University College at the University of Toronto (Image: Cameron MacMaster, from the Toronto Life Flickr pool)
Apparently, the arrival of excellent students is a problem in Canada’s universities. The 20th edition of Maclean’s University Guide issue hits newsstands tomorrow, asking, among other things, whether Canada’s top post-secondary institutions are being disrupted by an influx of high-achieving, hard-working students. This would normally not be a controversy, but the weekly magazine is focused on one kind of student (those of Asian descent) and one university (University of Toronto).
When Alexandra and her friend Rachel, both graduates of Toronto’s Havergal College, an all-girls private school, were deciding which university to go to, they didn’t even bother considering the University of Toronto. “The only people from our school who went to U of T were Asian,” explains Alexandra, a second-year student who looks like a girl from an Aritzia billboard. “All the white kids,” she says, “go to Queen’s, Western and McGill.”
Alexandra eventually chose the University of Western Ontario. Her younger brother, now a high school senior deciding where he’d like to go, will head “either east, west or to McGill”—unusual academic options, but in keeping with what he wants from his university experience. “East would suit him because it’s chill, out west he could be a ski bum,” says Alexandra, who explains her little brother wants to study hard, but is also looking for a good time—which rules out U of T, a school with an academic reputation that can be a bit of a killjoy.
We weren’t aware of U of T’s reputation as a killjoy, what with the high density of bars and clubs a short distance from the downtown campus.
The article isn’t entirely about U of T; Waterloo and UBC also get mentions as hard-working schools where white kids just can’t keep up with those Asians. Of course, there is a nasty side to all of this. One Asian student talks about getting yelled at by a white parent for taking her son’s spot in university. (Gee, multiculturalism isn’t flawless—stop the presses.)
Part of the problem is that when discussing this stuff, it’s easy to make rookie mistakes, like when the Toronto Star, bouncing off the Maclean’s article, contrasts “Chinese-Canadians” with “those born in Canada,” as if many, many people weren’t both. Maclean’s, using the same data, was much more careful in its wording.
At least nobody’s gone for the cheap laugh and joked that Maclean’s let Rob Ford guest-edit the university issue. Oh, wait.
• ‘Too Asian’? [Macleans]
• Asian students being forced into university: Maclean’s [Toronto Star]
Looks like excessive criticism of some ethnic groups IS allowed.
November 10, 2010 at 6:40 pm | by JasonIt IS too Asian. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to see yourself represented in your surroundings. Besides, Asians cluster themselves together anyway, there’s not much integration… see: Markham Ontario.
November 10, 2010 at 8:04 pm | by sarah^uhm, no. I see Chinese with whites
I’m sorry to offend YOU or anyone but white kids were learned to play first and then work. In contrast with the chinese, they work and then play.
in markham Ontario, how many whites would you see sitting in the library of the school? Maybe you should do a survey first and then speak.
November 10, 2010 at 9:18 pm | by jojo*in the school
November 10, 2010 at 9:54 pm | by jojoLooks like someone at the magazine came to their senses and pulled the story from the website…
November 10, 2010 at 10:08 pm | by Maggie's FarmboyWhites will be a minority soon anyway. Asians – south and east – are dominating. I hate to admit it, but its true.
November 10, 2010 at 10:37 pm | by JasonLooks like Macleans took the article down! Seems like the editor could not handle the press…
November 10, 2010 at 10:41 pm | by Ann ScottWhites are mad ’cause they can’t keep up, that’s evolution for you, ha!
November 10, 2010 at 10:52 pm | by LVTSWow, Alexandra’s a jerk. And it looks like Maclean’s pulled the article so I can’t read up on more idiots. Who the heck goes to university to chill out?
Meh.
And Sarah, you’re kind of a jerk too.
November 10, 2010 at 11:01 pm | by Donna VitanI completely do not condone the idea that U of T is “too asian”. Personally, I feel uncomfortable in non-mixed environments. I went to U of T for undergrad in chemistry – 60-70% of the students in my program were East Asian, most of them not born here, and *gasp* I was friends with many of them and we all worked together on labs and assignments. Certainly it’s easy for groups who all speak the same language and share common culture to stick together, but it’s up to everyone to make an effort to engage each other.
There is definitely a reputation for U of T as “killjoy” school though. The U of T undergrad teaching is really bad- especially 1st and 2nd year, class sizes are huge, entrance averages are really high, programs are more rigorous than other schools, and then they set the average at 65%. If you don’t work non-stop, goodbye professional school. You can go to any other university in canada and work less for higher grades and then come back to U of T for grad school or professional school when U of T’s research excellence kicks in. Why wouldn’t you?
November 10, 2010 at 11:15 pm | by jess@Sarah: The vast majority of media (including movies, tv shows, anything news related) is white. Perhaps you don’t realize it, being white yourself, but white people are DEFINITELY represented in their surroundings, the media being one of the most pervasive influences in our lives. So don’t talk about NOT BEING REPRESENTED. But if you can’t stand the heat, go to University of Windsor. I’m sure you’ll love it there. /sarcasm
November 10, 2010 at 11:18 pm | by nabobTwo white girls from Havergal College….who ended up in white-wash London Ontario.
Who is really asking are Canadian Universities too Asian?: ignorant white parents who don’t realize their children aren’t qualified enough for U of T?
Or is it Macleans magazine itself picking low-hanging fruit and pandering to its key demographic?
No educated, successful, worldly person would EVER EVER EVER conclude that Canadian Universities are too Asian.
Ignorance at its core is on display here.
November 10, 2010 at 11:20 pm | by Joe the PlumberCongratulations Maclean’s, You really set a bar high for journalistic racism. It is really like reading off of a 1930′s Nazi propaganda article “Germany: Too Jewish?”
November 10, 2010 at 11:40 pm | by GalI don’t understand the point of this article. If Canadian culture promotes multiculturalism, then isn’t this article alienating the Chinese Canadians, by saying that “University of Toronto is too Asian.” We should never stereotype that something is too “Asian” or even too “White”. University accepts students based on their academic performance NOT on their ethnic backgrounds! It is painful to see that people are still stereotyping against minority groups in the year of 2010…especially in such a diverse country, CANADA!!
November 11, 2010 at 12:20 am | by QQI am tired of hearing this kind of racist comments every single day in this country. In the past few years, I came to realize it was a mistake to move to Canada. You work hard to enter university, you are branded a nerd and anti-social. Racial discrimination seems to begin even before you start working. I am really, really tired of this. The bottomline is that white Canadians do not like Asians, and no matter what do they will find a way to criticize and belittle you. Time to go home, my real home in Asia.
November 11, 2010 at 12:30 am | by Chesterfield