I recently watched an encore presentation of the 2007 Asian Excellence Awards on AZNTV. I thought it was a great venue to showcase both established as well as up and coming Asian American talents. I know that there are so many people that take part in such an awards ceremony, but one thing I wish they could have done is give a little more background on the individuals, even if only on the event's website. For example, Sharon Leal (who is half-Filipino...but who knew that?) was nominated for her role in Dreamgirls, which in my opinion is not really an Asian American film. Also, I'm really starting to think that all of these math jokes--both by whites and Asian Americans--are getting old. And Quentin Tarantino seriously just creeps me out with his constant exotification. On the other hand though, some of my favorite moments include Margaret Cho, Yul Kwon, Masi Oka, Russell Peters, and Rob Schneider. Overall, great show for our community. Check the AZNTV website to catch it in your local area. It's on five more times this weekend!!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
2007 Asian Excellence Awards
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Whiter than White...or...Changing the Rules of the Game
Asian Americans and the Shifts in Higher Education Admissions Standards
When discussing the issue of Asian Americans and higher education, inevitably the "overrepresentation" of Asian American students will arise. Of course, most of us have heard the standard arguments against such statements: differential impacts on the spectrum of Asian American ethnic groups, Asian traditions value hard work and education, etc. etc. Rather than dwell on these well established commentaries, I would like to draw attention to an often unmentioned racism within this discourse on Asian Americans and higher education admissions.
If we are to assume (as many scholars and admissions officers do) that:
- Asian Americans are one-dimensional students, they excel only in the academic (particularly math and science).
- Increase competition over admissions slots at all levels of colleges and university slots will demand a change in admissions criteria and selection processes.
I am not saying that these assumptions are true, but I am saying that they are part of the general working knowledge and discourse of lay people and admissions professionals. Right or wrong, these "facts" then function as truth and basis for shaping admissions policies.
Food for Thought:
Changes in admissions processes have attempted to create greater differentiation between an overwhelming number of academically excellent applicants. Many of these changes have taken the form of greater consideration of extracurricular activities in admissions decisions. What seems absent is consideration on how changes to admissions standards will affect the demographic make-ups of incoming freshman classes, particularly for communities of color.
While Asian Americans have long been well-rounded students at elite institutions, they are still perceived to be one-dimensional. Their extracurricular engagement, perhaps, are not catching admissions officers' eyes in the same way as those applicants of other racial backgrounds. While university and colleges are often lauded for their more comprehensive approach to determining a student’s admissions fate, few are question the socio-cultural implications of what is valued as extracurricular activities or how access to such activities may be limited to particular segments of our society due to any number of characteristics (i.e., socioeconomic status, geography, gender, sexual orientation, race).