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From: gam@amdahl.UUCP (G A Moffett)
Newsgroups: net.women,net.flame
Subject: Re: Discrimination and Affirmative Action
Message-ID: <1637@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 9-Jun-85 20:07:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: amdahl.1637
Posted: Sun Jun  9 20:07:25 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 10-Jun-85 14:27:58 EDT
References: <2968@drutx.UUCP>
Reply-To: gam@amdahl.UUCP (G A Moffett)
Organization: Blue Mouse Trailer Resort, Hellmouth, CA
Lines: 31
Keywords: asians,affirmative action,occupations
Xref: utcs net.women:5675 net.flame:10109
Summary: culture affects distribution in workforce

In article <2968@drutx.UUCP> wed@drutx.UUCP (DeibertWE) writes:

> [ somebody else writes: ]
>> ...with the possible exception of Asians, whose culture predisposes
>> them to work inordinately harder than us honkies.
>
>Utter BS.  Hard work is largely a matter of personal pride irregardless
>of race, sex, color, creed, *culture* or age.
>
>William D.

I know that sounds very nice, but in fact Asians (and Jews) tend to
work harder and longer in their choosen fields because of *cultural
upbringing*.  This is not some ethnic cliche but an observed fact.
Asians are disproportionately represented in the hard sciences,
particularly physics and biology/biochemistry, *more so than
any other ethnic group*.  Jews are also disproportionately represented
in the population of doctors (particularly specialists) and lawyers.
All of these fields are rather difficult to qualify for, requiring
hard work in college (remember *your* science classes? all two of them?)
and post-graduate training.

(This does not mean that all Asians and Jews are hardworking and
dilligent, nor does it mean that non-Asians and non-Jews are necessarily
less hardworking.)

For more interesting observations of the US workforce and ethnic
groups therein, read "The Economics and Politics of Race" by Thomas
Sowell (published in `84, I think).
-- 
Gordon A. Moffett               ...!{ihnp4,cbosgd,sun}!amdahl!gam