[285] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Re: Affirmative action
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Pius A. Uzamere II)
Sat Apr 28 13:12:31 2001
Message-Id: <4.3.2.7.2.20010428124405.00b03860@hesiod>
Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2001 13:12:17 -0400
To: "Christopher D. Beland" <beland@MIT.EDU>
From: "Pius A. Uzamere II" <pius@MIT.EDU>
Cc: mit-talk@MIT.EDU
In-Reply-To: <200104281637.MAA12094@Press-Your-Luck.mit.edu>
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At 12:37 PM 4/28/01 -0400, you wrote:
> > Thus, it never asks for the color of your skin. What is does implicitly
> > ask you is what your "cultural perspective" is, as Beland put
> > it. Literally, every student has the prerogative to identify his or her
> > own culture to MIT Admissions, irregardless of how much melatonin is in
> > said student's skin.
>
>But it seems to take a rather narrow and view of "cultural
>perspective." It makes no differentiation between my Christian Mormon
>upbringing and that of the boy down the street who was raised by two
>drag queens, as long as we are the same "ethnicity."
You're right . . . ethnicity is a narrow view of cultural
perspective. But, they are trying. MIT asks for other information such as
whether your parents are divorced or married and what languages are spoken
in your household. It is unreasonable to expect the application to ask an
infinite number of questions about your culture. As far as I know,
applicants are welcome to discuss additional cultural perspective in their
essays or in supplemental material.
>And if what you say is true, for example, a white person who has grown
>up in a minority neighborhood has some claim to ethnic diversity
>(though personally, I feel I would be risking admissions fraud).
>*But* a black person who was raised by white people in a white
>neighborhood and who is culturally unremarkable from his white foster
>brother, *would* be treated as if he has a "diverse" perspective.
Interesting point. The fallacy in your argument, however, is that you are
considering diversity of perspective in a person, whereas Marilee Jones is
considering diversity of perspective in a class. The diversity argument
for affirmative action has nothing to do with how many ethnicities a person
can claim. Rather, it is predicated on the goal of having a heterogeneous
class -- a class where one can find people with whom one identifies
culturally.
By the way, under the Affirmative Action Plan, a "black" person who
considers himself of white ethnicity will not reap the advantage you
describe of being "treated as if he has a diverse perspective." Indeed,
his actual skin color never comes into play, because MIT does not ask for
it. As far as Admissions is considered, that person is "white."
~Pius
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At 12:37 PM 4/28/01 -0400, you wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite cite>> Thus, it never asks for the color of your
skin. What is does implicitly <br>
> ask you is what your "cultural perspective" is, as Beland
put <br>
> it. Literally, every student has the prerogative to identify
his or her <br>
> own culture to MIT Admissions, irregardless of how much melatonin is
in <br>
> said student's skin.<br>
<br>
But it seems to take a rather narrow and view of "cultural<br>
perspective." It makes no differentiation between my Christian
Mormon<br>
upbringing and that of the boy down the street who was raised by
two<br>
drag queens, as long as we are the same "ethnicity."
</blockquote><br>
You're right . . . ethnicity is a narrow view of cultural
perspective. But, they are trying. MIT asks for other
information such as whether your parents are divorced or married and what
languages are spoken in your household. It is unreasonable to
expect the application to ask an infinite number of questions about your
culture. As far as I know, applicants are welcome to discuss
additional cultural perspective in their essays or in supplemental
material.<br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite cite>And if what you say is true, for example, a
white person who has grown<br>
up in a minority neighborhood has some claim to ethnic diversity<br>
(though personally, I feel I would be risking admissions fraud).<br>
*But* a black person who was raised by white people in a white<br>
neighborhood and who is culturally unremarkable from his white
foster<br>
brother, *would* be treated as if he has a "diverse"
perspective.</blockquote><br>
<br>
Interesting point. The fallacy in your argument, however, is that
you are considering diversity of perspective in a person, whereas Marilee
Jones is considering diversity of perspective in a <i>class</i>.
The diversity argument for affirmative action has nothing to do with how
many ethnicities a person can claim. Rather, it is predicated on
the goal of having a heterogeneous class -- a class where one can find
people with whom one identifies culturally. <br>
<br>
By the way, under the Affirmative Action Plan, a "black" person
who considers himself of white ethnicity will not reap the advantage you
describe of being "treated as if he has a diverse
perspective." Indeed, his actual skin color never comes into
play, because MIT does not ask for it. As far as Admissions is
considered, that person is "white."<br>
<br>
~Pius<br>
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