The affirmative action definitions of the US government used by universities to reduce all people to merely members of essentialized biological groups do not appear to have any place for the people of Central Asia. They have Asians in which they include Pakistanis, Indians, Bangladeshis as well as people of East Asian descent. They also have "White" which includes Iranians, Turks and other peoples native to the Middle East. Not mentioned at all are Kazakhs, Tajiks, Kyrgyz or Turkmen. One serious problem with the groups given as examples is that the categories are all mixed up. Iranian and Pakistani are not ethnic groups. Both Iran and Pakistan are multi-ethnic states in which a large number of ethnic groups live. Many of these ethnic groups cross boundries. This leads to strange results under the US affirmative action classifications. An ethnic Baluchi born in Iran is considered "White" and hence subject to defacto discrimination. In contrast his cousin born across the border in Pakistan is considered Asian and gets special preferences. So people of the same ethnicity and family are catagorized as belonging to different races under the official racial classification system of the US. Does this make even the slightest amount of sense? Do the people who made this system have any idea what constitutes nationality versus race versus ethnicity? Or do the multiculturalists just get off on the power trip?
Given the obsession of the ruling powers in the US with physical phenotypes my guess is that they would split Central Asia. Tajiks, Turkmen and Uzbeks would fall under the disfavored "White" label and Kazakhs and Kyrgyz would be considered Asians. However, since I have never seen them mentioned in any of the many affirmative action forms universities keep sending me I would like to see an official clarification. If anybody knows anything about the official US affirmative action racial classifications for Central Asian nationalities, I would be very interested in hearing about it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Nathan, thanks for the comment. I agree with you that the official US concept and catagories of race are largely inapplicable to Central Asia. Actually I don't think apply very well even to the US. Which was one of my points. But, there are some people of Kazakh, Uzbek and Tajik descent in the US. I assume they get AA forms like everybody else. Does the US government consider them White along with Turks and Persians or Asian? It is just a random thought, but I think indicative of the problems that arise when you start creating racial classification systems.
Naran: Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I have indeed applied for positions in Asia. Not only in Central Asia, but East Asia and West Asia as well. The one academic job that gave me an interview last year was in Asia, American University - Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan.
Post a Comment