. As of 2000, Asian Americans made up 12-19% of the undergrad enrollments of the top-20 ivies.
No one questions the prestige associated with ivy degrees. In fact, sneer critics, that's the only thing bought with the extra money. And even that, they add, is wearing thin in a nation in which he cultural center of gravity has shifted to California.
It's true that investments in high ivy tuitions often don't show up in career earnings when compared with graduates of public universities of comparable student body profiles. But the criticisms run deeper than return on investment. Some Asian Americans who have attended ivy league colleges have come away regretting their decisions for other reasons.
Foremost is the sense that the ivies are structured for the benefit of legatees, the progeny of blueblooded alumni. Comprising upwards of 40% of some ivies, the legatees are often exempted from stringent admissions standards. The result is that AA students with excellent credentials are the workhorses preserving the institutions' high academic reputations, thereby giving a free ride to undeserving legatees.
Another common complaint is that the deck is stacked socially against Asian males in a system designed to preserve the princely status quo of the scions of WASP families. A disproportionate number of attractive AA females are admitted by the ivies, some have observed, while far fewer attractive AA males are admitted. This subtle bias, suspect critics, is implemented in the screening interviews used by most ivies.
Then there's the Eurocentric worldview imposed by the courses. Not to mention the lousy weather, bland food and having to put up with locals hostile toward Asians. Contrast all this against the majority-ease lifestyles enjoyed by the AA in, say, the UC campuses.
The bragging rights an ivy education affords parents, conclude critics, are far outweighed by the psychic and emotional sacrifices exacted from their kids.
Does an ivy education provide rewards commensurate with the sacrifices? Or is it a trap for AA with overzealous parents with old-world views?
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WHAT YOU SAY
[This page is closed to new input. --Ed.]
(Updated
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 06:00:59 PM)
To Commentary, I agree with you whole-heartedly. The tendency of AA's to fragment their already modest political power by insisting on distinguishing themselves along their Asian nationality lines is a source of frustration to me and insures our continued political insignificance. Asian Americans need to get it through our stubborn heads that Everyday America sees us all as the same and discriminates against us without distinction as to whether we are Corean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, or any other Asian-American. We are too few to dissipate our strength like that and need to respond monolithically. We can learn a lot from Jewish and African Americans in that regard.
Naki
Thursday, August 01, 2002 at 17:21:23 (PDT)
To, Commentary;
"Asians have long way to go compared to the Jews, but at least in a few key states and Canadian provinces, Asians should let it be known to the whites, that if they try to push Asians around, there will be hell to pay."
In Canada the current Governer General is an HK chinese immigrant. That's already as high as most can get, they have the power to kick the Prime Minister out of Parliament if he misbehaves. But the Prime Minister can kick her out too.
That's pretty high up, but it is considered a figure head position, as she's a representative for the queen.
BUT for a commonwealth that's pretty high up...
Now we just need an asian president for the USA.
LJLK
Thursday, August 01, 2002 at 16:28:13 (PDT)
"Asians have long way to go compared to the Jews, but at least in a few key states and Canadian provinces, Asians should let it be known to the whites, that if they try to push Asians around, there will be hell to pay."
Yes. Winnipeg's Betty Granger should know. You may remember that two years ago she said that there was an Asian invasion of the east coast universities. That was the end of her.
Winnipeg
Thursday, August 01, 2002 at 14:55:02 (PDT)
Combinatorics:
As Asians continue to move onto elite schools and occupations, some insecure whites will prefer to hit below the belt, rather than compete fairly with Asians. Envy is a powerful emotion after all.
During the Depression era, Jews were barred from elite universities; I think there was an explicit quota restricting Jews from universities even during the 50's. The "meritocracy" based on grades, test scores, etc. is a relatively recent phenomenon, beginninng only around the 70's.
Instead of relying on whites' good faith, Asians should marshall their strength, so that, even in an all-out political conflict, or worse, Asians will be able to defend their interests.
California Asians should build, at minimum, a defensive or veto capability, in the state legislature, judiciary, education, local governments, etc. There are more Jews than Asians in the top universities, but hardly anyone raises issue against the Jews, because Jews have power and people who try to screw with Jews will have their lives destroyed. Note that Jews make up mere 2.2% of U.S. population, even less than Asians.
Asians have long way to go compared to the Jews, but at least in a few key states and Canadian provinces, Asians should let it be known to the whites, that if they try to push Asians around, there will be hell to pay.
Commentary
Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 23:09:42 (PDT)
Grung,
I was talking about experience in the IT field, so if you're also in this field you would have seen that would I've said is nothing but the truth.
For information technology jobs, experience is EVERYTHING! It's not that managers and leads are too lazy to train people. Believe me, they would rather hire some smart kid out of college willing to learn anything thrown at him/her rather than a middle-age programmer done with learning curves. But the fact of the matter is that the product has got to get out the door. No product = no revenue. Most small-mid sized companies need things done as fast as possible. That's why they hire people with years of experience, who know how to do what needs to be done. Your company can't survive on IPOs alone, you know.
People just out of college have lots of enthusiasm and willingness to do whatever it takes, but unfortunately most don't have the technical expertise. Most colleges teach useless outdated languages and it's more theory than practice. I should know because most of the stuff I learned could not be applied in my first job in IT. New tools and technology are coming out all the time and the only way to stay up to date is to be immersed in the industry, working on these things and getting feedback from other coworkers/colleagues.
I'm not saying this is completely true in 100% of the cases out there. Just the norm. There are many more stable Fortune 500 companies that still hire college graduates in IT, because they have a more mature organizational process and training/development program. They're more patient and have the assets to train you. But most small and medium sized companies need the experienced tech people. Of course, back in the Dot-com heyday everyone was getting snatched up and getting close to six figures, even kids out of school. Demand far outstripped supply. But those days are gone.
Changes in the economic climate (recent stock market instability, death of dot com, corporate corruption/bankruptcy, 9-11, etc.) have left even less IT jobs today than two-three years ago. So experience is even more crucial now and recent college graduates are having a harder time landing their first job than they would have in 1998-2000.
Grung - why don't you go to dice.com or monster.com, do a search of software/hardware/programming jobs and tell me how many listings you find that will take someone with zero experience.
Valley Chinese Dude
Wednesday, July 31, 2002 at 23:05:50 (PDT)
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