In this week’s Chronicle of Higher Education, there are two letters criticizing a recent article titled “True Diversity Doesn’t Come from Abroad.” (subscription required) The gist of the letters is that it is wrong to insist that the only people who can add diversity to a campus are native-born blacks and Hispanics. Thus, Dean Frank Wu, loyal supporter of racial preferences, is unhappy that the article doesn’t see the need for Asian preferences, and suspects the author lumps all Asians together as either foreign, or already successful, or both.
Well, such lumping would certainly be wrongheaded. But the logic of Wu’s argument would suggest that, gee, maybe there are even whites who have overcome disadvantages. Maybe we should all be treated as individuals. Maybe we shouldn’t judge anyone according to skin color. Maybe the whole notion of racial preferences for ANYONE ought to be rejected.
Naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.