<p>It seems that universities and colleges seek to raise the proportion of URMs at their intuitions to enhance a schools diversity. And optimal levels of diversity would presumably be for the sake of the white kids in the student body, exposing them to minorities that might not have been present in their towns or schools, thereby fostering interracial and interethnic friendships, interaction and understanding, and preparing white kids for life in the real world.</p>
<p>But Ive read many times that once kids get to school, they tend to gravitate toward their own groups, where they feel more comfortable. Even within a certain designated group, such as Asian-Americans for example, you find self-segregating sub-groups: Korean kids hanging out with other Korean kids and Indian kids hanging out wit other Indian kids.</p>
<p>Although the vast majority of white kids looking at colleges seem to want a diverse school, in the end, how will a school's diversity affect them? And is it not a burden for black and Hispanic kids, and other URMs, to be at a school partially, or primarily, to educate or train their white counterparts. I would imagine being a URM at a predominantly white school would be exhausting. </p>
<p>Should parents discourage their kids from attending school that have relatively few URMs, such as Villanova, because they lack diversity?</p>
<p>EVERYBODY gets a real world experience, not just the “white” people and not just the minorities. Anyone who grows up in an insulated environment like you are describing needs the reality of living, working and experiencing all kinds of people. </p>
<p>Someone who describes themselves as Asian who may only have experience helping out in mom & dad’s video store may need a real-world experience with an African-American teacher or a Hispanic academic adviser or a “white” boss at their first internship. Someone who describes themselves as Hispanic may need the reality check of getting out of an environment where everybody speaks Spanish and into the real world (that’s not the college down the street) where they better speak English because not everyone outside of their comfort zone speaks fluent Spanish.</p>
<p>When I was in high school I never dreamed I’d ever have an African-American boss or a Latina boss; or work with colleagues who were gay or lesbian. Are your kids ready to report to someone who is 180 degrees different than they are? What will they do when the person in the next cubicle isn’t just like them? They better be ready, and hopefully a diverse environment in high school, college or where ever life takes them will prepare them for something resembling the real world.</p>
<p>A famous brokerage firm from the 70s and 80s, EF Hutton, was pretty much filled with Ivy League, white guys from the best families. They shared the same values, had the same life experiences and got along famously. After a few scandals and a few other disasters, they were acquired by Citibank, never to be famous again. Because there was no one in the room to give a different viewpoint, this company folded. What great businesses, government administrations, colleges, etc. have learned is that there is strength in dissent, if only because it opens yourself up to possiblilities. Diversity (economic, geographic, political, religious, gender, age, etc) can be the catalyst for new ideas.</p>
<p>It’s a global world, and the sooner those of us in the USA recognize that, the better. While I believe English should always be our native language, I also feel it’s important to learn/speak multiple languages.</p>
<p>This has not been my daughter’s experience at all (she’s white). Her college is very diverse, as was her high school. Among her intimates in high school were kids from Korea, India, Viet Nam, and Iran. Her two best friends in college are a Japanese exchange student and an African American guy. She currently has a crush on a Chinese dude. She grew up in California – where there is no majority race – and I think that she’d find a predominantly white campus a pretty boring place.</p>
<p>D’s experience has been very similar to the one described by LasMa. She would think it odd to attend a school that was not diverse. It reflects the real world, my own workplace is very diverse.</p>
<p>It is not simply whether or not various groups choose to hang out with one another that is critical to the overall experience. The classroom dynamic can be improved significantly if it is not simply the perspective of the middle-class white kid that is heard in class discussions. Depending on the course, you’d be amazed at how much you can gain by hearing the views of kids who grew up in entirely different circumstances when having a discussion about a topic, particularly in the social sciences or humanities.</p>
<p>America’s historic role as a land of immigrants from all over the world has essentially made the country a global all-star team. The merging of diverse ideas, traditions, cultures, music, food, etc. is responsible for much of the quality of life that we enjoy. To be without a full appreciation of human diversity in the 21st century is to be significantly undereducated.</p>
<p>Like LasMa’s and FallGirl’s Ds, my white Ds have often been in the minority in their social groups. They’ve been the only non-Asian on the ski trip, the only Caucasian in the Indian Students’ dance show, the only straight student on the Gay Students and Allies executive board. I think they’d tell you that their experiences with peers who are ethnically, culturally, and religiously diverse are among the best educational experiences of their lives.</p>
<p>Back in the day, I came from a low to low-middle income high school with lots of ethnic diversity. I’m a white female. College for me was a shock because it was very white, upper class. Fast forward, most folks I’ve worked for/with have been predominately white and upper-middle class. Guess my college experience prepared me for my real world.</p>
<p>I purposely sought out elementary/high schools that were diverse for my kids, but for college, a lack of diversity won’t be a factor to me. Cost will be :)</p>
<p>California is 42% non-Hispanic White, 37% Hispanic or Latino, 13% Asian, 7% Black, 1% Native American, and 36% Multiracial. There is no race that comprises > 50% of the population. I believe that Hawaii is the only other non-majority race state.</p>
Well said, gadad. My son had a similar experience to your daughters until college. He finds his less-than-diverse environment a bit of a culture shock.</p>
<p>I’m living in the California where no single race makes up 50% or more of the total population. Whites are still the largest race, 42% (down from 47% in 2000).</p>
<p>I DO feel like California can be a very different experience away from the larger cities. Our city is probably 80 percent white. I am encouraging my son to apply to a few schools that are one to two percent black ( we are black), because they are otherwise a good fit, but we had TOTALLY different priorities for his older sister.</p>
<p>American Indian, Eskimo, Aluet 0.38%<br>
Asian or Pacific Islander 24.04%<br>
Black 24.68%<br>
Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 1.22%<br>
Other 13.41%<br>
White 36.27%<br>
Population Hispanic 20.56%<br>
Population Non Hispanic 79.44%</p>
<p>My kids are half Asian and half white (although you couldn’t tell.) They don’t gravitate towards any group in particular. Their friends are African Amer., Lebanese, Chinese, Hispanic, gay and white. Their skin color makes no difference to them.</p>
<p>Maybe this is my skeptical “Dad Brain” talking, but something about the OP’s post has me feeling we’re being duped into providing answers to a college essay.</p>
<p>Why diversity? It can be culture shock to learn that not everyone does things the same way. There are also many types of diversity, not just ethnic origins. Geographic, religious, economic as well. Learning about life in a small town up north (once I got past the tall tales of one phone among the 3 the girls et al as they tried to test my city sensibilities), out east in a small NJ town, Kuwait, Hong Kong, Long Island, NY, Boston- just hearing the different accents was mind opening, but none of these taught me about India. That I married into. California may have ethnic diversity but if most students come from the state they will think theirs is the only way things are done. So- students from instate get denied admission to make room for some from elsewhere.</p>
<p>Learning how people do the things you take for granted differently is the why of diversity. It is not limited to the obvious. Reading about, seeing diverse people in the media is no substitute for actually relating to someone in person on a day to day basis. You learn a lot about what makes you you and it changes you. “Everybody” no longer does things the same way. Everyone does not share the same body issues- hair is one (those who curl and those who straighten, for example). It is one thing to learn about things in the abstract and another to experience them. Another reason why college is so much more than the academics.</p>
<p>Addenda. A pet peeve of mine is how all Asians are lumped together. Indians are vastly different physically from those from other parts of Asia. Then we nitpick divisions for groups with many more similarities than differences in comparison. All a matter of politics.</p>