East Indians not URM??? why not?????

[Denny Crane]

Outside of major urban centers (NYC especially) you are unlikely to find many, if any, people of indian descent.

You should get out more often.

According to the 2000 Census, there are only roughly 1.4 million people of Indian descent in the country.  With a total population of about 280 million, this is .005% of the total population.  I'd like to know why you would think that Indian are in abundance around the country. 

[desi desi desi]

According to the 2000 Census, there are only roughly 1.4 million people of Indian descent in the country.  With a total population of about 280 million, this is .005% of the total population.  I'd like to know why you would think that Indian are in abundance around the country. 

Until Bush, there was a immigration policy in place that granted special visas to doctors that agreed to work in rural communities.  More than half of the takers of these special visas were Indians.  Often, Indian doctors were the ONLY doctor in the town.  Here is an article discussing the stoppage of the J1 waiver program: http://www.csrha.org/advocate/1.14/romney.html

We have a second home in a medium sized city in the South.  It is a tourist town with a lot of military bases in the surrounding areas.  Remarkably, there are many Indian doctors and businessmen.  Recently, i took a road trip, and I think only ONE gas station  that I used during my road trip (through rural america) was not owned by an Indian.  I don't care that Jackson heights, Atlanta, Bay Area, and Houston have probably half of that 1.4 million number.  Indian people are sprinkled around the country, from the metro areas to the rural areas. 

So yes, while desis are only 0.005% of the total population, they are spread out around the country and making positive impacts in various professions.  There is no need for URM status when we're the wealthiest community in this country (unless you count Jewish people as a culture).

Oh, and if desis were not spread out, then how did a desi get elected to Congress from Louisiana?  And how did a desi, in the 1950's, get elected to Congress from rural California?

Yes, you do need to get out more.  And no, desis do not need URM status.  Seeing how URM is somewhat tabboo in law school, I would say that not having URM status is a blessing (anticipatorily, I will say STFU to anyone that tries to counters this argument: when you become a 1L, you will quickly find people criticising students of color for their achievement on the sole basis of their URM status).

[Denny Crane]

Again, according to the census, the overwhelming majority of the 1.4 million indian americans in this country reside in the urban centers of California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Texas, Florida, and DC.  No matter how spread out the remaining indians are across the country, you will not find many people of indian descent elsewhere.  I never said you wouldn't find any indians outside of major urban centers.  I said you wouldn't find many outside the urban centers.  I also never said that Indians deserved URM status.  In fact, I said the complete opposite.  I have no idea what crawled up your ass, but I'd focus on getting it out first instead of starting pointless arguments.

[pop_tort]

So yes, while desis are only 0.005% of the total population, they are spread out around the country and making positive impacts in various professions.  There is no need for URM status when we're the wealthiest community in this country (unless you count Jewish people as a culture).

So, in other words, in the U.S. the white commuity is poorer than the Indian community??? Riiiight....

[pop_tort]

Yes, you do need to get out more.  And no, desis do not need URM status.  Seeing how URM is somewhat tabboo in law school, I would say that not having URM status is a blessing (anticipatorily, I will say STFU to anyone that tries to counters this argument: when you become a 1L, you will quickly find people criticising students of color for their achievement on the sole basis of their URM status).

If anything is "taboo" in law school, it's the "M", not the "URM"....if people in law school are going to critize minorities for their acheivements, it's because they are minorities, NOT because of being a URM.

Desi, I think everyone is jumping all over you particularly because you seem to carry this haughtiness in your tone of writing, as if to imply that "desis" are "better" than those other minorities that have to wear the "disgraceful" URM hat. You might be fortunate to come from an affluent Indian family or Indian community, but there are a lot of other Indians who are not like you.

Sure, there are Indians who probably don't come from poor backgrounds or have not suffered any gross discrimination, but that's the same case for a lot of black and latino kids too. There are a lot of black, latino, and Indian doctors and lawyers in America. That does not, however alleviate all of those groups on a collective level from being URMs, when you measure those groups of people against the populations of black, latino, and Indian professionals in America today. And the # of professionals compared to the entire population of professionals is what matters more, the same way the # of students compared to the student body is what matters more.
The ultimate goal here is to achieve diversity!

There is nothing wrong with being a URM... just the same way there is nothing wrong with admitting that you are a descendant of someone from the Holocaust, or Slavery, or a Japanese Internment Camp. There's nothing wrong with being a minority either. What's wrong is that there was a time when blatant discrimination existed, and people that looked JUST LIKE YOU and me would not have been allowed to go any restroom we chose or hell even go to law school. Today, that's against the law of course, but this discrimnation has not gone away... it's just not in your face anymore. People want to act like that kind of racism affects/only affected black people, but here's a wake up call: to the people keeping racism alive, if ya ain't white, then yer colored.. and yes Desi, that includes you too. It sounds to me like you've lived in a utopia bubble and still have as of yet to get spanked with the paddle of discrimination.

Go ahead, stay on your high horse... things might have gotten "better" but believe me, Good Ole Boy Jimbo is still waiting to knock you off that horse, whether he doesn't want to shake your hand at a business meeting, or he finds a way to pass you up for the job. If anyone would be concerned, I would think it would be you, considering that many of the Jimbo's of America can't distinguish between you and a person who is Persian, Pakistani, or gee, perhaps even Mexican! Look at how many people (espeically Middle Eastern, South East Asian, and Latino) got attacked and discriminated against after 9-11?!? That should speak for itself- you, being Indian, are not free from any of this!

The sad thing about discrimination today (and ultimatly being under-represented) is that it's not in your face... it's subtle, slight, and unless it's just a gross incident, it's hard to stand up and fight. The point of AA is to recognize the accomplishments of people, who despite having these odds against them, still made it far enough to even apply to law school. They playing field is not even for everyone, and Adcomms realize this... if someone can show in a compelling way that even though they didn't have a fair start in their educational journey (and explain how/ in what ways), but are still more than capable of making it though a legal program and perhaps how their experience motivated them to study law, then that deserves some recognition.

[desi desi desi]

So yes, while desis are only 0.005% of the total population, they are spread out around the country and making positive impacts in various professions.  There is no need for URM status when we're the wealthiest community in this country (unless you count Jewish people as a culture).

So, in other words, in the U.S. the white commuity is poorer than the Indian community??? Riiiight....

My bad, I meant wealthiest ethnic group (unless you count Jews as an ethnic group instead of a religion - which alot of people do).

As for your other, long and rambling post - my entire point through this whole thread is that Indians do not need AA or URM status due to our financial status and representation in the major professions of this country.  As for having a sense of haughtiness in my tone - feel free to misconstrue words typed onto an online discussion board anyway you choose.  As for God Ole Boy Jimbo - he didn't knock my great-grandfather off his "horse" in 1904 when he first came to this country, and he sure won't knock me off.

I'm done with this thread.

[pop_tort]

So yes, while desis are only 0.005% of the total population, they are spread out around the country and making positive impacts in various professions.  There is no need for URM status when we're the wealthiest community in this country (unless you count Jewish people as a culture).

So, in other words, in the U.S. the white commuity is poorer than the Indian community??? Riiiight....

My bad, I meant wealthiest ethnic group (unless you count Jews as an ethnic group instead of a religion - which alot of people do).

As for your other, long and rambling post - my entire point through this whole thread is that Indians do not need AA or URM status due to our financial status and representation in the major professions of this country.  As for having a sense of haughtiness in my tone - feel free to misconstrue words typed onto an online discussion board anyway you choose.  As for God Ole Boy Jimbo - he didn't knock my great-grandfather off his "horse" in 1904 when he first came to this country, and he sure won't knock me off.

I'm done with this thread.

Your experience doesn't speak for all Indians. Glad to hear how fortnate you are...

The Jimbos of the world are alive and well, and while I hate to really have to say it, you will have your day with him too....

[adviseme]

East Indians are Asian Americans.  And as an ethnic group Asian Americans are very very successful in the United States.  Look at the income level, educationnal attainment and standarized test scores, among other factors.  Also look at the percentage of self-reported Asian-American students at the nation's most selective law schools.  In most places they account for more than 10%, much more than their share of the general population.  A few years ago the most common last name at the entering Harvard Law school is Kim, the Korean name.  So Asian-Americans as a group have reason to ask for URM treatment.  Hmongs might be a limited exception.   

[pop_tort]

East Indians are Asian Americans.  And as an ethnic group Asian Americans are very very successful in the United States.  Look at the income level, educationnal attainment and standarized test scores, among other factors.  Also look at the percentage of self-reported Asian-American students at the nation's most selective law schools.  In most places they account for more than 10%, much more than their share of the general population.  A few years ago the most common last name at the entering Harvard Law school is Kim, the Korean name.  So Asian-Americans as a group have reason to ask for URM treatment.  Hmongs might be a limited exception.   

I'm assuming you meant to say that AA's "as a group" *don't* have a reason to ask for URM treatment. And if that's the case, you just contradicted yourself by saying that, but then saying that a perosn of Hmong descent might be an exception. Why not add Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Filipinos that so-called exception while you're at it??? I can smell the elitism on you from 1,000 miles away......

[PromiscuousBoy]

to answer your lingering questions: 99.999999% of the indians go to medical school