BU group offers "white" scholarship
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Please make sure you read the article before jumping to any conclusions!
All I can say, is Finally! These people are doing what I have talked about for years! It makes sense to me.
White Scholarship
I totally agree with this.... In TX where I live caucasians are a minority but we can't get any minority treatment. I have never understood why it is racist to have a "white scolarship" but it is okay to have a hispanic or african-american scholarship.
I think all scholarships should be on merit not on race.
Well. It is interesting that their racial criteria is 25% Caucasian. Most people who think of mixed race people tend to assign the mixed-race person to the visually predominant race, and I know that until the racial laws in the South were declared unconstitutional, as little as 1/8 (12.5%) non-Caucasian blood made the person definitely not "white" or Caucasian according to those laws. Even today, I doubt very much that most people think of someone whose ancestry is only 25% Caucasian (that is one of four grandparents) as Caucasian.
What do I think? I think it is a publicity grab for those who oppose what they define as racial preferences and what others define as affirmative action. I would think it is just plain silly if I didn't note that in the process of offering this scholarship they put forth the old and continuing false claim that racial preferences give non-white persons preference over "qualified" white applicants, as in "basing decisions in our schools and our jobs on racial preferences rather than merit". The implication, of course, is that when there are few slots, the "qualified" white person loses out to the (unspoken but implicit) "unqualified" non-white person, when, generally, the choice is made between two qualified applicants and, for reasons clear to the committees making the decision, preference is given between two qualified applicants to the non-white applicant. It may indeed be that the non-white person scores a few points less than the Caucasian applicant in other criteria considered in the decision-making process and is given a boost by an institution's desire to have a racially diverse student body, but that doesn't mean the non-white is not qualified.
I'd be really curious to see what a 75% African-American or Latino or Asian writes about "what it means to you to be a Caucasian-American today", one of the two essays required from scholarship applicants.
Personally, I'd like to see most scholarships "need based", that is, based on the financial need of qualified applicants. I read an article in today's Philadelphia Inquirer which notes that public (i.e., tax-supported) universities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey are giving more of their scholarship/financial support to less needy applicants. The report is produced by the Education Trust, and notes that aid from colleges represents the largest share of grant money available to students. The reportes that between 1995 and 2003, such aid rose 91% for families making between $20-40,000; 142% for families between $40-60,000; 196% for families between$50-80,000, and 347% for those betwen $80-100,000. These are not private colleges and universities, but rather tax-supported "public" universities. I note that Penn State University gets a "D" in this report.
If the BU College Republicans are truly interested in providing scholarships to persons of Caucasian descent, why not offer scholarships to Irish-Americans. There's a group that, in Boston and other areas, has been subject to significant ethnic/racial prejudice, there's a pretty large group of low-income Irish-Americans in Boston, and I'm sure that BU's Irish-American students would appreciate the help. Of course, they might not be Republicans. And offering scholarships to Irish-Americans (who are, after all, clearly Caucasian) wouldn't get the same publicity as offering a "Caucasian Achievement and Recognition Scholarship".
Interesting... in Michigan we just voted on a proposal to amend the state constitution to forbid race and gender from being factors in public university admissions or public employment. It passed 58% to 42%. This is interesting, since the population of Detroit alone is 80% black AND both gubernatorial candidates opposed the measure.
The lawsuits challenging the proposal have been filed, and are continuing to come in.
It is now the 21st century. It has been more than 40 years since Martin Luther king first gave his speech. How much longer should minorities be given preferential treatment before they are considered equal?
It would seem to me that, if I were a minority, I would be insulted at the implication that I cannot achieve the adequate requirements on my own, and must be given extra consideration based solely on my skin color. It has never made sense to me that minorities have always wanted to be viewed as equal, yet they are given so many breaks and special considerations with regard to their color/race. How can that make them truly equal?
To quote Jessica Byrom, a student who wrote an opinion piece in the MSU newsletter:
"This boils down to an issue of fairness and pride. At one time, there was a need for affirmative action, but how can we expect progress if people continue to use the past as a crutch?
"We need to stop living in the past and start looking to the future. Unless we learn how to overcome our circumstances and take responsibility for our own success, how can we truly achieve progress?"
another article from a local news channel
BOSTON -- Boston University College Republicans are offering a Caucasian Achievement Scholarship.
NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported that they said the goal is to point out what they call the absurdity of race-based scholarships.
Applicants must be at least one-quarter Caucasian. It's a direct response to a Boston University Hispanic scholarship, which requires applicants to be one-quarter Hispanic.
"Some people are pretty upset about it and upset at us for it. We are trying to explain to them that they should be upset about this regarding any race or culture," Boston University College Republicans spokesman Joe Mroszczyk said.
Applications were made available on Nov. 7. To qualify for the $250 grant, a student must be a full-time undergraduate student at BU, have a GPA of 3.2 or higher and be 25 percent Caucasian. Two essays are also required.
"We ask them what it means to be Caucasian-American today," Mroszczyk said. "We also have an essay where the student has to describe their ancestry," Mroszczyk said.
"I am a little surprised. I don't really find it funny," one student said.
Mroszczyk said that the grant is aimed at stirring debate about the Hispanic scholarship that is offered at the school.
"I think college Republicans around the country need to use the tactics to break through to Liberals," Mroszczyk said. "The only way we can get our word out, often times, is to do something controversial, do something satirical."
"Our goal is to try to increase diversity on the campus, and that usually means diversity from an ethnic and racial standpoint. This scholarship does not further that goal," Boston University Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said in a statement.
Ginny, they admit that it IS a publicity thing. It is aimed at trying to stir people's minds into realizing just how crazy ANY scholarships are that are based on race/color.
I completely agree,Lisa, and have always asked, how long will we have to continue with Affirmative Action until we are all equals? I've always said that I would be offended if I were the minority.
I am totally tired of the entire, "treat us as equals, but give us lots of breaks" attitude.
Haven't read all of the responses, but have any of you searched for scholarships or government educational aid online? I did about 4 years ago to see if there was any money for teachers and Master's Degrees. I found a MILLION $ opportunities for more than just what we consider the typical minority categories. I couldn't believe it! If found several based on weight, sexual orientation, not to mention the crazy mixed combinations. I remember leaving all of that info thinking "I'm a white female, educated, who wants to become MORE educated, middle class, straight A undergrad, and hard working teacher and I can't find college $ to save my life!" Now, if I were Vietnamese, 300lbs., with no dad, and missing a limb there was money everywhere. (Okay, a joke, but that's exactly the type of thing I found.)
Ditto Adena -"treat us as equals, but give us lot sof breaks" It just gets old. Nothing is fair in this country, it's just politically correct and constantly trying to make up for something that people currently living didn't have anything to do with!
LOL Reds (joke) SO TRUE.
We will never be rid of prejudism until they stop creating stuff like this.Everything should be done on merit and not race.If you work hard and can prove yourself you deserve it.I'm tired of the poor me, poor me, attitudes of people,it's getting old to me too.
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