Question about race and admissions

fabrizio
Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:23:15 +0000

Newjack88,

My answering one of your questions may very well not have anything to do with whether or not seeking diversity should be considered a social good. After all, the question you asked at the time was not “Is seeking diversity a social good?” It was, “What is your argument for not considering race?” I cannot give you an answer to a question that you have not asked me.

If you’d like to know whether I think seeking diversity is a good thing, my answer is yes, it is a good thing. I just disagree that race and diversity are intertwined.



You also have not addressed the fact that considering race and gender is the only practical way for colleges to create racially diverse and gender balanced student bodies.



Is it a fact? Why, then, is the UC system diverse even though state law prohibits the system from giving preferential treatment based on race?



My experiences have been very different from yours. All of the Asians I have met know a considerable amount more about being Asian than I do. It’s really not surprising, though, since they are Asian and I am not. Also, your are kind of suggesting that you do not consider a Chinese American Chinese simply because he or she may not be familiar with Chinese history, customs, etc. Is an African American not African American because he or she doesn’t know all the words to a particular rap song?



Knowing what it is like to be Asian and knowing an Asian country’s language, history, and customs are two separate things. Let’s suppose that I know nothing about China. I would still know what it is like to be Asian. So, can I can join a Chinese Student Association and actively advance its goal of educating others about Chinese culture? I can join the association, yes, but I can’t educate others because I know nothing about Chinese culture. You claimed that it is OK to assume that “being part of an ethnicity means being intimately familiar with that ethnicity.” I’m saying that it’s a poor assumption, that being part of an ethnicity does not guarantee knowing about that ethnicity.

I am not suggesting that an American Chinese who is not familiar with Chinese history, customs, and so forth is not Chinese. I don’t even know how you could have read that from my words. I’ve been trying to convince you that just because somebody is American Chinese does not mean he is intimately familiar with the Chinese ethnicity.

If Grutter had nothing to do with Parents Involved, then it wouldn’t have been cited. Did any of the Justices cite Casey in their opinions? No. And, why didn’t they cite Casey? Maybe it’s because a case involving abortion rights truly has nothing to do with a case involving racial preferences. On the other hand, a case that deals with racial preferences is likely to be relevant to a case that deals with the use of race in education. And, that is why Grutter was referred to so many times by the Justices.

Do you have any proof that fewer whites are applying to the UCs today?