# Asians and math

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-and-math/229168>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [February 14, 2004, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-and-math/229168 "2004-02-14T05:43:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\
**Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-and-math/229168/81 "2004-02-16T23:47:58Z")

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Wait, is this a joke?

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**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-and-math/229168/82 "2004-02-17T02:36:25Z")

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> [@MAFA](#):
>
> What dichotomy?

The dichotomy between “Why are all Asians so good at math?” and “Isn’t it lovely to think so [that all Asians are good at math]”.

Those who are noting the higher rate of Asians getting degrees in math might take note of all the Asians NOT getting degrees in anything, let alone math. If you’ve got an area whose best students come to this country (among others, to be sure) and get degrees in math, that means their best students are doing that. It doesn’t mean they all excell in it any more than the number of Americans getting degrees in English or History means all Americans are good at either (and judging by my experiences, this general proficiency is in no danger of becoming reality).

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**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\
**Post date:** [February 17, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/asians-and-math/229168/83 "2004-02-17T03:14:18Z")

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> [@MAFA](#):
>
> Damn it, no one’s taken my bait. If they had, I would have asked they thought black people could naturally play basketball and have a rhythmic sense of music too.

I don’t like trolls, and I don’t like joke threads. I particularly don’t like trolls posting joke threads. Fortunately for me, I can do something about that.

Lynn  
For the Straight Dope

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