A lot of people are going to disagree with this statement but as a minority student at an independent school, I personally found it much easier and more comfortable to go to a school that was not ethnically diverse. Do I see the benefits in the diversity at my school? Yes. I know in the end, I will be grateful for this opportunity, but in the moments that you live through it, it isn’t always the best thing, especially for the minorities. So for those cheering these schools for being ethnically diverse, remember that “18.5% on financial aid” is still a minority, who may very much feel uncomfortable about this. Sometimes “segregated schools” are just easier on students, especially those who have been taught to harbor hate agains “the privileged” and only embrace their ethnicity. Don’t get me wrong. I know about Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education and how hard people fought for integrated schools. However, sometimes in the midst of “ethnically-diverse” and “multi-cultural,” people get so enticed by good-sounding words that they forget what it is actually like for the student.
I do agree that it goes beyond race. I think the “awkwardness” and uncomfortable situations actually mostly happen in cases of socioeconomic background. This is often the biggest impact on how one is raised and the way that they view the world. With people from such opposite ends of the spectrum, there is bound to be conflict. I think there are few racist students at boarding school, but there are many who don’t understand each other’s culture and upbringing.