-Bruce Donaldson
“hereditary racial and ethnic castes”
Many Americans resent being required to identify their racial and religious preference. In addition the categories have expanded to include so many ethnicities that students look for their own (Irish for example or Italian) and when they don't see it they mark "other."
Of course this is all a numbers game. People work the system. If they can claim preference through connection to a preferred group such as Cajuns in Louisiana or "Native Americans" -for English-speaking people with dubious Indian heritage they will.
In real life people tend to identify with one group or another but in reality intermarriage is the norm. My own children come from different backgrounds and can claim, with honesty, at least two boxes. I encourage them to do so because it probably will help them.
If we are ever to achieve a color blind society we need to stop promoting the creation of hereditary racial and ethnic castes.
The motivation for individuals to not declare their race or ethnicity is due to privacy concerns and the fact that Asian and Caucasian groups perceive the fact that ethnic quotas hurt their scholastic and career opportunities.
Hereditary castes are undemocratic and violate our tradition of equality before the law. They should be declared unconstitutional.
-Richard Munro
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
