Silicon Valley has two major things going for it. Talent and money. Asians are intelligent and talented, if they were not they would not be pulling huge work loads in American univerisities. At this point they have lots of capital too as a result of the ascension of the economies in their respective countries. Your comparison of so-called elite universities is a false dichotomy, those work on different rules than technology. Technology does not recognize social status and all that other stuff. Technology belongs to no one and can be acquired by anyone with money and talent.