Whites Need Not Apply

[Veritas]

Whites need not apply: Campus sci-tech symposium to only feature scholars of color | The College Fix

An upcoming science and technology symposium slated to take place at Williams College promises a unique feature: it will showcase “new” voices in the field, and those voices will only come from scholars of color.

The call for papers specifies that means either “African Americans, Alaska Natives, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.”

Part of the application process asked applicants to write a couple sentences proving themselves as a member of a “historically underrepresented group.” Yet the application also provides an equal employment opportunity statement that people from all backgrounds are welcome.

Somehow, I can't imagine the college having a symposium that requires the applicants be white. I can just hear the protesting.

 

[Not David]

I thought race was a social construct and the US census calls Latino (not calling it Latinx) and Arabs white.

 

[Ricky M]

Whites need not apply: Campus sci-tech symposium to only feature scholars of color | The College Fix

An upcoming science and technology symposium slated to take place at Williams College promises a unique feature: it will showcase “new” voices in the field, and those voices will only come from scholars of color.

The call for papers specifies that means either “African Americans, Alaska Natives, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.”

Part of the application process asked applicants to write a couple sentences proving themselves as a member of a “historically underrepresented group.” Yet the application also provides an equal employment opportunity statement that people from all backgrounds are welcome.

Somehow, I can't imagine the college having a symposium that requires the applicants be white. I can just hear the protesting.

Like I said before, government has decreed that only white males can be racist.

 

[Tanj]

I thought race was a social construct

I'd disagree but I have heard people say it.

and the US census calls Latino (not calling it Latinx) and Arabs white.

That is incorrect.

Problems with the Census’ Racial Categories

Ignore the content of the page (or not) . but the page shows not only is "are you a Latino" . a question, it gives you 4 options, and then asks about ethnicity separately.

 

[alsughasoughaiuyfygh]

.

 

[Handmaid for Jesus]

An upcoming science and technology symposium slated to take place at Williams College promises a unique feature: it will showcase “new” voices in the field, and those voices will only come from scholars of color.

Could the reason for this be that people of color were under represented in previous symposiums ? Just asking.

 

[PloverWing]

Members of underrepresented minorities often find themselves isolated in professional settings: they may be the only African American, or Latinx, or Pacific Islander, etc., in their classroom or department, and that can lead to a feeling of wondering if you belong in this field, if maybe you should just give up and go somewhere else where you belong better. A conference like this gives these minority scholars a place where, just for a couple of days, they're seeing lots of faces that look like theirs, an encouraging reassurance that, yes, they belong in this field.

There are plenty of conferences dominated by white people. Let our ethnic-minority colleagues have a day once in a while where they get to be in charge.

 

[Not David]

I'd disagree but I have heard people say it.



That is incorrect.

Problems with the Census’ Racial Categories

Ignore the content of the page (or not) . but the page shows not only is "are you a Latino" . a question, it gives you 4 options, and then asks about ethnicity separately.

Well, Americans of Hispanic ascendence consider "Latino/Hispanic" their race even when it is not technically correct. As I came from a Latin American country, I always thought of myself as "mixed-race".

 

[dzheremi]

This Latinx stuff is really ridiculous. Sorry to harp on that, but I am old enough to remember when the 'progressive' thing to do in writing would be to use the @ symbol, i.e., Latin@, because it would include Latinos and Latinas -- in other words, men and women. The two categories of people that there are, and that everyone always recognized that there are. And this was only 20 years ago! I have the "anarchist punk" fanzines from back then (written all in Spanish) to prove it. That was the vanguard. The @ symbol, which is at least understandable if you know anything about Spanish grammar, unlike this "Latinx" idiocy.

And now the amorphous ever growing gender-blob is even attempting to take over entire languages which have their own developed systems of grammatical gender, which is not some kind of conspiracy to silence people who think that they are pansexual starfish or whatever. It's just how the language works, but these insane people can't handle it. What served human communication (y'know, the purpose of language...) perfectly fine since the creation of the Romance languages is now suddenly confining, and homophobic, and transphobic, and all of these other fake phobias.

How small of a minority does some group have to be before it becomes reasonable to point out how unreasonable their demands are? If I think I'm some kind of 17th gender from the planet Nibiru and you all have to address me as Royal Highness Cardinal Beachball, and my pronoun is Ɣ, which you now have to incorporate into your languages at your own cognitive, typological, and typographic expense whether or not it makes any sense that you do so, isn't that kinda on me? Why does anyone else have to do anything in response to that?

I'm sorry...I think I have to say it: I don't think everyone's feelings should be acknowledged all of the time. Or rather, you can acknowledge that they have those feelings and then you should be able to say you're done with this forever, without changing anything that you do. "Okay, you say you're Latin-x, whatever that is. That's not going to become part of my vocabulary, because that's not an actual part of the language. You just made that up, and nobody else needs to accept it. If that hurts your feelings, then it sounds like that's a problem for you and your feelings to deal with, far away from me. Goodbye."

Enough already.

 

[Ricky M]

Members of underrepresented minorities often find themselves isolated in professional settings: they may be the only African American, or Latinx, or Pacific Islander, etc., in their classroom or department, and that can lead to a feeling of wondering if you belong in this field, if maybe you should just give up and go somewhere else where you belong better. A conference like this gives these minority scholars a place where, just for a couple of days, they're seeing lots of faces that look like theirs, an encouraging reassurance that, yes, they belong in this field.

There are plenty of conferences dominated by white people. Let our ethnic-minority colleagues have a day once in a while where they get to be in charge.

Comment rescinded because, oh well what's the point?

 

[GACfan]

Members of underrepresented minorities often find themselves isolated in professional settings: they may be the only African American, or Latinx, or Pacific Islander, etc., in their classroom or department, and that can lead to a feeling of wondering if you belong in this field, if maybe you should just give up and go somewhere else where you belong better. A conference like this gives these minority scholars a place where, just for a couple of days, they're seeing lots of faces that look like theirs, an encouraging reassurance that, yes, they belong in this field.

There are plenty of conferences dominated by white people. Let our ethnic-minority colleagues have a day once in a while where they get to be in charge.

I can empathize with the desire of some minorities to only want to be around other minorities in certain life situations. Speaking as a woman, I think it's very comforting to be in a group of other women and talk about what we experience as women, without having the presence of men hanging around or having to deal with some disgruntled men interjecting their personal opinions on what they thinks women should or shouldn't do. I've attended several ladies only meetings and luncheons over the years and not one disgruntled man ever insisted that men should be allowed into the meetings or the luncheons. Not one man whined about discrimination against men because the meetings were for ladies only. There have also been men's only breakfast meetings and other fellowship gatherings for men and not one disgruntled woman whined about discrimination against women or insisted women should be allowed to attend the breakfast or the other fellowship gatherings designated for men.

 

[Not David]

I can empathize with the desire of some minorities to only want to be around other minorities in certain life situations. Speaking as a woman, I think it's very comforting to be in a group of other women and talk about what we experience as women, without having the presence of men hanging around or having to deal with some disgruntled men interjecting their personal opinions on what they thinks women should or shouldn't do. I've attended several ladies only meetings and luncheons over the years and not one disgruntled man ever insisted that men should be allowed into the meetings or the luncheons. Not one man whined about discrimination against men because the meetings were for ladies only. There have also been men's only breakfast meetings and other fellowship gatherings for men and not one disgruntled woman whined about discrimination against women or insisted women should be allowed to attend the breakfast or the other fellowship gatherings designated for men.

Except that an all-white anything event will bring national uproar.

 

[Silverback]

I thought race was a social construct and the US census calls Latino (not calling it Latinx) and Arabs white.

That's the view of the Census Bureau, and the Federal Government. It also has to be used for affirmative action. Other than that, I guess a college can do what it likes.

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

How exactly do the prove themselves to be a member of an "underrepresented group"? Is it enough just to say that you identify with such a group?

Are Asians underrepresented in the tech industry?

 

[zephcom]

Whites need not apply: Campus sci-tech symposium to only feature scholars of color | The College Fix

An upcoming science and technology symposium slated to take place at Williams College promises a unique feature: it will showcase “new” voices in the field, and those voices will only come from scholars of color.

The call for papers specifies that means either “African Americans, Alaska Natives, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Latinx, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.”

Part of the application process asked applicants to write a couple sentences proving themselves as a member of a “historically underrepresented group.” Yet the application also provides an equal employment opportunity statement that people from all backgrounds are welcome.

Somehow, I can't imagine the college having a symposium that requires the applicants be white. I can just hear the protesting.

Us white people have such thin skins we can feel the prick before the pin even gets close.

The world will easily survive this symposium. And, quite frankly, so will white people even if we can't pass up any reason to whine.

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

Somehow, I can't imagine the college having a symposium that requires the applicants be white. I can just hear the protesting.

That wouldn't really be analogous. How about a symposium open to people of all races - except blacks.

Us white people have such thin skins we can feel the prick before the pin even gets close.

Speak for yourself.

 

[LostMarbels]

Members of underrepresented minorities often find themselves isolated in professional settings: they may be the only African American, or Latinx, or Pacific Islander, etc., in their classroom or department, and that can lead to a feeling of wondering if you belong in this field, if maybe you should just give up and go somewhere else where you belong better. A conference like this gives these minority scholars a place where, just for a couple of days, they're seeing lots of faces that look like theirs, an encouraging reassurance that, yes, they belong in this field.

There are plenty of conferences dominated by white people. Let our ethnic-minority colleagues have a day once in a while where they get to be in charge.

Sorry but minorities are stronger than that. I do not see them as this frail weak peoples that need every opportunity to get ahead. They are more than smart enough and even tough enough to forge ahead of their own merit, and there is pride in that. That is devalued everytime they are treated like some frail object that needs our protection. Like as if they can't make it in this world if they were not helped. Just the way I see it. Women had to do it for years. Now there are more fortune 500 female executives than ever before.

 

[zephcom]

Speak for yourself.

I included myself....

 

[ArmenianJohn]

Members of underrepresented minorities often find themselves isolated in professional settings: they may be the only African American, or Latinx, or Pacific Islander, etc., in their classroom or department, and that can lead to a feeling of wondering if you belong in this field, if maybe you should just give up and go somewhere else where you belong better. A conference like this gives these minority scholars a place where, just for a couple of days, they're seeing lots of faces that look like theirs, an encouraging reassurance that, yes, they belong in this field.

There are plenty of conferences dominated by white people. Let our ethnic-minority colleagues have a day once in a while where they get to be in charge.

This is correct.

I work in Tech for a major Wall St. firm and within our company we do have these kinds of symposiums and events and seminars for certain underrepresented groups. Most underrepresented in Tech, at least where I work, are blacks and women. I think these events are a great step towards encouraging more from these underrepresented groups to become engaged in the Technology field, in any capacity. We have seen results, too, from these - so they do work. I've participated in several of these events for women - it is invaluable and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

[grasping the after wind]

I included myself....

Do you not understand the difference between speaking for yourself and speaking for everyone including yourself?