Should there be a Semitic category on applications for Jews?

[my ninja]

just curious what others think

[KODIAK]

Why don't they just leave race off the application and base everything on merit?  If your race has hindered you in any way, or you think you contribute to diversity in a unique way, you could use that as a topic in your personal statement.  I don't see why race/religion has to be an issue.

[johnsmith]

You are more or less saying that there should be a limit to the number of Jews admitted?

[HippieLawChick]

Maybe there should be a check box for "ignorant moron" to weed out those who would even consider posting something like this.

[anton]

While Jews only constitute 2% of America's population, they make up 20% - 30% of all Ivey League and top tier institutions. The fact that they do not have a check box for their Semitic race forces them to check white. This hides their extreme overepresenation, and vastly exagerrates the actual caucausian enrollment numbers. Alas, this change is unlikely to happen, since anyone who points out unflattering facts about Jews is labelled an anti-Semite, which is the most damning term in our society.

What's unflattering about making it into the upper echelons of society?

[my ninja]

While Jews only constitute 2% of America's population, they make up 20% - 30% of all Ivey League and top tier institutions. The fact that they do not have a check box for their Semitic race forces them to check white. This hides their extreme overepresenation, and vastly exagerrates the actual caucausian enrollment numbers. Alas, this change is unlikely to happen, since anyone who points out unflattering facts about Jews is labelled an anti-Semite, which is the most damning term in our society.

What's unflattering about making it into the upper echelons of society?

Pointing out one groups inordinate power/wealth creates popular resentment when the masses are aware of the fact.

[USBlues]

ninja, I don't understand what your original post is trying to get at.  (Also, semites are not solely Jewish... would include Arab people as well)

In today's world, Jewish people are so far distanced (in general) from their ethnic past that there's really no connection (other than religious, perhaps) to their area of origin (Israel, Eastern Europe, etc.).  So, listing "Semitic" would mean about the same thing as "Greek Orthodox"

[liberty shark]

there's really nothing wrong with what this fella's saying.  picture vietnamese folk (im not vietnamese, so no bias here); asians would be considered overrepresented in law school and as attorneys; however, this broad category does nothing to note that different groups gain admission at different rates; chinese/japanese americans enter law at much higher rates than vietnamese, cambodians, and laotians; and yet these individuals are lumped into the 'asian' category, and thus labeled as overrepresented; true, some schools make exceptions and consider them URM, but this is not the consensus.  in short, if what the OP is saying is true, then dropping jews into the 'white' category distorts representational counts; as to whether somthing should be done about this.. well that's a different story, all im saying is that numbers are numbers, and unless you break them down properly, numbers are certainly capable of lying.

[triumph82]

This is about resentment...ninja's only being honest. What Ninja probably meant to say originally was that there should be a box if someone identifies themselves as Jewish.

[USBlues]

there's really nothing wrong with what this fella's saying.  picture vietnamese folk (im not vietnamese, so no bias here); asians would be considered overrepresented in law school and as attorneys; however, this broad category does nothing to note that different groups gain admission at different rates; chinese/japanese americans enter law at much higher rates than vietnamese, cambodians, and laotians; and yet these individuals are lumped into the 'asian' category, and thus labeled as overrepresented; true, some schools make exceptions and consider them URM, but this is not the consensus.  in short, if what the OP is saying is true, then dropping jews into the 'white' category distorts representational counts; as to whether somthing should be done about this.. well that's a different story, all im saying is that numbers are numbers, and unless you break them down properly, numbers are certainly capable of lying.

Judiasm, for many, isn't a race or a group.  For example, I'm half Jewish, with the Jewish side being from New York for about four or five generations.  Their Jewish ancestors were from Poland.  How does that make me a semite or part of any group?

triumph - then why not a box for all religions?