30 Oct, 2020 14:02

So much for ‘privilege’! Asian women achieve higher median income than WHITE MEN, blowing identity politics out of water

A report by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics on weekly earnings in the third quarter has revealed that Asian women earned more on average during that period than those who supposedly enjoy the ultimate privilege: white men.

Released earlier this month, the report went viral on Friday, with social media posters pointing out the apparent tectonic shift in America’s racial narrative: Asian women in the US have been earning $1,224 per week on average, compared to white men’s $1,122.

🚨🚨🚨Earnings for Asian women surpassed white male earnings for the first time this year! Asian privilege? Female privilege? Narrative-destabilizing development. #EqualPay https://t.co/x5F5YkWeju pic.twitter.com/Gnf54U1d1b
— Christina Sommers (@CHSommers) October 30, 2020

The statistic in question sparked something of a debate on Twitter, however, with prominent California lawyer Harmeet Dhillon taking a negative tack. Dhillon claimed such data “will be used to marginalize Asian women” in their workplaces, costing them their current favored employment status as “under-represented minorities.”

This is not the good news you think it is, folks. This data will be used to marginalize Asian women at companies that increasingly reserve certain jobs/promotions for "URM"s, "under-represented minorities." This phenomenon already has downgraded the workplace status of Asian men. https://t.co/2z42MAcWOC
— HKD (Harmeet K. Dhillon) (@pnjaban) October 30, 2020

Twitter users swiftly labeled her point of view “absurd,” and called for equality in hiring practices.

This is such an unnecessary slippery slope the left is dragging America down. If we merely insisted on equality in hiring standards & practices, then individuals could find the jobs that fit their skills. It just seems lost in the conversation that only stupid firms discriminate.
— Kyle Becker 🇺🇸 (@kylenabecker) October 30, 2020

At some point we need to become a true meritocracy and stop placing any importance on identity.
— Hal McGowan (@hal_mcgowan) October 30, 2020

You're announcing support for affirmative action long after it's no longer necessary for it to exist. I don't know why.
— Epic Taters (@ETaters) October 30, 2020

Another group of commenters simply ridiculed Dhillon’s own position, accusing her of playing the victim, as a woman of Asian descent herself.

Underrepresented (URM), absurd. The world is not proportional, see SAT's, etc."It rests upon the "completely unrealistic" assumption that minorities will choose a particular trade in lockstep proportion to their representation in the population." Richmond v Croson 488 US @ 507.
— Barry Ceminchuk (@barryceminchuk) October 30, 2020

pic.twitter.com/7bm9UZOhii
— Boxhead (@BoxyTheBoxHead) October 30, 2020

Always have a complaint?
— Captain Mel Toxic, Man of Action ♂ (@CaptainMelToxic) October 30, 2020

Twitter spats aside, many social media users simply expressed how delighted they were for Asian American women, with many declaring them “hard-working”. Some commenters lauded the development as a capitalist success story and even as feminist breakthrough.