Schools with largest Asian American representation in NW DC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have observed that many schools here, while claiming to be committed to "diversity," seem to uphold a version of diversity that in practice is really a surprisingly antiquated version that focuses almost exclusively on black-white relations. I would like to find a school that fairly aggressively diversifies its student body (and faculty and staff) to include more Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and other kinds of ethicities. In other words, I would like to see a school that actually walks the walk of diversity, rather than simply talks the talk. FWIW, we are transplants from the West Coast.

What do you mean by this? Do you have numerical targets for each category? What evidence has led you to believe they are not being met?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - It would help to know why you are asking the question.

I am Asian American with Asian American children and am looking at independent schools in the NW DC area. I have observed that many schools here, while claiming to be committed to "diversity," seem to uphold a version of diversity that in practice is really a surprisingly antiquated version that focuses almost exclusively on black-white relations. I would like to find a school that fairly aggressively diversifies its student body (and faculty and staff) to include more Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and other kinds of ethicities. In other words, I would like to see a school that actually walks the walk of diversity, rather than simply talks the talk. FWIW, we are transplants from the West Coast.

So basically you don't want your kids around blacks.

Not OP here, but you should work harder on your reading comprehension.

So the OP's saying they don't want their kids around whites?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - It would help to know why you are asking the question.

I am Asian American with Asian American children and am looking at independent schools in the NW DC area. I have observed that many schools here, while claiming to be committed to "diversity," seem to uphold a version of diversity that in practice is really a surprisingly antiquated version that focuses almost exclusively on black-white relations. I would like to find a school that fairly aggressively diversifies its student body (and faculty and staff) to include more Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and other kinds of ethicities. In other words, I would like to see a school that actually walks the walk of diversity, rather than simply talks the talk. FWIW, we are transplants from the West Coast.

So basically you don't want your kids around blacks.

Not OP here, but you should work harder on your reading comprehension.

So the OP's saying they don't want their kids around whites?

Wow, you're obtuse. OP is explicitly saying she is looking for a school that includes "more Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and other kinds of ethicities," and which values diversity beyond the "surprisingly antiquated version that focuses almost exclusively on black-white relations."

Pretty clear, if you are aware that over 30% of kids in the US today are neither white or black.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:TJ has a ton of Asian students. 70% of this year's freshman class, in fact.

Seriously?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - It would help to know why you are asking the question.

I am Asian American with Asian American children and am looking at independent schools in the NW DC area. I have observed that many schools here, while claiming to be committed to "diversity," seem to uphold a version of diversity that in practice is really a surprisingly antiquated version that focuses almost exclusively on black-white relations. I would like to find a school that fairly aggressively diversifies its student body (and faculty and staff) to include more Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and other kinds of ethicities. In other words, I would like to see a school that actually walks the walk of diversity, rather than simply talks the talk. FWIW, we are transplants from the West Coast.

So basically you don't want your kids around blacks.

Not OP here, but you should work harder on your reading comprehension.

So the OP's saying they don't want their kids around whites?

Wow, you're obtuse. OP is explicitly saying she is looking for a school that includes "more Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and other kinds of ethicities," and which values diversity beyond the "surprisingly antiquated version that focuses almost exclusively on black-white relations."

Pretty clear, if you are aware that over 30% of kids in the US today are neither white or black.

Oh okay makes sense.
How many middle class/upper middle class kids in DC are non-white by the way? I mean I'm sure that will factor into the type of schools the OP is considering.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:TJ has a ton of Asian students. 70% of this year's freshman class, in fact.

Seriously?

Yes, I just looked it up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:. Here's the thing, if I have my K child in a class of 20 at a school with 8% Asian Americans, then there is a very good chance that she will be the only Asian American kid in that class. There might be another Asian American kid, but maybe not. I don't want her to feel like the token Asian American kid when the class talks about "diversity" and then points to her.

It's unlikely to happen. These schools are pretty good about not isolating new kids, black kids, Asian kids, etc. Even if it does, attention is unlikely to focus on her when talk turns to diversity. Diversity is not just about race, and this at this age, kids adapt quickly to the idea that everyone is different in some way--I'm an only child, I love lizards, I'm allergic to strawberries. In a sense, it is your thinking about diversity that is surprisingly antiquated.

And even if the focus does turn to race, what of it? And how much difference would it make to be one of two? These are highly educated communities. No one is going to make your child feel like the token Asian American unless you do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - It would help to know why you are asking the question.

I am Asian American with Asian American children and am looking at independent schools in the NW DC area. I have observed that many schools here, while claiming to be committed to "diversity," seem to uphold a version of diversity that in practice is really a surprisingly antiquated version that focuses almost exclusively on black-white relations. I would like to find a school that fairly aggressively diversifies its student body (and faculty and staff) to include more Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and other kinds of ethicities. In other words, I would like to see a school that actually walks the walk of diversity, rather than simply talks the talk. FWIW, we are transplants from the West Coast.

So basically you don't want your kids around blacks.

Not OP here, but you should work harder on your reading comprehension.

So the OP's saying they don't want their kids around whites?

Wow, you're obtuse. OP is explicitly saying she is looking for a school that includes "more Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and other kinds of ethicities," and which values diversity beyond the "surprisingly antiquated version that focuses almost exclusively on black-white relations."

Pretty clear, if you are aware that over 30% of kids in the US today are neither white or black.

Oh okay makes sense.
How many middle class/upper middle class kids in DC are non-white by the way? I mean I'm sure that will factor into the type of schools the OP is considering.

No idea...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. Here's the thing, if I have my K child in a class of 20 at a school with 8% Asian Americans, then there is a very good chance that she will be the only Asian American kid in that class. There might be another Asian American kid, but maybe not. I don't want her to feel like the token Asian American kid when the class talks about "diversity" and then points to her.

It's unlikely to happen. These schools are pretty good about not isolating new kids, black kids, Asian kids, etc. Even if it does, attention is unlikely to focus on her when talk turns to diversity. Diversity is not just about race, and this at this age, kids adapt quickly to the idea that everyone is different in some way--I'm an only child, I love lizards, I'm allergic to strawberries. In a sense, it is your thinking about diversity that is surprisingly antiquated.

And even if the focus does turn to race, what of it? And how much difference would it make to be one of two? These are highly educated communities. No one is going to make your child feel like the token Asian American unless you do.

Spot on!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:. Here's the thing, if I have my K child in a class of 20 at a school with 8% Asian Americans, then there is a very good chance that she will be the only Asian American kid in that class. There might be another Asian American kid, but maybe not. I don't want her to feel like the token Asian American kid when the class talks about "diversity" and then points to her.

It's unlikely to happen. These schools are pretty good about not isolating new kids, black kids, Asian kids, etc. Even if it does, attention is unlikely to focus on her when talk turns to diversity. Diversity is not just about race, and this at this age, kids adapt quickly to the idea that everyone is different in some way--I'm an only child, I love lizards, I'm allergic to strawberries. In a sense, it is your thinking about diversity that is surprisingly antiquated.

And even if the focus does turn to race, what of it? And how much difference would it make to be one of two? These are highly educated communities. No one is going to make your child feel like the token Asian American unless you do.

Have you ever had the experience of being the only Asian person in a classroom full of white people? How about the only black person? Can you imagine what that is like?

The fact of the matter is that children do notice race at a very young age. They will notice if they are the only person of a certain race or ethnicity in their classroom, even if other qualities of "diversity" are talked about. Read this: http://www.newsweek.com/even-babies-discriminate-nurtureshock-excerpt-79233

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you ever had the experience of being the only Asian person in a classroom full of white people? How about the only black person? Can you imagine what that is like?

I don't need to imagine. I was for many years the only Asian in a classroom full of white people, and that was in a much less enlightened time. Having had one more Asian student there would not have fundamentally changed my experience, which included some exposure to racism but not to a scarring extent. Equally important, the climate in the small, nurturing, highly self-conscious school my children attend today is very different from the climate I experienced in what was at the time a very high-quality public school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The fact of the matter is that children do notice race at a very young age. They will notice if they are the only person of a certain race or ethnicity in their classroom, even if other qualities of "diversity" are talked about. Read this: http://www.newsweek.com/even-babies-discriminate-nurtureshock-excerpt-79233

Of course they will notice. I'd be seriously worried if they didn't. They notice everything. The issue is what they and adults around them make of it. Being one of one or one of two is not going to change the nature of that reaction or discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you ever had the experience of being the only Asian person in a classroom full of white people? How about the only black person? Can you imagine what that is like?

I don't need to imagine. I was for many years the only Asian in a classroom full of white people, and that was in a much less enlightened time. Having had one more Asian student there would not have fundamentally changed my experience, which included some exposure to racism but not to a scarring extent. Equally important, the climate in the small, nurturing, highly self-conscious school my children attend today is very different from the climate I experienced in what was at the time a very high-quality public school.

I went to school on the West Coast where I had a large number of Asian American classmates, and it would be hard to believe that my experiences were quite different than yours precisely because of the racial composition of my school. Having only one or two Asians in a class, I agree, wouldn't change much, but having a good number where that isolation doesn't exist is healthy.

I don't assume that being the only Asian in a predominantly white, good school would be scarring, but independent schools intentionally compose their classrooms.

Would you say the same thing, by the way, if you were the only black student in a class of white students? Would you venture to say that not having a larger community of Black students would not have fundamentally changed your school experience?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact of the matter is that children do notice race at a very young age. They will notice if they are the only person of a certain race or ethnicity in their classroom, even if other qualities of "diversity" are talked about. Read this: http://www.newsweek.com/even-babies-discriminate-nurtureshock-excerpt-79233

Of course they will notice. I'd be seriously worried if they didn't. They notice everything. The issue is what they and adults around them make of it. Being one of one or one of two is not going to change the nature of that reaction or discussion.

I fully disagree. You are going to have a very different discussion about race in a classroom that is very diverse than in one in which you have 17 white students, 1 black, 1 Hispanic, and 1 Asian student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have you ever had the experience of being the only Asian person in a classroom full of white people? How about the only black person? Can you imagine what that is like?

I don't need to imagine. I was for many years the only Asian in a classroom full of white people, and that was in a much less enlightened time. Having had one more Asian student there would not have fundamentally changed my experience, which included some exposure to racism but not to a scarring extent. Equally important, the climate in the small, nurturing, highly self-conscious school my children attend today is very different from the climate I experienced in what was at the time a very high-quality public school.

I went to school on the West Coast where I had a large number of Asian American classmates, and it would be hard to believe that my experiences were quite different than yours precisely because of the racial composition of my school. Having only one or two Asians in a class, I agree, wouldn't change much, but having a good number where that isolation doesn't exist is healthy.

I don't assume that being the only Asian in a predominantly white, good school would be scarring, but independent schools intentionally compose their classrooms.

Would you say the same thing, by the way, if you were the only black student in a class of white students? Would you venture to say that not having a larger community of Black students would not have fundamentally changed your school experience?

Correction: were NOT quite different than yours