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Isn't that a bit like saying that there is no such thing as Asians? Both are still used for admissions it seems. I don't think WASPs have any influence on the

Isn't that a bit like saying that there is no such thing as Asians? Both are still used for admissions it seems. I don't think WASPs have any influence on the admissions policy at Harvard and I have seen no evidence that they are over-represented there. Others have pointed out who are. I could go on about US history, immigration, and WASPs but its better to be brief. I think they lost their power. That better fits the data than the theory that WASPs control Harvard and despite being racist and anti-semitic seem to prefer every racial group but their own. It's really just a racist trope at this point that untalented, privileged, and elitist WASPs are the villain.

rayiner 4y ago
Who said WASPs are racist? As a group, they’re probably the least racist people on the planet. Their conflict with Asians and Jews isn’t about race, but culture and worldview.
- onetimeusename 4y ago
  But the president and provost are Jewish as have been several past ones. We're essentially arguing about which tiny elite has more power and influence, a corollary to being a Harvard alumnus. As others have pointed out, by parity it seems there would be more Jews than actual WASPs there in the student body presently. Over half of the whites may be Jewish and it's unlikely the rest are exclusively WASPs but we don't have exact granularity on this. I think the WASPs fell from power decades ago. It's almost inexcusable that they could have any power in a hyper race conscious society. I think they are kind of viewed as an archvillain in this country in some sense. As a result, I don't think the WASPs are still in control there. I think the sensibilities you mentioned to get in are not WASPy, but reflect the new elite.
- onetimeusename 4y ago
  FWIW I don't think that Harvard is explicitly discriminating against Asians in order to preserve WASPishness as alleged. It's likely that if explicit racial discrimination is taking place, it's more for pragmatism. The Black and Hispanic student body % shall not be reduced. The country is still ~60% white but the white student body % has been reduced dramatically over the last decade. That trend will continue but it's not pragmatic to do it all at once. Nothing like the scale of immigration in the US has happened ever in history. The top 0.01% of populations > 1B in Asia can move to the US and within one generation achieve elite status and that's still more than enough to fill every spot at Harvard. Meanwhile, Harvard remains a seat of major power in places like DC and corporations and law schools and science. There are far more elites on the planet than there are seats at Harvard so it's likely to cause major tension in the future and my best guess is Harvard is being pragmatic and slowly reducing the white population as it increases the Asian %. Who knows what the Jews do? Maybe claim victim status and get a guaranteed seat. Since Harvard is a gateway to power, it's likely this is going to be a source of major tension in the future.

rayiner 4y ago

Who said WASPs are racist? As a group, they’re probably the least racist people on the planet. Their conflict with Asians and Jews isn’t about race, but culture and worldview.

onetimeusename 4y ago
But the president and provost are Jewish as have been several past ones. We're essentially arguing about which tiny elite has more power and influence, a corollary to being a Harvard alumnus. As others have pointed out, by parity it seems there would be more Jews than actual WASPs there in the student body presently. Over half of the whites may be Jewish and it's unlikely the rest are exclusively WASPs but we don't have exact granularity on this. I think the WASPs fell from power decades ago. It's almost inexcusable that they could have any power in a hyper race conscious society. I think they are kind of viewed as an archvillain in this country in some sense. As a result, I don't think the WASPs are still in control there. I think the sensibilities you mentioned to get in are not WASPy, but reflect the new elite.
onetimeusename 4y ago
FWIW I don't think that Harvard is explicitly discriminating against Asians in order to preserve WASPishness as alleged. It's likely that if explicit racial discrimination is taking place, it's more for pragmatism. The Black and Hispanic student body % shall not be reduced. The country is still ~60% white but the white student body % has been reduced dramatically over the last decade. That trend will continue but it's not pragmatic to do it all at once. Nothing like the scale of immigration in the US has happened ever in history. The top 0.01% of populations > 1B in Asia can move to the US and within one generation achieve elite status and that's still more than enough to fill every spot at Harvard. Meanwhile, Harvard remains a seat of major power in places like DC and corporations and law schools and science. There are far more elites on the planet than there are seats at Harvard so it's likely to cause major tension in the future and my best guess is Harvard is being pragmatic and slowly reducing the white population as it increases the Asian %. Who knows what the Jews do? Maybe claim victim status and get a guaranteed seat. Since Harvard is a gateway to power, it's likely this is going to be a source of major tension in the future.