Don’t Blame Diversity for Distrust; New York Times, 5/20/16

Maria Abascal and Delia Baldassarri, New York Times; Don’t Blame Diversity for Distrust:

"IN June, the Supreme Court is expected to determine the fate of affirmative action in American higher education when it delivers its decision in Fisher v. University of Texas. Responding to Abigail Fisher’s claim that the University of Texas at Austin denied her application fair consideration because she is white, school administrators contend that they need to consider race because a diverse student body enhances students’ educational experiences. Social scientists, though, disagree about the consequences of diversity...

The current debate on affirmative action is playing out in the context of widespread anxieties about the changing face of the nation. Research that links diversity to negative outcomes legitimizes these anxieties. And it doesn’t help that this research has found its way into arguments against affirmative action. But disadvantage and unequal opportunities, rather than diversity, present the biggest obstacles to our getting along. By doing away with affirmative action and limiting access to higher education for blacks and Latinos, we will aggravate the disadvantages these groups face, while accommodating the intolerance of whites toward minorities."