129. Woke Narratives Debunked | Kenny Xu

This episode is sponsored by NordVPN. Grab your holiday season deal at https://nordvpn.com/tmpp or by using code TMPP and get up to 73% off your NordVPN plan + a bonus gift! Did you know that, if Harvard didn’t limit enrollment, 43% of their students would be Asian American? In this episode, Mikhaila hosts Kenny Xu, author of the new book An Inconvenient Minority. Xu is likewise the President of the race-blind advocacy group Color Us United, and the host of the Inconvenient Minority podcast, where he battles elite "woke" narratives with groundbreaking discussions about race, identity, and culture that challenge the Left and the Right. Mikhaila and Kenny Xu cover the shift in incentives that have been taking place in the public education system, which Xu sees as revolving around two conflicting terms: meritocracy and critical race theory. As an Asian American, Xu’s own university experience is a testament to how a fixation on equality of outcome has led to trivializing curriculums, the cheapening of hard work, and terms as outlandish as “inclusive math.” If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe! ———————————— Follow Kenny Xu on Twitter @kennymxu https://twitter.com/kennymxu Instagram @kennymxu https://instagram.com/kennymxu And check out his book at https://amazon.com/Inconvenient-Minority-American-Excellence-Meritocracy-ebook/dp/B08MQN8J6D Or podcast, at https://open.spotify.com/show/55ekFVCuR11ChwIj04nwgw ———————————— Follow Me On ———————————— All Platforms: https://linktr.ee/mikhailapeterson Facebook: https://facebook.com/mikhailapete​rson Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikhailaAleksis​​ Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikhailapeterson Telegram channel: https://t.me/mikhailapeterson​​ ———————————— Show Notes ———————————— [00:00] Intro [2:20] Welcoming Kenny Xu [03:15] Defining meritocracy and critical race theory (CRT). How have they entered public education in the US? [03:20] “Meritocracy is the idea that no matter your background, you should be judged based on your merits, skills, and [what] you can contribute" - Kenny Xu [04:12] “CRT subdivides people into categories of privileged or oppressed based on their race. Whites are at the top… and people of color at the bottom" - KX [06:07] “I just use Asian Americans as an example to prove it's not race [or] skin color that creates their position in society, but where they are culturally, what merit they have, and what they bring to the table" - KX [06:34] The origins of CRT [08:15] What is the end goal of CRT? What does teaching it ultimately accomplish? [09:52] “The goal of CRT is to deconstruct society and build again from the ashes" - KX [11:19] What’s CRT’s plan for our existing societal system? What are some common teachings? [13:46] What is “white adjacency”? [15:44] “The term... refers to the benefits of being white leaking onto those that act more ‘white,’ like successful Asian Americans" - KX [17:11] What were Xu's initial reactions in college as he was taught CRT? A long history of hard work, dismissed [21:33] Are there better solutions or theories than CRT? [22:12] “We need a ban on racial preferences in all colleges, schools, and universities because [they provide] all the wrong incentives" - KX [23:33] The history of race-based preference at Harvard [29:27] Xu shares his personal experience as an English major turned math major. Why race-based schooling is more racist than meritocracies [30:13] “I believe you could have just as rigorous of a philosophy curriculum in universities as a math or science curriculum. They purposely dumb down these majors because universities [care about] good graduation rates" - KX [33:21] “In an effort to be anti-racist, [CRT] actually ends up becoming racist" - KX [33:31] Poor Asian immigrants challenging the boundaries of the education system [34:51] They have “a willingness to go outside the bounds and limitations of the public education system" - KX [37:05] Has CRT made its way into almost every form of education by now? [38:47] The creation of industry to support new CRT material [38:54] What was Xu's main goal in writing An Inconvenient Minority? [42:35] China, the Soviet Union, and what happens when education follows a political agenda [46:54] What on earth is inclusive math? [51:20] How can we give young people a pathway to success? [54:07] The value of a smart mentor [55:26] What's next for Kenny Xu? [57:31] Wrapping up #MikhailaPeterson #KennyXu #AntiCRT #ColorUSUnited #Meritocracy #EqualityOfOutcome