The separate graduation ceremonies for minority groups held recently at Cal State University San Marcos are a good indicator of the values being promoted by our higher education system.
The Hispanic ceremony was conducted mostly in Spanish. A graduating student featured in one of the several complimentary articles by the North County Times unhesitatingly explained that she was illegally smuggled into this country as a child but was now an American citizen. Instead of using this opportunity to thank the country that has given her opportunity and a higher education, she pointed out that the most important thing was her Indian heritage. So much for the melting pot. The other articles contained similar stories.
Our universities are supposed to treat students equally, yet they sponsor separate graduations that would be called racist had they been suggested by anyone other than the self-promoting activist groups involved.
The university tradition is to continually bring attention to people's differences and to celebrate all cultures except American. In the artificial university world diversity has become a goal unto itself, and what a meaningless goal it is.
I wonder when academia will catch up with the rest of society and realize that skin color or ethnicity is the least important thing you can know about somebody, not the most important.
BRYAN STOVOLD
Escondido