Diversity at the University of California

Great idea throw more money at the problem and lower the standards. Do you think then they can compete Asian students? I think not, put it back on the parents. How about people (white included) getting married before having a baby and staying married. Teach our children stong family values, do NOT lower standards. Students must compete on a world stage!

Jeff makes a point by providing a reason for his opinion - our children will have to compete on a world stage.
The author's remarks are conclusory. What are the benefits to society of diversity at the expense of excellence?
The University of California once was known as an institution with high academic standards. It was well regarded around the world, as were its graduates. Its admission policies provided some insurance that those admitted were reasonably well qualified, but not guaranteed, to succeed in the UC academic environment. It used to be said to the entering class, look at the person on your left, and the one on your right. One of you will not make it.
What can be the motivation for seeking to lower admission standards? If entrance standards are lowered, will academic standards also be lowered, or will a greater percentage "not make it?"
Thomas Sowell not so recently remarked on the American obsession with making people feel good. As he put it, "Americans stress self-esteem; Koreans and Japanese stress high standards; American kids are supposed to feel good; Oriental kids are supposed to do good."
It would be well if we were to reconsider the consequences of the left's urge for a "race to the bottom." Closing on one last quote, "One hundred years ago we were teaching Latin and Greek in High School. Today we are teaching remedial English in University."

It is possible run an society where an identifiable group of people are continually second-class citizens. Mexico has been doing it for years. With our immigration policy or (lack of it) we are looking more like Mexico everyday. If we are going to drop standards how about our poor illigal immigrants? These people did not have California's great public education system to prepare them for college. The groups Ms. Poon mentioned all had the luxury of a education where we have been lowering standards for years.

Of course it is possible to run a society with an identifiable class of subservient individuals--consider the antebellum South. Mexicans come here (mostly illegally) because there is opportunity here compared to at home--I consider it inhuman to treat them the way we do--hiring them for our dirty work but then treating them like criminals. In any case, their children will be citizens and so deserve an education.

publius,
You said it is not possible. Now you say of course it is. that was easy.

Point # 2, Our grandparents and great grandparents did the "dirty work" 70 years ago. If you think it is inhuman you need to leave Irvine my friend, travel the world and see inhuman, learn about dirty work.

It is not possible to have a modern, civilized society with an underclass with a sense of solidarity on racial, ethnic, or religious criteria (the Muslims in Britain are always plotting to bomb something--that doesn't happen here, because our Muslims are assimilated and not segregated). Even the antebellum South paid a huge price--read De Toqueville's description of the difference in economic prosperity between free Ohio and slave Kentucky, even though they were only separated by a river.

I'm well aware of how most work (and most lives) in the world is nasty and unpleasant. I see no reason to have this in our country. After all, we're the greatest nation and power on Earth. With power comes responsibility, something our dear leader in Washington never learned.

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