# Does diversity improve the quality of education? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 29, 2003, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012 "2003-03-29T12:21:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/81 "2003-04-03T00:13:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by monstro \* > **Neurotik, I basically agree with you, but I do understand where the girl with the 3.8 GPA is coming from. I had a 3.8 GPA in high school, plus a whole slate of AP courses and not-so-bad SAT scores. People knew this. But it still didn’t stop them for giving me hell when I told them I had been accepted to my college. To them, I was just another AA beneficiary catching an undeserved break. I’m thinking her comments make sense if you take into consideration what numbskulls may have been telling her. She may be wrong about reality, but not the perception.** Isn’t that an argument against AA, then? Gets rid of the stigma of undeserving acceptance to those who would have made it regardless? Anyway, I think you and I are seeing her comments differently. It seems to me that her statement implied that without AA, black folks with good SATs, APs and high GPAs wouldn’t be able to get into universities anymore - not about how people see black students as catching undeserved breaks (although that attitude certainly does exist, I just don’t think that’s what she was talking about). > [@](#): > > **The fact is that a lot of students with steller scores and grades get turned down for schools. Admissions have not been–and still are not–all about merit.** No, you are absolutely correct. It isn’t completely about merit, but merit has a lot to do with it. And that girl’s qualifications are a great base. Obviously her recommendations, extra-curriculars, essays and whatnot also come into play. Plus just sheer randomness. I had three friends from high school apply to Stanford - two were top students with good extracurriculars, the other was just an average students with no really special extracurriculars or connections. The average one got in, along with one of the good students, but one of the other one’s got left off for reasons we can only speculate about. She ended up going to Harvey Mudd, though, and she’s quite happy about that so it all turned out well. But admissions is often very weird. > [@](#): > > \*\*But there’s a big difference between viewing your dating options as limited if you’re a minority and setting fire to a cross (which happened last year, IIRC). Especially if you believe that no one wants to date your Affirmative-Action-gettin’ black ass in the first place. Sure, I think resentment lies on both sides but you don’t see black students doing the same things as white students. The power differential isn’t the same. The effects of their cold shoulders aren’t the same. \*\* No, I understand that. I was more talking along the lines of the vast majority of average students, not morons. I mean, what do you imagine would be said to me if I stated on this Board that I was going to Howard so I would only be able to date a few women? People would ask me if I was a racist or something - and deservedly. Of course, now that I read that quote again, she might have meant that white guys wouldn’t date her, but that’s not how I took it at first. Anyway, back to what I was talking about, maybe my perceptions are different from others due to where I grew up in an area where whites made up only about 30% of the population. I’ve had girls tell me I wouldn’t date me because of my race. But for the most part, it was all racial harmony and no one was really separated along color boundaries. I found a marked difference in college where the school was suddenly a large majority white and many blacks I met only wanted to hang out with each other and were much more difficult to make friends with. It was sort of a shock to me. I’m certainly not saying there isn’t a power differential, I’m just saying everyone should just be a little friendlier and more open to each other. Bah. > [@](#): > > **The article makes an important point: why are blacks and Latinos being lambasted so harshly but other groups–like legacies, people from underrepresented states or locales, and athletes–are not receiving the same kind of heat? I find it hard to believe that if racial minorities received the same number of points as these other groups that everything would be just fine and dandy. For some reason, the race thing bothers everyone more than everything else.** Well, athletes bring in money. It’s a cold and calculated financial concern. Same with legacies - it’s a kiss ass to the alumni so they contribute more. The reason race bothers me, in general, is that it’s stupid. I recognize that racism exists, but how does legislating racial distinctions make us a more colorblind society? Why should Diane the black daughter of a lawyer and a businesswoman get bonus points over John the white son of a janitor? Or namely, why should Bill Cosby’s kids get an extra chunk of points over me? I object to it because black doesn’t necessarily equal disadvantaged anymore and white doesn’t necessarily equal advantaged. I’d be much more supportive of a sort of economic-status AA where people from disadvantaged areas get a bonus no matter their race. Anyway, I don’t really have a dog in this fight since I’ve never been hurt by AA - but I think it’s just a short-sighted, ineffective policy that breeds resentment and seperation. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/82 "2003-04-03T01:31:23Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m just wondering if an AA supporter such as yourself would agree to that sort of an approach. I don’t really consider myself an AA supporter. I don’t know how I feel about it. I tend to think that those who are avidly against are just as crazy as the people who are vehemently for it. I can see the unfairness in the policy to a certain extent, but does it really hurt anyone? I don’t think so. Maybe one day I’ll be able to articulate a more solid opinion. Your approach actually seems more patronizing than the current one. Like I said, simply not meeting the qualifications does not equal remedial. It would worry me that someone would feel like they would need to take a whole slate of remedial coursework simply because they got rejected from their dream school. > [@](#): > > I recognize that racism exists, but how does legislating racial distinctions make us a more colorblind society? Does AA really legislate racial distinctions? If AA disappeared today, would we stop seeing race? Race was a big thing a generation ago. If you were the wrong color, well no good education for you. Is a generation long enough for us to say that race still isn’t a big thing? I don’t know. That’s why I lean more towards keeping AA than not. > [@](#): > > Or namely, why should Bill Cosby’s kids get an extra chunk of points over me? You’re right. But then again, how many Bill Cosby’s kids are competing with you? Black Americans are still at the bottom rungs of society, the last group on all the “good” rankings and the first on all the “bad” rankings. We’re always talking about this on this board. But when it comes to discussions on AA, suddenly Oprah Winfrey and Bill Cosby become representative of all black Americans. We cannot have it both ways. IIRC, economic status is considered by UofM in their admissions. > [@](#): > > If diversity is a good thing for Mostly White U., then why isn’t it a good thing for Mostly > Black U.? Do any majority black schools have AA programs? Actually, they do. Predominately black schools award scholarships to white students all the time, in the sake of diversity. Alcorn State is one that I know of. I think Howard always offers scholarships. My sister attends vet school at Tuskeegee U and more than half the class is white. Sadly, predominately black schools have stigmas attached to them that predominately white schools do not have. And most white students are not interested in being racial minorities.\* > [@](#): > > AFAIK nobody is recommending that Howard reduce its black enrollment to 12% in order to give its students the “benefits of diversity.” If serving the African American populace is a part of Howard’s mission statement, they don’t have to. Just like seminary schools don’t have to open their doors to secular humanists or military schools don’t have to open their doors to pacifists unless they want to. Look at Bob Jones U. Do you really think people want to waste time trying to get that school to be more diverse? Public schools have a bigger obligation for serving their communities at large. \*Yes, it’s a generalization. No I don’t have a cite. It’s just a hunch. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/83 "2003-04-03T02:54:43Z")
Monstro: Wow, I gotta say I’m really surprised you don’t consider yourself an AA supporter. I haven’t been on this board all that long, but I’ve seen dozens of your posts on AA and never once did I see you argue against it. Anyway, I certainly agree with you that anyone who thinks it’s a major catastrophy if they don’t get into their dream school needs a little perspective in their life. December: Not sure what you meant by the reference to Wellesley. Are you implying that minorities, by analogy, might get a better education if they went to a school w/o whites? If not, then what did you mean by the reference? ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/84 "2003-04-03T04:12:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Mace \* > \*\*December: > > Not sure what you meant by the reference to Wellesley. Are you implying that minorities, by analogy, might get a better education if they went to a school w/o whites? If not, then what did you mean by the reference? \*\* My intended point was that Howard and Wellesley have long been outstanding colleges, even though the Howard lacks racial diversity and Wellesley lacks sexual diversity. These two examples demonstrate that diversity is not necessary for a school to be of top quality. ---
**Author:** ![if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/fbc32d/32.png) [@if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if_you_don_t_know_i_won_t_tell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/85 "2003-04-03T18:04:32Z")
I find Affirmative Action offensive, personally. It doesn’t help anyone to lower standards for a certain race/sex. I’d say that most white students, as I am one of them, don’t care about diversity. To me, college isn’t about diversity, it’s about learning. Now… if a student wants to learn about diversity and such, they can do so at a school that has more racial variation. Or has both sexes. But affirmative action is racist, and sexist. It’s unfair, and just wrong, really. I find it offensive as a female… and as a “white”. Technically, I have Native American blood in me, but I’m not the sort who uses it against others. And that’d be exactly what affirmative action is, using race, sex, against others to get a better advantage. If you want to increase diversity, that’s fine. But don’t do it by being unfair. Racism, and sexism, regardless of how it’s installed, fosters hate and resentment, and that’s the whole idea, to STOP hate and resentment. If you want equality, it has to be actually equal. Aka, everyone meets the same standards. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/86 "2003-04-03T18:28:02Z")
It improves the quality of education for the people who get in because of it, obviously. Do people really argue that diversity _qua_ diversity increases education? That seems absolutely silly. ---
**Author:** ![if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/fbc32d/32.png) [@if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if_you_don_t_know_i_won_t_tell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/87 "2003-04-03T18:33:44Z")
If someone doesn’t meet the standards of the school, they shouldn’t get in. Period. Race shouldn’t be an issue unless it’s a standard of the school. ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/88 "2003-04-03T19:04:49Z")
So white people wanting an education “have to” associate with and learn about other races and cultures, but not vice versa? Scholarships are not the same as AA programs and quotas. An acquaintance said to me “What they [pro-AA people] are saying is that whites are more intelligent than blacks.” Now, this acquaintance doesn’t believe that, but thinks AA programs foster that impression. I think diversity is a good thing, but not by discriminating against another group. ---
**Author:** ![if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/fbc32d/32.png) [@if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if_you_don_t_know_i_won_t_tell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/89 "2003-04-03T19:09:23Z")
I agree. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/90 "2003-04-03T19:09:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sycorax \* > \*\*I think diversity is a good thing, but not by discriminating against another group. \*\* Do you think segregation is a bad thing? ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/91 "2003-04-03T19:49:32Z")
Depends on what you mean by “segregation.” Official or legislated segregation, of course not. But you know as well as I that, socially, the races tend to segregate themselves. (For the record, I live in a very diverse neighborhood – Asians, Hispanics, blacks – and prefer it that way.) But this is a free country and people can socialize with whomever they want and that’s as it should be. I think it’s understandable that there will be resentment when forced integration results in the discrimination of another group. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/92 "2003-04-03T19:55:14Z")
> [@](#): > > I think it’s understandable that there will be resentment when forced integration results in the discrimination of another group. But it is ok when unforced segregation does? ---
**Author:** ![Sycorax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@Sycorax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sycorax)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/93 "2003-04-03T20:21:20Z")
No, that’s not what I’m saying. Racial discrimination that results in harm being done to ANY race or ethnic group is wrong. Are you saying that because white people have harmed other races because of their race, it’s okay to do the same to whites? I don’t claim to have an answer for increasing diversity without preferential treatment. The OP asked if diversity is a good thing. I agree it IS a good thing. I don’t agree that giving preference to any one group at the expense of another is the way to achieve it and I understand why it causes resentment. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/94 "2003-04-03T22:30:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by december \* > \*\*Many uncited assumptions in this comment. I don’t know that the Black or Hispanic communities have a lack of physicians. AFAIK the main underserved areas are small, isolated towns. It’s possible that patients may prefer physicians of their own ethnic group; OTOH maybe better care would come from having the most qualified doctors possible. If that’s the goal, why not directly give points for speaking Spanish? \*\* Actually, the Dept. of Health and Human Services recognizes that even urban areas can be medically underserved, as defined by criteria which are rather more complex than a simple ratio of physicians to inhabitants. Links: [http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/shortage/](http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/shortage/) [http://www.texascancercouncil.org/impact/primary.html](http://www.texascancercouncil.org/impact/primary.html) Here is where you can check what the shortage areas are, by various criteria (subcategory of care, urban/rural, etc.) Here is the list of facilities in urban medically underserved areas for primary care physicians, for Illinois alone. If you know Chicago, you will see from the list that we seem to have a problem attracting physicians to work in low-income neighborhoods, particularly in public hospitals and clinics, social service agencies, and correctional facilities. The Metropolitan Correctional Center, for example, is 2 blocks from my office in downtown Chicago, but seems to have a problem attracting and/or retaining primary care physicians. You’d also see that a number of the neighborhoods involved are primarily Latino and/or African-American (Pilsen, Jackson Park, and Lawndale, for example). CLINTON CENTRALIA CORR CTR COOK PEDIATRIC FOLLOW-UP CLINIC INGALLS COMMUNITY CARE CTR CHILDREN’S PRIMARY CARE SERV WESTSIDE FAMILY HEALTH CTR LAWNDALE PLAZA MEDICAL CTR PRISM MED CENTER(N.TALMAN ST) LOWER WEST NEIGHBORHOOD HLTH CTR WINFIELD MOODY HEALTH CTR ST.JAMES HOSP COMM HLTH CTR-SOUTH WEST TOWN NEIGHBORHOOD HLTH CTR KOMED/HOLMAN HEALTH CENTER ALIVIO MED CENTER (W. 21ST STREET) MILE SQUARE HEALTH CENTER CICERO HEALTH CENTER COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER JACKSON PK HOSP - SENIOR HEALTH CLINIC JACKSON PARK HOSP - FAMILY HEALTH CENTER JACKSON PARK HOSP - FRIEDELL CLINIC ROBBINS HEALTH CTR MIDWEST PHYSICIAN GROUP BRIDGEPORT SOUTHWEST FAMILY HEALTH CENTER IDEAL FAMILY HEALTH CENTER SOUTH STATE FAMILY HEALTH CENTER FANTUS OUTPT CLINIC - COOK CO HOSP COOK CO CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION MET CORR CTR - CHICAGO INFANT WELFARE SOCIETY PCC COMMUNITY WELLNESS CTR ALIVIO MED CTR (SO. WESTERN AVE) ERIE FAMILY HC (HUMBOLDT PARK) ERIE FAMILY HC (WEST TOWN) ERIE FAMILY HC (TEENS) PEDIATRIC CLINIC - U OF IL NEAR SOUTH HEALTH CTR WOODLAWN HEALTH CTR LINCOLN MEMORIAL HEALTH COOK CO (SENGSTACKE) LAWNDALE CHRISTIAN HLTH CTR ALTGELD HEALTH CTR FRIEND FAMILY HEALTH CTR WEST SIDE HEALTH CTR MARKHAM MEDICAL CLINIC PILSEN MED CTR SINAI DOCTORS MED CTR HAWTHORNE WORKS MED CTR KEDZIE PLAZA MED CTR KLING PROF OFFICE BLDG LAKE LCHD - NE SATELLITE ZION CLINIC As for ability to communicate with minority populations: well, you may find a few non-Hispanic doctors who speak Spanish, but how many non-Vietnamese doctors are there who speak Vietnamese? How many non-native speakers are fluent enough to perform proper diagnosis and explain complex treatment options? And even speaking the patient’s language doesn’t mean a doctor will pick up on the differences in communication techniques, cultural taboos, and body language that will allow him/her to serve the needs of a particular ethnic community effectively. There is even a provision in the immigration laws for foreign physicians who have undergone training or completed a residency in the U.S. while on a J-1 visa, many of whom would normally be required by law to return to their home countries for a minimum of 2 years before returning to the U.S. in most visa classifications, to get a waiver if they practice for a minimum period of five years in a medically underserved area. So if we’re even giving foreigners special treatment, why shouldn’t we give our own minority populations the first crack? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/95 "2003-04-03T23:16:28Z")
Eva: You are making the HUGELY ERRONEOUS and somewhat racist assumption that someone with an Hispanic surname will speak Spanish. I have MANY friends who are Hispanic and don’t speak a lick of the language. Again, if you want foreign language speaking students, recruit for it. Even someone named Ngyuen might not speak Vietnamese-- you’d have to screen for it anyway. And, I don’t think you see Vietnamese getting AA (Asians are "over represented minorities at most universities). It’s very simple. If you need a certain skill, recruit for that skill. Don’t use it as an excuse to give racial preferences. It only makes non AA supporteres even more suspicious. ---
**Author:** ![jeevmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@jeevmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevmon)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/96 "2003-04-03T23:22:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MSU 1978 \* > \*\*jeevmon- there may be value of having more minority physicians, but I don’t see the value of having more minority viewpoints in the medical classroom. Medicine and engineering are more factual disciplines as opposed to political science courses where minority viewpoints in the classroom do enrich it. You are correct and we do make too much of SAT scores. The black student with a 1550 SAT score probably won’t do any worse than the white student with a score of 1600. But I do have a problem telling a prospective white student “Hey, your score of 1600 on the SAT still puts you 8 points behind a black student that scored _zero_ !” (12 SAT points + 0 minority points \< 0 SAT points plus 20 minority points) > > \*\* With respect to the former - the question wasn’t minority viewpoints, but ethnic diversity. And there is a social interest in a more ethnically diverse population of physicians. As **Eva Luna** has so capably pointed out, there is an officially recognized shortage of physicians in a number of ethnic communities, including African-American and Latino communities, and physicians from those groups may well be suited to servicing those communities. Furthermore, even **december** , clearly no fan of affirmative action, appears to recognize that there is some value in providing professional role models for young people of different ethnic backgrounds to emulate. And as far as your ad absurdem example, what are the chances, realistically speaking, that a kid with a zero SAT (or technically 400, since I think that’s the lowest you can get on the test if you actually take it) is either a) going to be applying to U-M, b) going to be applying to college at all, or c) going to have such stellar credentials in all other respects that the only factor distinguishing them from the white potential applicant with the perfect SAT is race? Critics of affirmative action often make it sound like, to quote **monstro** , the “knuckle-dragging” African-American and Latino students are getting into these elite schools over the backs of genius white students just because of their race. The actual differences are more likely to be smaller and subtler. I don’t think Michigan is admitting anyone with absurdly low SAT scores (except perhaps for athletes, who have their own minimum to qualify to play set by the NCAA, IIRC) over white kids with perfect or near-perfect scores. The differences are more subtle than that. ---
**Author:** ![if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/fbc32d/32.png) [@if\_you\_don\_t\_know\_i\_won\_t\_tell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if_you_don_t_know_i_won_t_tell)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/97 "2003-04-03T23:47:17Z")
A subtle difference is still a difference. Racism is still racism, sexism is still sexism, regardless of how small the slight. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2003, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/98 "2003-04-03T23:47:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by John Mace \* > \*\*Eva: > > You are making the HUGELY ERRONEOUS and somewhat racist assumption that someone with an Hispanic surname will speak Spanish. I have MANY friends who are Hispanic and don’t speak a lick of the language. > > \*\* You are cracking me up. I am not Hispanic, and I have an degree, with honors, in Spanish, and served as a court interpreter for several years in U.S. Immigration Court. Meanwhile, my ex-boyfriend, the nice Mexican boy, doesn’t speak a darn word of Spanish that doesn’t relate to auto parts, and even those he learned on the job in an auto parts store. So no, I’m not a racist, and I’m certainly not anti-Hispanic. I’m not at all making the assumption that all people with Hispanic surnames speak Spanish. I am, however, making the assumption that Hispanics are more likely than non-Hispanics to speak Spanish, and that even if they don’t speak Spanish, they may be more sensitive to the particularly Hispanic cultural issues of their Hispanic patients. From there I am taking the logical leap that perhaps these skills might make them more effective in serving Hispanic communities. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/99 "2003-04-04T00:06:09Z")
Eva: One of my best buddies is Hispanic by decent, but doesn’t speak a word. In fact we call him the “World’s worst Hispanic”. It can create some pretty funny situations, as many of us (gringos) do speak passable Espanol. But, I still say the idea that there is a need for “Hispanic” doctors is the shakiest of reasons for Hispanic AA. First of all, the term Hispanic is so nebulous as to be almost meaningless. Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican, Columbian, etc, etc, etc. I’m not going to repeat my arguments about language. You simply have not refuted them. And finally, equating the “Hispanic” experience in the US with the Black experience is simply ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012/100 "2003-04-04T01:10:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sycorax \* > Are you saying that because white people have harmed other races because of their race, it’s okay to do the same to whites? Nope. > [@](#): > > I don’t claim to have an answer for increasing diversity without preferential treatment. Unfortunately it is a question that needs answering, however. > [@](#): > > I don’t agree that giving preference to any one group at the expense of another is the way to achieve it and I understand why it causes resentment. I can see why it might cause resentment. I don’t think that resentment is actually based on a holistic understanding of the dilemma involved. Diversity won’t happen on its own. Segregation is not a good thing. We have an answer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-diversity-improve-the-quality-of-education/165012.md?page=6)