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Comment by blanche_ | Hacker News Reader

European here, is stating your ethnicity normal on uni applications? What is the reasoning behind that? To me it seems very odd as being female in IT I try to hide it when I can (having resume without photo etc) and I would be outraged if we had to state our ethnicity/religion/other on resume.

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Yes, it is fairly normal. US universities attempt to control the percentages of each ethnicity using a short list of ethnic buckets.

I believe certain government universities are not permitted to do this (the UC system?)

EDIT: Found it. The UC system can't do it because Prop 209 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_California_Proposition_20...

There is a referendum (prop 16) to repeal that, and allow for discrimination based on gender/race/orientation again. Up for vote this year.

I will notify friends. Thanks for heads up.

> Yes, it is fairly normal. US universities attempt to control the percentages of each ethnicity using a short list of ethnic buckets.

This is outrageous. Inasmuch many people do not fall neatly into these idiotic "buckets". Moreover, people with exceptional academic records and belonging to the categories that are biased positively have legitimate reasons to be incensed by this. How on earth anybody thought it to be a sensible policy?

We've gotten to the point in US culture where many view it as sexist or racist to rally against affirmative action policies that are blatantly sexist and racist.

I'm as left wing as they come, and I'm all for affirmative action. I think that a lot of state money should go to help impoverished neighborhoods, and to specifically aid their people to attain a higher education. But directly biasing the admission process seems bigoted and risks tarnishing the reputation of the very people it should be helping. I do not understand the rationale behind that.

"Education is a common good, and a right to be enjoyed by all."

This is not a statement that accurately represents current American politics, and that is....

Astonishing.

>is stating your ethnicity normal on uni applications?

Yes

>What is the reasoning behind that?

Affirmative action requirements. Students can check the box for "prefer not to answer" if they wish. Though I don't know if that gives you better results than admitting to be white or asian.

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