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I think Harvard has a split mandate. On the one hand, it aspires to (and usually achieves) a status as one of the highest stature research universities on the planet, with a tremendous pool of talent. I have heard that the only way you can get tenure there is to demonstrate you are the best IN THE WORLD in your line of research. On the other hand, it is the ultimate high stature schools, and so depends upon the unfailing patronage of the wealthiest classes in the world. The money flow would dry up pretty quickly if the young Bushes and Kennedys, etc. were consistently outcompeted by some poor, brilliant kids from Taiwan or Delhi.
Some Asian groups are not really known to be academically successful, but they have to compete with Chinese, Koreans and Indians... for the reduced cap, Not fair for them too.
Neither does affirmative action policy for blacks and Hispanics. Check the U of M law school, where racial discrimination is still legal...Asians get the harshest penalty. And it isn't just Harvard. All the top tier schools are dealing with the "Asian problem" same as they did the "Jewish problem" 100 years ago. We have "enough of that type, we need more of another type."
Since Asians by and large kick every other race's arse on academic and economic achievement per capita, this now annoys everyone, not just Harvard.
America is only a meritocracy when you're still trying to succeed. America loves effort a la the little engine that could theory. Succeeding is where Americans get pissy, because you're no longer trying, but are successful, and now we cheer for your failure, you ungrateful lout!! And that's whyn discriminating against Asians in not just tolerated and ubiquitous, it's enforced federal and state law. They have enough success, the greedy buggers, so let everyone else have a chance.
And that's bigger than Harvard. That's everyone in America who looks at an Asian and thinks "they're LUCKY" or some other nonsense, as if race has anything to do with success.
Here's the dark secret white, black and Hispanic Americans do not want to admit - the most old school family culture going in America today is Asians. Not surprisingly, guess which culture has the most success. High expectations, delayed gratification, low divorce and out-of-wedlock birth rates, multi-generational homes, huge emphasis on academic achievement, etc etc. Same as Jews.
And it pisses off every lazy, entitled, FUBAR American who figures life is supposed to be handed to them, because Mom (and if he was there, Dad) have been coddling Special Snowflake their entire lives. The XBox generation is angry because Asian kids actually read books and do their homework...even without being told to!! And no shock, on percent_of_race basis, they kick everyone's arse.
My high school became a science/tech magnet school after I graduated. The year I graduated and it was a regular public school of open enrollment if you lived in the district, we had maybe a 2-3% Asian population. 4 years after enrollment became a grade/test score based meritocracy, the enrollment was 75% Asian, which of course led even my high school to "enhance the selection process" in order to lower the Asian enrollment.
Everyone loves the idea of a meritocracy until they are judged on their merits and found wanting. Then, meritocracies are unfair, cruel, blah blah. And it isn't just Harvard, or white people. Think your average black "leader" wants an end to affirmative action anytime soon? Nope, because they demand "justice" of dismantling the meritocracy and basing things on race.
And really....why even argue it. We live in a monarchy now, so it only matters if the King decides it does, but would King Obama stand up for Asians? Doubtful.
Legacy preferences in comparison to other programmes
At some schools, legacy preferences have an effect on admissions comparable to other factors such as being a recruited athlete or affirmative action. One study of three selective private research universities in the United States showed the following effects (admissions disadvantage and advantage in terms of SAT points on the old 1600-point scale):
- Blacks: +230
- Hispanics: +185
- Asians: -50
- Recruited athletes: +200
- Legacies (children of alumni): +160
According to an informal survey of this year's Harvard's freshman class, legacy admits actually scored higher on their SATs than non-legacies. I mean seriously what are the odds that Harvard graduate has a dumb kid?
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