Reading Response 4

The section I chose is the second paragraph on page 164 of the reading. I found the overall reading very interesting, but this paragraph is one that especially resonated with me. It explains how institutions use the term “diversity” to justify the arrival of those who do not form part of the white world, those who are strangers, and in a way, congratulate themselves for being “diverse.” The text implies; “any success is read as a sign of an overcoming of institutional whiteness,” meaning that the success that these strangers (the people who do not belong to the white world) have is not truly valued for the victory itself. Instead, the white world looks at it as if the strangers needed to thank whiteness for giving them a space to exist, create, and be. I found it very interesting how the writer explains that no matter if one goes up in position, the strangers always belong to a particular place. “It is the very use of black bodies as sings of diversity that conforms such whiteness, premises on a conversion of having to being: as if by having us, the organization can ‘be’ diverse”; this particular quote, located at the end of this paragraph, is what intrigued me the most in this whole text. This is because it reminds me a lot about college and academic institutions in general. When I was applying to colleges, I remember them having some diversity program where black, brown, Hispanic, and international students (among others) could participate. I also remember hearing that colleges were developing a way to improve their “diversity” on campus and thus agree with the social norms. I remember my friends saying, “ it is so much easier to get into college if you are a minority - Hispanic/Latino, black, brown - because colleges are looking for diversity!!.“ And the fact that supposedly colleges were only accepting these people for the sake of proving their diversity and clapping themselves in the back is simply a strategy that makes me feel sad and makes me feel like there is no point in doing things just for the sake of looking ethical and correct.