Where did smart white people go?
Good that the US won, but it also reveals a problem. Only 2nd generation immigrants do well. Why?
Why aren't white Americans getting into STEM? Too hard?

The H1B pimps will now use this to push for more . "Americans are too dumb to do serious intellectual work so we need to import more Indians and Chinese."

https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/trends/donald-trump-physics-olympiad-photo-fuels-h1b-debate-13569643.html
'None look American': Trump's physics Olympiad photo fuels H1B debate over foreign faces

Quote:

---

The five-member US team, including an Indian-origin student, delivered what officials described as the 'greatest performance in team history'. But, online users noted that almost none of the team members appeared to be of visibly American origina detail that struck a nerve amid Trump's recent crackdown on skilled immigration.

---

Quote:

---

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday hosted the 2025 US Physics Olympiad team at the White House, days after signing a proclamation that imposes a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applicants. The photo-op, intended to celebrate a historic academic win, has instead reignited debate over immigration and meritocracy in America.
Trump's assistant Michael Kratsios shared a photo of the president with the team on X, captioned: "Today POTUS & WHOSTP47 were proud to welcome the 2025 World Champion USA Physics Team to the WhiteHouse! These incredible geniuses DOMINATED at the International Physics Olympiad in July, bringing home a record FIVE gold medals the greatest performance in team history."

---

It's cultural. In most other nations. Extreme education and credentialism is one of the few sure ways to a comfortable middle to upper middle class lifestyle and the family heavily promotes a t culturally for the sake of the family.

In America, they are still a good investment but we are so relatively wealthy and entrepreneurial that there are many other viable paths to a good life and there is less cultural pressure for kids to endure the beat down of such highly focused academic sharpening. It brings less social prestige in the USA.

Many really smart American kids that are 3rd and 4th generation+ are too busy starting their own businesses than to spend time nerd-flexing in a physics Olympiad.

MouthBQ98 said:

---

It's cultural. In most other nations. Extreme education and credentialism is one of the few sure ways to a comfortable middle to upper middle class lifestyle and the family heavily promotes a t culturally for the sake of the family.

In America, they are still a good investment but we are so relatively wealthy and entrepreneurial that there are many other viable paths to a good life and there is less cultural pressure for kids to endure the beat down of such highly focused academic sharpening. It brings less social prestige in the USA.

---

These are big factors.

But I think the dumbing down of the educational system by catering to the "everyone gets a trophy" and "nobody can get their feelings hurt" crowd combined with the "math is racist" crowd makes for lesser achievement levels.

There's also a lot to be said for the well-rounded person ethos of education. I run across way too many people who are fairly brilliant in their narrow, esoteric fields of endeavor but cannot communicate with anybody outside that narrow field and have little ability to conceptualize and implement the big picture strategy, only their narrow scope of interest.

I chalk some of that up to the "trade school" mentality of education, which is pretty common on this board. A traditional, classical education sought to create critical thinkers and problem solvers not automatons.

Everybody gets a trophy began in the 80s, and things have only gotten worse. Good chunks of gen Z and alpha think experiencing discomfort is violence (not great for the old work ethic and high achievement), the public education system is engaging in rampant grade inflation, something like 2/3 of kids perform below grade level in reading and math (and writing is an absolute disaster), some states are beginning to remove basic math proficiency requirements to hide the magnitude of their failures, a few years ago the Smithsonian called hard work and punctuality "white" virtues while simultaneously stating that white virtues were bad...

What did you think was going to happen after a couple of decades of this? You think it would be business as usual? there's a reason a lot of conservatives have been screaming about the insidious impacts of these policies for years and years. The consequences we're experiencing today were completely predictable

I wonder what the race and IQ people have to say about this one.

JB!98 said:

---

---

BusterAg said:

---

Many really smart American kids that are 3rd and 4th generation+ are too busy starting their own businesses than to spend time nerd-flexing in a physics Olympiad.

---

Exactly. We round our children's education out with public speaking, business accumen, insisting they get jobs in HS to learn the value of hard work, encouraging them to think outside the box, etc. Most intelligent immigrants only understand the "grind" mentality in an academic sense. They are exceptionally good studiers, but not great thinkers. This is why Asia rips off all of our **** instead of creating their own.

TexAgs91 said:

---

JB!98 said:

---

---

---

You can be something of both. The body fuels the mind and high achievement in both is the ideal.

Signed,
Former D1 athlete (football) and high-academic/career achiever and,
brother of 2 former D1 athletes (football & swimming) who are also high-academic/career achievers

PS- raising my boys to be both as the oldest is top-4% of his HS class and on path to be a D1 athlete (too soon to say for the younger one)

The Banned said:

---

BusterAg said:

---

Many really smart American kids that are 3rd and 4th generation+ are too busy starting their own businesses than to spend time nerd-flexing in a physics Olympiad.

---

Exactly. We round our children's education out with public speaking, business accumen, insisting they get jobs in HS to learn the value of hard work, encouraging them to think outside the box, etc. Most intelligent immigrants only understand the "grind" mentality in an academic sense. They are exceptionally good studiers, but not great thinkers. This is why Asia rips off all of our **** instead of creating their own.

---

Okay. But what makes you think that Kumar and Chang in the picture don't know public speaking? Remember, these kids did not come from Delhi or Beijing. They came from San Fran, Dallas and Boston. They went to HS in America and are American for all practical purposes. They did debate in school, got good grades and played varsity sports.

But while Steve was getting hammered in a bar, Kumar and Chang were preparing for a Physics Olympiad.

I am pretty sure these winners will end up at Harvard and Stanford and start their own companies.

Sorry to burst the bubble of your "cope" but you should know the facts.

The Banned said:

---

BusterAg said:

---

Many really smart American kids that are 3rd and 4th generation+ are too busy starting their own businesses than to spend time nerd-flexing in a physics Olympiad.

---

Exactly. We round our children's education out with public speaking, business accumen, insisting they get jobs in HS to learn the value of hard work, encouraging them to think outside the box, etc. Most intelligent immigrants only understand the "grind" mentality in an academic sense. They are exceptionally good studiers, but not great thinkers. This is why Asia rips off all of our **** instead of creating their own.

---

100% this

I'm constantly pushing our oldest to speak up and communicate better and more frequently. We haven't forced him to get a job but on his own he started his own small business crafting hand-turned pens. He's also teaching himself to make duck calls on the wood lathe and make knives too. He just turned 15 over the summer.

https://www.instagram.com/woodmarkpens/

Quote:

---

Where did smart white people go?

---

Business School.

infinity ag said:

---

The Banned said:

---

BusterAg said:

---

Many really smart American kids that are 3rd and 4th generation+ are too busy starting their own businesses than to spend time nerd-flexing in a physics Olympiad.

---

Exactly. We round our children's education out with public speaking, business accumen, insisting they get jobs in HS to learn the value of hard work, encouraging them to think outside the box, etc. Most intelligent immigrants only understand the "grind" mentality in an academic sense. They are exceptionally good studiers, but not great thinkers. This is why Asia rips off all of our **** instead of creating their own.

---

Okay. But what makes you think that Kumar and Chang in the picture don't know public speaking? Remember, these kids did not come from Delhi or Beijing. They came from San Fran, Dallas and Boston. They went to HS in America and are American for all practical purposes. They did debate in school.

But while Steve was getting hammered in a bar, Kumar and Chang were preparing for a Physics Olympiad.

I am pretty sure these winners will end up at Harvard and Stanford and start their own companies.

Sorry to burst the bubble of your "cope" but you should know the facts.

---

Odds are very low that your contrived scenario plays out that way. All the studies and data point out these types eschew the creative destruction of entrepreneurship in favor of becoming corporate drones by a wide margin.

This has been the norm all of my 52 years. Who cares. Americans won.

TarponChaser said:

---

infinity ag said:

---

The Banned said:

---

BusterAg said:

---

Many really smart American kids that are 3rd and 4th generation+ are too busy starting their own businesses than to spend time nerd-flexing in a physics Olympiad.

---

Exactly. We round our children's education out with public speaking, business accumen, insisting they get jobs in HS to learn the value of hard work, encouraging them to think outside the box, etc. Most intelligent immigrants only understand the "grind" mentality in an academic sense. They are exceptionally good studiers, but not great thinkers. This is why Asia rips off all of our **** instead of creating their own.

---

Okay. But what makes you think that Kumar and Chang in the picture don't know public speaking? Remember, these kids did not come from Delhi or Beijing. They came from San Fran, Dallas and Boston. They went to HS in America and are American for all practical purposes. They did debate in school.

But while Steve was getting hammered in a bar, Kumar and Chang were preparing for a Physics Olympiad.

I am pretty sure these winners will end up at Harvard and Stanford and start their own companies.

Sorry to burst the bubble of your "cope" but you should know the facts.

---

Odds are very low that your contrived scenario plays out that way. All the studies and data point out these types eschew the creative destruction of entrepreneurship in favor of becoming corporate drones by a wide margin.

---

Again, you are talking about Indians from India. And Chinese from China.

The kids with Trump are Indians from AMERICA. And Chinese from AMERICA.

They have the same skills and education as the other kids and their immigrant parents push them to strive for excellence.

Best of both worlds.
Vivek Ramaswamy is an example. There are several more and increasing.

Different kids are good at and focus on different things. How much overlap do you think there usually is between 6A varsity football and the debate team? There was one kid who was on both when my son was in high school.

infinity ag said:

---

The Banned said:

---

BusterAg said:

---

Many really smart American kids that are 3rd and 4th generation+ are too busy starting their own businesses than to spend time nerd-flexing in a physics Olympiad.

---

Exactly. We round our children's education out with public speaking, business accumen, insisting they get jobs in HS to learn the value of hard work, encouraging them to think outside the box, etc. Most intelligent immigrants only understand the "grind" mentality in an academic sense. They are exceptionally good studiers, but not great thinkers. This is why Asia rips off all of our **** instead of creating their own.

---

Okay. But what makes you think that Kumar and Chang in the picture don't know public speaking? Remember, these kids did not come from Delhi or Beijing. They came from San Fran, Dallas and Boston. They went to HS in America and are American for all practical purposes. They did debate in school, got good grades and played varsity sports.

But while Steve was getting hammered in a bar, Kumar and Chang were preparing for a Physics Olympiad.

I am pretty sure these winners will end up at Harvard and Stanford and start their own companies.

Sorry to burst the bubble of your "cope" but you should know the facts.

---

1. These are High Schoolers. Their classmate Steve isn't getting hammered in bars.

2. You don't know what these kids do outside of the one they described that does: Gunn Board Game Club, Gunn Competitive Programming Club, Gunn Varsity Tennis Team, and Gunn Choir.

3. Where did you go to HS? If it was somewhere larger, then you know these types of kids and you know what they're in to. Your fictitious description of them is so outside of what we all (or most of us) experienced it isn't even funny. The generalization isn't some kind of secret. Ask the high performing asians and indians you know. They'll tell you.

4. Go look up the past 25 years of Nobel winners in the field of physics, where they're from and what they look like. White people are doing just fine as a whole. A HS physics team doesn't demonstrate anything of substance.

infinity ag said:

---

TarponChaser said:

---

infinity ag said:

---

The Banned said:

---

BusterAg said:

---

Many really smart American kids that are 3rd and 4th generation+ are too busy starting their own businesses than to spend time nerd-flexing in a physics Olympiad.

---

Exactly. We round our children's education out with public speaking, business accumen, insisting they get jobs in HS to learn the value of hard work, encouraging them to think outside the box, etc. Most intelligent immigrants only understand the "grind" mentality in an academic sense. They are exceptionally good studiers, but not great thinkers. This is why Asia rips off all of our **** instead of creating their own.

---

Okay. But what makes you think that Kumar and Chang in the picture don't know public speaking? Remember, these kids did not come from Delhi or Beijing. They came from San Fran, Dallas and Boston. They went to HS in America and are American for all practical purposes. They did debate in school.

But while Steve was getting hammered in a bar, Kumar and Chang were preparing for a Physics Olympiad.

I am pretty sure these winners will end up at Harvard and Stanford and start their own companies.

Sorry to burst the bubble of your "cope" but you should know the facts.

---

Odds are very low that your contrived scenario plays out that way. All the studies and data point out these types eschew the creative destruction of entrepreneurship in favor of becoming corporate drones by a wide margin.

---

Again, you are talking about Indians from India. And Chinese from China.

The kids with Trump are Indians from AMERICA. And Chinese from AMERICA.

They have the same skills and education as the other kids and their immigrant parents push them to strive for excellence.

Best of both worlds.
Vivek Ramaswamy is an example. There are several more and increasing.

---

No we aren't. We're talking about children of people from those countries. We know they weren't born overseas.

Vivek was very smart, but he was nothing like the types of kids on this team outside of skin color. Science lovers like this are in a class of their own, and yes, it includes white people.

Their parents only let them play football because they wanted something to show for that $189,000,000,000 bond package the local isd passed. They got looked at by a couple d3 schools but ended up just going to the same school their girlfriend went to. First couple of semesters were rough because of rush and adjusting to having to keep their own schedule but they found their stride. Eventually they'd go on to get forklift certified.

No women of color? That photo is reality, in stark contrast to the bull**** images you see in woke promotional photos advertising elite STEM oriented colleges online.

infinity ag said:

---

TarponChaser said:

---

infinity ag said:

---

The Banned said:

---

BusterAg said:

---

Many really smart American kids that are 3rd and 4th generation+ are too busy starting their own businesses than to spend time nerd-flexing in a physics Olympiad.

---

Exactly. We round our children's education out with public speaking, business accumen, insisting they get jobs in HS to learn the value of hard work, encouraging them to think outside the box, etc. Most intelligent immigrants only understand the "grind" mentality in an academic sense. They are exceptionally good studiers, but not great thinkers. This is why Asia rips off all of our **** instead of creating their own.

---

Okay. But what makes you think that Kumar and Chang in the picture don't know public speaking? Remember, these kids did not come from Delhi or Beijing. They came from San Fran, Dallas and Boston. They went to HS in America and are American for all practical purposes. They did debate in school.

But while Steve was getting hammered in a bar, Kumar and Chang were preparing for a Physics Olympiad.

I am pretty sure these winners will end up at Harvard and Stanford and start their own companies.

Sorry to burst the bubble of your "cope" but you should know the facts.

---

Odds are very low that your contrived scenario plays out that way. All the studies and data point out these types eschew the creative destruction of entrepreneurship in favor of becoming corporate drones by a wide margin.

---

Again, you are talking about Indians from India. And Chinese from China.

The kids with Trump are Indians from AMERICA. And Chinese from AMERICA.

They have the same skills and education as the other kids and their immigrant parents push them to strive for excellence.

Best of both worlds.
Vivek Ramaswamy is an example. There are several more and increasing.

---

Yeah, that's not true at all on a broad assessment. Examples like Ramaswamy are just as rare as Cody Campbell & John Sellers or Roy & Ryan Seiders or John Arnold. Achievement levels by 2nd generation immigrants and beyond is not much different than the white kids you're bashing.

Sims said:

---

Their parents only let them play football because they wanted something to show for that $189,000,000,000 bond package the local isd passed. They got looked at by a couple d3 schools but ended up just going to the same school their girlfriend went to. First couple of semesters were rough because of rush and adjusting to having to keep their own schedule but they found their stride. Eventually they'd go on to get forklift certified.

---

Huh?

My son is a sophomore at A&M. In his defense he'd never been around Indians in his life whereas I worked with many over many years. His unfiltered summation after a year in 2024-25 College Station.

I think all they do is go to class and study. Most of them are nice don't get me wrong. But they don't like sports and I don't think they even go to football games. And their parents visit them all the time and take them to Costco. Sbisa always has Indian food but only white girls seem to eat it. The Indian kids eat pizza and chicken strips. And they all have Teslas and like Twisted Tea.

They are Americans.

Is the 4th from the left Ukranian or something? He doesn't appear to own a suit.

Rebel Yell said:

---

They are Americans.

---

Yes they are.


The insight is that 50 years ago, scientists, tech, medicine was all white doctors. The numbers relatively are dwindling compared to the 70s and maybe getting into business. Chinese, Indians etc are in tech and finance and increasing.

Make what you want of it but I think the change is interesting.


1975 Microsoft

Blame our state controlled high schools. Very few of them provide rigorous enough teaching in STEM fields.

There are a few around that have engineering focuses. They are the ones that have respectable robotics teams and decent math and science tracts.