What is it about the issue of “diversity” that makeseveryone groan out loud, roll their eyes to the backs of theirheads, and either avoid the situation entirely?

With all the controversy surrounding the issue of diversity manyinstitutions have been compelled to handle it with kid gloves.

What is it about diversity on college campuses (i.e. MichiganLaw and Undergraduate application process) that causes people tobecome sick of addressing it?

Many people have difficulty explaining the advantages ofdiversity even though those very same people stress its importance.Perhaps we haven’t thought closely enough about the meaningof diversity.

Just saying “diversity is very important to ourcampus” and “we need diversity” does not sufficeif we do not first understand the subject.

Diversity is not just about “race, color, ethnicity, ornational origin.” Many people mistakenly discuss”diversity” only in terms of color or in terms of”ethnic minorities,” which leads the public to becomesick of the misunderstood issue, causing them to dismiss it, andnot take it seriously.

Yes, ethnicity is a crucial element of diversity, but so aregender, background, upbringing, religion, personality, beliefs andvalues. But diversity on campus does not just mean having a higherpercentage of African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians; it meanshaving a higher percentage of people from different backgrounds andfrom a broad range of experiences and lifestyles.

If we do not tackle diversity as more than an ethnic issue, thenwe run into the dangers of generalizing and labeling.

Why is diversity so important? Maybe you might not care about itso much now because you’ve become sick of hearing aboutracism and discrimination, but understanding the scope of whatdiversity and of how diverse we are as humans is crucial to ourworking towards a healthier community, where we can attempt toeliminate misunderstanding and ignorance in its many forms.