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Looking for colorful schools
My wife has a line about schools: “I don’t want our kids to be the ‘only only.’” By that she means the only brown-skinned kid in the class. Our two boys are biracial. I’m white; my wife is black.
The question has arisen lately because we are considering new schools or day cares for both boys. (One is 16 months; the other is almost 3.) What’s interesting is defining how much racial diversity is enough. And what happens if a school gradually shifts while your child is there – say it loses most of its black, or white, students over several years. Do we notice?
South Florida is interesting in this regard. People often extol this area for its rich mix of people and races. And it’s true: that does exist. And, compared to Northern cities, it’s still a relatively “new” metropolis, so social divisions are not as entrenched. So what does this mean? Well, we have friends who resemble our extended family – black and white, working-class and well-to-do, with international connections mixed in here and there. My kids have more Spanish-speaking friends than would have had in New York.
But still I wonder. It’s easy to create social worlds that look exactly like us. And honestly, I find there’s a voice in my head that says: “But if it’s a great school, then its racial makeup can take a back seat.” Easy for me to say, perhaps, since I’m white. So that leads me back to the question: how much diversity is enough?
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Comments
I just posted about this on my blog (http://balancedmeltingpot.com/2009/02/23/value-of-diversity/) and my opinion is that the quality of the program can take a back seat to its diversity. I think there are many other ways (extra-curricular activities, church,e tc.) where a minority child can be exposed to different cultures. This may not be popular, but that's how I feel.
Posted by: Balanced Melting Pot | March 5, 2009 11:49 AM
BMP: sounds like you think diversity should take a back seat to quality, and I don't disagree with you. I'm about as big an ethnic cheerleader as you're going to find in journalism, but I don't disagree with you in principle. I attended a public high school and a public college that were of exceedingly high quality and, fortunately for me, impressive diversity. As such, I truly believe one need not sacrifice quality for diversity.
Matthew, if it helps, my plan is to get my kid into the best schools I can get him into. Teaching respect for diversity is ultimately up to us as parents, IMO.
Posted by: Rafael | March 6, 2009 6:19 PM
As a biracial person I can tell you that it's very difficult being the only person of color at school. It was my reality for many years and I always hated it. Unlike your kids, my black parent wasn't in the home, so maybe that makes a difference. I hated that people always questioned me about my race, my hair, why my mom was white, etc. It would have been nice to go to schools that were a little bit more diverse so there was more understanding. In this day and age when there are so many interracial marriages and biracial kids out there, I'd assume you could find a school or daycare that is racially mixed and still high quality, especially in South Florida. I can't say how much is enough, but I agree with your wife that the kids shouldn't be the only.
Posted by: Elita | March 7, 2009 10:31 AM