Racism - It's a real thing.

[teachercd]

24 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

 

This isn't some weird or racist phenomena.  For a long time, Asian countries have sent their students here to be educated and lots of them are in the engineering fields.  Purdue has a very good engineering program, so it's not out of line to realize that a lot of asian students go there.

Purdue and U of Illinois have huge Asian populations because of those schools programs.  

[NM11046]

See above for Purdue.  U of Illinois below.  So no - not huge.

 

And why does the number of people matter?  If you're trying to make the case that there are more graduates of the university cars on roads because of their significant number graduating, then you'd most certainly be talking about white at any college outside of some of the coastal and historically black schools.

 

I think the assumption is that there are a high number of asian engineers - that's certainly not a negative assumption or perspective, but it's an interesting call out.  Do you think, hmmmm, "I"m getting my hair cut today, most stylists/barbers are czech.  I'm going to ride the train to work, most of the conductors are black."  

 

My point is theres' never a reason to bring race, or sex or anything like it into something like this.   You can easily say there are a high number of graduates, many of whom are engineers from Purdue in the area.  To add that additional adjective regarding race is an example of bias or worse.  

 

[Landlord]

1 hour ago, FrankWheeler said:

 

But also some people are racist white supremacists?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Actual racists started doing it as being in on the master troll joke as soon as people started freaking out about it with headlines like, "State Lawmaker Flashes Hand Sign Linked to White Supremacists".

[BigRedBuster]

1 hour ago, NM11046 said:

I don't doubt that - there are people of all races at every college.  My issue is why say it at all?  If you look at "asians" vs others in engineering they make up about 14% of the group, vs. 65% white.  I'd have to do some legwork to see if there are far more (and it in my mind would need to be like the 65% number) at Purdue.

 

So do Whites not get the plate he's talking about?  Do people that didn't go to purdue?  If you're talking about a licsense plate, why does someones' race come into it at all?

 

edit:  found diversity numbers for Purdue and they're below - they don't break them out by major.

I have no problem with the statement that was made and your graphs you posted really don't mean much.

 

I don't find mentioning someone's race and them being successful in a technical field as being racist against them.

[NM11046]

55 minutes ago, BigRedBuster said:

I have no problem with the statement that was made and your graphs you posted really don't mean much.

 

I don't find mentioning someone's race and them being successful in a technical field as being racist against them.

The graphs prove that neither of those universities have a "ton" of Asians as some here have indicated is a reason that someone would say "many of the engineering students are Asian and they're all over the country and that's why you see the plate" 

 

Nationally people identifying as Asian make up 14% of engineering undergrads (engineers have an annual report that's online looking at race, gender etc - it's pretty interesting).  In those two colleges people are talking about the number of general population reflects similar numbers (they don't break it down by race by major), whereas USC, MIT and other top schools have an overall higher Asian population.  I suppose it's possible that all the Asians at U of Ill are in engineering programs, but common sense tells us that' just not going to be the case. 

 

And it's not racist "against" them, but to call out someone as a good employee or bad employee and then further identify their race is not normal.  Or right.  "He's a successful white engineer?"  "She's a successful black teacher?" "He's a good Hispanic sports writer."  If you use another race and profession can you not see how odd and offensive it is? It's a qualifier.  You're either a engineer or your not (good or bad).  Race has nothing to do with it. 

 

(and I'm not fighting with you BRB - I'm appreciating the discussion, but I guess I'm hoping sharing my thoughts will give folks some perspective of what is considered to be at best an awkward if not inappropriate comment) 

[BigRedBuster]

7 minutes ago, NM11046 said:

The graphs prove that neither of those universities have a "ton" of Asians as some here have indicated is a reason that someone would say "many of the engineering students are Asian and they're all over the country and that's why you see the plate" 

 

Nationally people identifying as Asian make up 14% of engineering undergrads (engineers have an annual report that's online looking at race, gender etc - it's pretty interesting).  In those two colleges people are talking about the number of general population reflects similar numbers (they don't break it down by race by major), whereas USC, MIT and other top schools have an overall higher Asian population.  I suppose it's possible that all the Asians at U of Ill are in engineering programs, but common sense tells us that' just not going to be the case. 

 

And it's not racist "against" them, but to call out someone as a good employee or bad employee and then further identify their race is not normal.  Or right.  "He's a successful white engineer?"  "She's a successful black teacher?" "He's a good Hispanic sports writer."  If you use another race and profession can you not see how odd and offensive it is? It's a qualifier.  You're either a engineer or your not (good or bad).  Race has nothing to do with it. 

 

(and I'm not fighting with you BRB - I'm appreciating the discussion, but I guess I'm hoping sharing my thoughts will give folks some perspective of what is considered to be at best an awkward if not inappropriate comment) 

 

I didn't find the comment neither inappropriate nor awkward.

[NM11046]

Well, I think an asian person would -

[knapplc]

Some of Trump's "very fine people" were having themselves a moment of fineness over the weekend.

 

 

[Landlord]

On 5/10/2019 at 4:41 PM, NM11046 said:

It's a qualifier.  You're either a engineer or your not (good or bad).  Race has nothing to do with it. 

 

 

How does race not have something to do with it? That sounds like a utopian colorblind society but that doesn't sound like real life at all. 

[BigRedBuster]

 

[NM11046]

On 5/13/2019 at 1:20 PM, Landlord said:

 

 

How does race not have something to do with it? That sounds like a utopian colorblind society but that doesn't sound like real life at all. 

Really?  Why would race ever come up in a conversation about someone's profession?  That's not utopian or colorblind it's odd and inappropriate.  What color one is has nothing to do with what they do for a living.  

 

How do you define yourself when someone asks what you do?  I'd bet a lot of money you don't say you're a white x.  Or that you've ever heard anyone describe any professional that happens to be white with that additional description.  Never, ever, ever has anyone said, "He's a white dentist."   "She's a white secretary."  "He's a white salesperson."  "She's a white truck driver."

 

If you, or people you hang around really do define folks like that ... wow.

[ZRod]

There's a crap ton of Asians in the world, anyone who's been anywhere knows this. Asians in America also tend to be studying or employed in a STEM field, most people know this. Why are we over thinking this? It was a stupid comment that doesn't even warrant this much discussion. One plausible reason for a Turdue license plate in South Carolina.

 

[Landlord]

8 minutes ago, NM11046 said:

Really?  Why would race ever come up in a conversation about someone's profession?  That's not utopian or colorblind it's odd and inappropriate.  What color one is has nothing to do with what they do for a living.  

 

How do you define yourself when someone asks what you do?  I'd bet a lot of money you don't say you're a white x.  Or that you've ever heard anyone describe any professional that happens to be white with that additional description.  Never, ever, ever has anyone said, "He's a white dentist."   "She's a white secretary."  "He's a white salesperson."  "She's a white truck driver."

 

If you, or people you hang around really do define folks like that ... wow.

 

 

No, I don't and nobody around me defines themselves or others as a color adjective before their job title. But that isn't what I was talking about, at least. Race is related to profession in the same way it's related to all socioeconomic things. Race represents culture to most people. Culture informs your beliefs and your trajectories in life a lot of the time. Maybe I missed something in your original point but all my point was that of course race plays a role in everyone's profession and earnings and status in society.

 

But to your examples, what about, "he's a really good white rapper" or, "he's a white runningback"? Surely you'd agree people say those examples? 

[ColoradoHusk]

I don't think there is an overwhelming percentage of people who say "this is Joe, he's our white plumber" or "this is Alan, he's my Asian dentist" or "this is Angela, she's my son's black teacher".

 

I also don't think there is anything wrong with colleges/universities touting or showing the racial diversity of their undergraduate population.  It is done as a recruiting tool to help attract students across races/ethnic backgrounds to help foster a diverse college experience.

[BigRedBuster]

When I was in the ag college on East Campus in Lincoln in the late 80s, there was a lot of African students that were sent there to learn agricultural practices they could take back to their country to improve food production.

 

Now, if a lot of those chose to stay here and worked within the ag business in Nebraska, I wouldn't think twice of someone simply mentioning that "There's a lot of agronomists from Africa who graduated from Nebraska working here".

 

I see no problem with that statement in and of itself.  It's not racist.  It's not condescending to them.  It's not implying that I wish they weren't here.  It's not implying I wouldn't want to work with them.

It's just simply stating a fact that a lot of African agronomists graduated from Nebraska and work here.

This really is being blown out of proportion.