4 ms·
EDIT: Got rid of part of my post that had enough information in it that could be tied to people in real life. -------- It doesn't help that West Lafayette is
by skh 8y ago
EDIT: Got rid of part of my post that had enough information in it that could be tied to people in real life.
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It doesn't help that West Lafayette is a very racist place in my experience. I'm white and a native speaker of American English. On my first day of teaching at Purdue I introduced myself to the class and a student asked, "Are you an American? Do you speak English?" At the time West Lafayette had a confusing road system for a small town. Lots of 5-way intersections and one way streets. I was late to a dental appointment and apologized to the dentist's secretary. I explained that I had a hard time figuring out how to get to the place. She responded, "Yeah, the road system here was designed by a drunk Indian." I'm certain living in Indiana exacerbated the situation.
- avip 8y agoIt is also not helping that there actually is such a thing as "token X". A less discussed side effect of affirmative action.
- pvg 8y agoI don't think that's the thing that's 'not helping', here.
- Legogris 8y agoThere is such a thing as the "token gaijin" at Japanese companies - the foreigner who can show to visitors how international company this is. Generally very little influence or path of progress. Also just the knowledge of this phenomenon can cause self-doubt for the individual. White people office workers Japan are of course not the same as black mathematicians in the U.S., but I don't believe that it's not contributing to the problem if it occurs.
- pvg 8y agoI just don't think 'my prejudices are actually true' is the conclusion to draw from 'tokenism exists', that is all.
- afiori 8y agoyou and me don't, but many do. It is a fact that affirmative action undermines the claim of competence of minorities in the workplace. It also a problem to be addressed. Whether or not it is right to think that has little influence of the fact that many people reach that conclusion.
- Legogris 8y agoWhat prejudices did avip claim were confirmed by tokenism?
- swebs 8y agoJustice Clarence Thomas would disagree. https://www.newsweek.com/lithwick-what-clarence-thomas-and-palin-share-89281 https://www.newsweek.com/lithwick-what-clarence-thomas-and-p...
- tptacek 8y agoOk, and?