From: wbrown@access.digex.com (William Brown)
Subject: Re: What is real racism? (Re: Was: Why rish asians should vote Republican)
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1992 02:23:04 GMT

In article <BxvLMz.EF8@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> hrubin@pop.stat.purdue.edu (Herman Rubin) writes:

>
>There are far too many unqualified people in important positions as it is.
>In 1950, when there were real barriers against blacks, I would have had no
>hesitancy in trusting a black MD or PhD.  The major barriers in the academic
>community came down around 1952 for competent ones.  

Point one:  If you are less trusting of a Black M.D., it is your own
racial bias that is the problem.  There is only ONE major licensing agency
for American physicians, and it makes no adjustments for race.  Everyone
has to jump through the same hoop.  Even the state licensing boards make
no racial distinctions for qualifications.

Point two:  There are likewise unified, non-racial accredidation boards
for higher education.  Once again, if you are less likely to trust a Black
Ph.D., again your own racial bias that is the problem.

Point three:  There are still major inequalities of educational
opportunity in the United States.  The majority of innner-city schools
(which are predominately minority) receive much less per-pupil funding
than the suburban schools.  The facilities don't even vaguely compare. 
Different types of bias exist at the other end of the educational
spectrum, where Ph.D. advisors can be and often are VERY uncooperative with
minority graduate students.  I've seen it for myself on both ends of the
spectrum.   

>
>The unsuccessful minorities do have a legitimate complaint, but it is not
>the one they are making.  Their complaint should be against those minions
>of the miseducational establishment who will not allow the students who
>can and are willing to get the quality education which the Asians are able
>to get in their schools, because their children are all willing and their
>culture considers education first.  Any community which considers its
>athletes as more worthy of respect than its scholars will put obstacles
>in the way of its children becoming scholars, wittingly or unwittingly.

This statement implies that minorities value athletes more than
academicians.  This is a common fallacy of the non-minority culture.  Many
minority cultures HIGHLY value academicians.  Unfortunately, the
non-minority-controlled media does not PORTRAY minority academicians.  The
highest concentration of educated Black television personalities is by far
on the Black-controlled television shows (Cosby, Different World, Fresh
Prince, etc.)  In fact, there were NO images of that type until Blacks
gained creative control over television shows.  The true culprit for the
lack of positive Black role models has always been the White-controlled
media.  I know this is an Asian board, but I thought the answer was
warranted since the post was seemingly aimed generically at minorities. By
the way, I work in a VERY international lab, and the value of a teacher
seems to be much greater among the Asian and Black students than among the
White American students.  I just have not seen the types of values that you
imply exist. 

Peace

Bill