Why do white parents think black kids are accepted into private school only because of their race?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most whites are unaware of the consequences of ending affirmative action. If that happened, very few whites would get into medical schools, especially in California and Virginia. It would be mostly Asians.

Hmmmm. I hear you. But what, may I ask, are you suggesting regarding race and IQ?

PP may have been suggesting that cultural and family values are such that many whites don't value education or work as hard at it as members of certain Asian groups.

I don't interpret pp's response that way. Have you been to CA? Have you been to the top level universities in CA? There are a lot more descendants of Asian immigrants there than here, from 1st generation to 6th generation or more. The 1st & 2nd generation have a lot of fire in their belly to succeed and consequently many Asian Americans pursue medical, law, & business degrees. In addition to the East Asian immigrants, now you have the South Asian immigrant population to add to the competition to get into the top programs at the top schools. It's not a matter of cultural/ethnic issues, but a matter of the fire in the belly that is lacking if one is complacent and comfortable.

But that is exactly what I mean. Having "a fire in the belly" is a cultural phenomenon. It may be limited to certain groups within racial and ethnic groups such as 1st and 2nd generation immigrants but it's still a cultural phenomenon. And generally white Anglos don't value education to the same degree as the groups you mentioned above. It's not in our culture (speaking as a white Anglo). Mostly I was responding to the PP's teasing statement suggesting there may be a connection between race and IQ.

You may be thinking of "culture" as a reflection of what people wear or their family traditions but I'm also using culture as a reflection of people's values, which can be shaped by their location in the international economic hierarchy -- e.g., recent immigrants. We don't disagree.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most whites are unaware of the consequences of ending affirmative action. If that happened, very few whites would get into medical schools, especially in California and Virginia. It would be mostly Asians.

Hmmmm. I hear you. But what, may I ask, are you suggesting regarding race and IQ?

I did not say anything about IQ. I implied that if it were only test scores that mattered, the admissions would heavily weighted towards Asians.
I know many people (some Asian) with slightly above average IQ's (117-120) who are always getting A's, and some with IQ's in the high 120's who can barely pass classes.

[Anonymous]

OP, I get what you're saying. You are on the money, and we all know that the truth hurts those who don't grasp reality, or don't care to.

[Anonymous]

OP, it will change, but slowly. For now, I just keep telling my kids not to generalize.

[Anonymous]

I don't think any "black kid" is admitted into private school "only because of their race." I think the perception is that because these schools all laudably preach the value of diversity, that they sometimes will do everything they can to stock each class with diverse students, even if it means allowing students with lower test scores in (the rationalization being that some of these students are disadvantaged from the get-go and don't have the same resources as the white students) or lower incomes (and hence financial aid). I cannot speak to the test score issue, only to say that I believe that is the perception among many, but I can say with some authority that the majority (approximately 90%) of the African-American families at the school that I am very much involved with, many of whom are single-parent, receive financial aid.

[Anonymous]

The Asian community is mostly recent immigrants in the sense that they do not have legacy status. A lot of them come from a long line of professionals, but it does not count because their fathers and grandfathers did not graduate from a college here.

I am in the same position. Both of my parents have degrees, as do my 2 grandfathers and grandmother, and their fathers. But here in the US where colleges emphasize legacy status my kids will be disadvantaged.

Needless to say I am holding onto my dual citizenship and will strongly encourage my kids to look beyond the US when it comes to college.

[Anonymous]

I get so sick of hearing the whining about race. Get rid of affirmative action 100%, no pictures on the application. Your in b/c your fit the bill other wise. Never going to happen because the minority like affirmative action. I think it holds you down, pisses off the rest of us. OP, I would choose another school that did not cause me to question what others were thinking about my child. Or stick with it and prove otherwise. Is your child thriving in this school, as smart as the other children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get so sick of hearing the whining about race. Get rid of affirmative action 100%, no pictures on the application. Your in b/c your fit the bill other wise. Never going to happen because the minority like affirmative action. I think it holds you down, pisses off the rest of us. OP, I would choose another school that did not cause me to question what others were thinking about my child. Or stick with it and prove otherwise. Is your child thriving in this school, as smart as the other children?

You have to put photos on these private school applications? Do you have to tick off a box for the race that the child is? Let's start there. No more demographic info on applications. How would the admissions staff know otherwise?

[Anonymous]

Um, maybe the playdate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't think any "black kid" is admitted into private school "only because of their race." I think the perception is that because these schools all laudably preach the value of diversity, that they sometimes will do everything they can to stock each class with diverse students, even if it means allowing students with lower test scores in (the rationalization being that some of these students are disadvantaged from the get-go and don't have the same resources as the white students) or lower incomes (and hence financial aid). I cannot speak to the test score issue, only to say that I believe that is the perception among many, but I can say with some authority that the majority (approximately 90%) of the African-American families at the school that I am very much involved with, many of whom are single-parent, receive financial aid.

Which school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Um, maybe the playdate?

ok. I'm not familiar with the private school admissions process. We're not there ... yet. Hopefully, won't have to go that route.

[Anonymous]

Minorities LIKE affirmation action? This minority HATES it!!!! For reasons given by the clued-in posters like whites always assuming we (minorities) are where we are because of it, and not because we are just as ambitious and hard-working as you are. Yet, we did not have the advantages you did of having your great-great-great somebody given the opportunity to get a home loan, attend college, build capital. My great-great-greats were shown the door if they even asked.

[Anonymous]

pp, I hate affirmative action too. I also hate favoritism and racism. Until you can get rid of the latter, the affirmative action may persist.

[Anonymous]

The reality that a lot of people want to ignore is that affirmative action has done a lot of good. It has exposed many people to industries, professions, and schools that they would have never had a chance to experience. During slavery, a black person could lose their life for knowing how to read. In the days of Jim Crow, there were so many abuses that something drastic had to be done to get a rapid change. Somehow, people who would never have been allowed in the door had to be forced in. A good elderly friend of mine still has the letter he received from UVA telling him that the school would not accept him, because he was black, but would pay for him to go elsewhere.

Affirmative action has helped women, minorities, and to some degree the disabled into more challenging and lucrative careers. It is practiced in some form in many other countries like India. The benefits are obvious. To mention a few, more diverse corporations tend to be more successful. Our society starts to look better, and we have less shame.


There is still too much evidence that societal racism affects everything from birth weight to life expectancy. Recent studies out of Britain imply that racism in the education system is a huge factor that determines the academic outcome of black students. Teachers with low expectations of black students give out lower grades and are less likely to recommend advanced classes. Scores tend to be higher for blacks if papers are graded anonymously. All of these factors can tire anyone. The student becomes discouraged and loses interest. All the while, everyone either blames the student or his family. Even sympathy can take a patronizing turn.

In my profession, I saw a white man promoted above some black and Asian workers, simply because he was white. He was THE MOST incompetent individual I have ever met. He was eventually fired, they hired another white man from the outside, who so far stinks. That spot will probably never be filled by a minority.

I am reluctant to support the idea of affirmative action, and I can see why it is upsetting to many people, but are we trying to be fair? Can we ask our grandparents why they were not fair?

[Anonymous]

Bravo!!!! PP. Very thoughtful analysis of a difficult issue.