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Not sure what GP was referring to, but those issues are related. If Asian-Americans were 40% of Harvard (as they should be based on merit), instead of 17% (as t

Not sure what GP was referring to, but those issues are related. If Asian-Americans were 40% of Harvard (as they should be based on merit), instead of 17% (as they are now) then that would mean fewer spaces for everyone else. In particular, it would make achieving the goal of affirmative action - proportionate representation for black and Hispanic students - much harder.

perl4ever 8y ago
Asians are around 60% of the world population, no? So I'm not sure how a rise to 40% of Harvard inhibits "proportionate" representation. Edit: I'm not pretending to be obtuse here - I'm actually questioning why an elite university should be representative of US demographics rather than the world.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- 6nf 8y ago
  Because the vast majority of Harvard students are from the USA?
  - perl4ever 8y ago
    You seem to be suggesting that Harvard should represent the US because it currently does represent the US. I don't find that particularly compelling logic, but I believe the underlying assumption is also false. Harvard has roughly 20% international students, whereas the US as a whole has about 0.6% lawful non immigrants[1]. [1]https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Nonimmigrant_Population%20Estimates_2015.pdf https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Nonimmi...
    - brighteyes 8y ago
      Colleges do have a significant amount of international students, but the high number is actually in part because they pay more for tuition - it's a good revenue source for colleges. The percentage rises and falls over time for related reasons. The percentage also rises with higher degrees - people often finish their undergrad in their home country, then go to the US for their graduate degree. But undergrads are the bulk of college student bodies. So overall, most college students in the US are from the US.
- analyst74 8y ago
  To make it even more complicated, majority of those asian kids are either from abroad (not US citizen), or born to wealthy and/or highly educated asian families (due to selective immigration policy). I don't know how anyone can come up with a racial quota and call it fair.

perl4ever 8y ago

Asians are around 60% of the world population, no? So I'm not sure how a rise to 40% of Harvard inhibits "proportionate" representation. Edit: I'm not pretending to be obtuse here - I'm actually questioning why an elite university should be representative of US demographics rather than the world.

deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
6nf 8y ago
Because the vast majority of Harvard students are from the USA?
- perl4ever 8y ago
  You seem to be suggesting that Harvard should represent the US because it currently does represent the US. I don't find that particularly compelling logic, but I believe the underlying assumption is also false. Harvard has roughly 20% international students, whereas the US as a whole has about 0.6% lawful non immigrants[1]. [1]https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Nonimmigrant_Population%20Estimates_2015.pdf https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Nonimmi...
  - brighteyes 8y ago
    Colleges do have a significant amount of international students, but the high number is actually in part because they pay more for tuition - it's a good revenue source for colleges. The percentage rises and falls over time for related reasons. The percentage also rises with higher degrees - people often finish their undergrad in their home country, then go to the US for their graduate degree. But undergrads are the bulk of college student bodies. So overall, most college students in the US are from the US.
analyst74 8y ago
To make it even more complicated, majority of those asian kids are either from abroad (not US citizen), or born to wealthy and/or highly educated asian families (due to selective immigration policy). I don't know how anyone can come up with a racial quota and call it fair.