Deep in your heart-of-darkness it is likely you’ve noticed the well-publicized and continuous failure of African-American K-12 students to read and write as well as ‘real’ people. You may well have made note of black youths’ statistically undeniable proclivity for gun violence, unrepentant fashion, and bad TV. If so, you may have also ascribed these socially inconvenient attributes to some type of unspeakable genetic code. If that is the case, do be careful not to reflect on these matters in mixed company, that is unless, you are a Hell’s Angels biker babe or a neo-Nazi skinhead. In the unicorn world we live in, free thought is a luxury we cannot afford when the price is offending someone or a protected species. Nonetheless, there certainly seems to be some correlation between atrocious academic performance and skin color. If sub-par ACT and SAT test scores are not affected by skin pigmentation, then perhaps urban zip codes are the culprit. Those of you who secretly believe that black folk can’t learn too good, and I have encountered several K-12 teachers that do, take a look the data on true Africans, who’ve immigrated to the United States.
According to U.S. Census Bureau data, in an analysis performed by the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, African immigrants here were more likely to be college educated than any other immigrant group. Not only that, but African immigrants are also more highly educated than any other native-born ethnic group including white Americans. (Gasp) The 48.9% of all African immigrants that have earned a college degree is slightly higher than the percentage of degreed Asian immigrants, twice the rate of native-born whites, and four times the rate of native-born African Americans.
Of the African-born population in the United States age 25 and older, 86.4% reported having a high school diploma or higher, compared with 78. 9% of Asian-born immigrants, and 76.5% of European-born immigrants, respectively. These figures contrast with 61.8% percent of the total foreign-born population. Immigrant groups in general tend to have higher high school graduation rates than the native-born general American population which averages about 70%.
Africans from Ghana (96.9 percent), Zimbabwe (96.7 percent), Botswana (95.5 percent), and Malawi (95 percent) were the most likely to report having a high school degree or higher. Those born in Cape Verde (44.8 percent) and Mauritania (60.8 percent) were the least likely to report having completed a high school education.
Of the European-born those born in Bulgaria (92.6 percent), Switzerland (90.5 percent), and Ireland (90.4 percent) were the most likely to report having a high school degree or higher. Those born in Portugal (42.9 percent), Italy (53.7 percent), and Greece (59.9 percent) were the least likely to report having completed a high school education.
Of the Asian-born, Mongolia (94.8 percent), Kuwait (94.7 percent), the United Arab Emirates (94.5 percent), and Qatar (94.3 percent) were most likely to report having a high school degree or higher. Those born in Laos (48.1 percent), Cambodia (48.4 percent), and Yemen (49.9 percent) were the least likely to report having completed a high school education.
It stands to reason, as few things do anymore, that the personal incomes of African immigrants exceeds that of African-Americans. When stationed in East Africa, I found Kenyans, Ugandans, and Congolese to be both intellectually competitive and highly industrious. Unfortunately the economies of these countries provide little occupational opportunity for their citizens, and that is why nearly 900,000 have left the Dark Continent to settle in the States. There were times that it felt like half of that number personally asked me to help them secure a visa to America.
The actionable point I am making here is that this anecdotal evidence refutes the insinuations in the Bell Curve and suggests very strongly that skin color is not a causal factor in the perpetuation of the black-white academic achievement gap.
If not, then uh, what is?
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Those little wikipedia links about the various countries are really nice indeed, but your article apparently revolves around a research made by U.S. Census Bureau; it would have been way easier for people if you had hyperlinked that one instead of the liberalopedia articles. Thanks
I hope they are not buying they way as is done in Zimbabwe
Zuze EN6
If you can't write properly (look at what you wrote again) how dare you question whether or not some one's diploma was bought? Perhaps you need to buy one yourself.
I have trouble with the "protected species" in the first paragraph.
I thought species were considered animals and protected classes were for people.
Where did you say you purchased your degree?
It takes forever to get to the gist of the article at the end, the Bell Curve. My observations are that it's not race so much that determines IQ but perhaps a more intricate genetic code associated in way like specific tribes or lineages. Race is a factor but not as much as a more specific dna makeup. You'll find "mullatos" out of the NO region more prone to certain disease than others throughout North America. Great article for discussion.
Elites over-representation among immigrants from Africa may be the causal link that you are missing.
@Jean: That is some of it, and it explains why European, Asian, African immigrants are all doing better than native born whites. But then, why are native blacks doing worse than native whites? The answer is social conservatism (most blacks are strict Christians), poverty, an anti-intellectual sub-culture, and mistreatment due to skin color. Not to mention dress styles and names impact how blacks are treated by authorities of all races. Individuals can be exceptions but these rules are true for most people.
But why are african immigrants (despite carrying dark skin) do Better than Asian model minority?
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