Asian Americans in Higher Education

So there was another New York Times article this past weekend that was also about Asian American issues: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/education/edlife/07asian.html?ref=edlife.

It seems like the Asian population at UC Berkeley has burgeoned to near 50% and many people see this as a problem...

As an Asian American and someone who went to a 50%-Asian high school, I have to say that having such a homogeneous population can definitely be a challenge-- since you're ill-informed about the rest of the world and it can sometimes feel like you're drowning in a sea of FOB's and gAnGsTaZ.

BUT on the other hand, I have always found it really troubling that I am constantly at a disadvantage when applying to academic programs-- simply because of the color of my skin. Growing up in a single-parent home in Flushing wasn't the easiest of upbringings, so it's almost unfair that someone like me would be held to harsher standards.

It's become so difficult for Asians to get into elite schools that one student, Yale freshman Jian Li, is actually suing Princeton for rejecting him (despite perfect SAT scores-- on all 3 sections, near perfect grades and numerous AP courses).

It's a bit difficult for me to understand his case, since I am not quite aware of his extracurriculars or essay, but I can definitely agree with some of his points.

Apparently, "in 2005 Asian-Americans were admitted to the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, at a much lower rate (54 percent) than black applicants (71 percent) and Hispanic applicants (79 percent) — despite median SAT scores that were 140 points higher than Hispanics and 240 points higher than blacks." So this definitely indicates something afoul with the system.

Unfortunately, though, I am loathe to find a solution...

P.S. I came to the stunning realization today that people are actually reading this blog, so I had to go back and edit/reword some of my thoughts. I hope I've clarified some things!!