``These days UCB is about 40% Asian, but I still don't see any black faces.'' Joanna
``This racism apparently favors Asians.'' Chris Doss ----------
This is an interesting exchange (even though snide) because it perhaps highlights an odd demographic at UCB.
Sometime in the 80s I noticed there were a lot of asian american kids showing up at Cal, but almost no black or few brown. And almost no lower income white kids. What's going on?
I think I figured it out. In the `diversity' stats the UC system is required to keep, asian americans are classified as minority students and therefore `disadvantaged' in some of the official lingo.
What that means is the university can claim its service to educating a diverse population. while the costs and fees skyrocket. Back then the students I met all seemed to be much more conservative or much less fired up than I was. I couldn't really figure it out at first.
So how come more and more asian americans show up at Cal? The reason is that there is a large class of upper income Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese in the Bay Area. So they send their kids to Cal. This socio-economic group includes a lot of emigration from communist held places during the various wars. Many of the first generation were from the anti-communist side.
The answer as to why, is economic class. There are a lot of asian owned businesses, banks, and real estate in this area.
I think there is a similar demographic going on in the hispanic communities which would account for more brown faces in the crowd at the demo.
This back and forth over some of Michaels' points is overshadowed by what's happening to the state's economy, which is in a slow grinding collapse.
What makes California economics scary is the state, because of its size, level of development, and wealth, could bring down much of US with it.
Since nobody I've read in the news is talking any sense, just more of the neoliberal line, I don't see how California is going anywhere but down.
CG