This is the pro argument on college racial quotas.  To read the con argument, click here.

Colleges shouldn’t excuse poor grades in someone’s application for their race, but colleges definitely should strive to diversify their campuses.

When I went to visit one of the colleges I was thinking of applying to, I had the opportunity to do an overnight stay in the dorm of a person of Afro-Japanese descent.  She had the most fascinating family stories to tell, and she participated in traditional dance and even taught me a few moves.  She is a person I’ll never forget.

If the world was completely homogenous and the college you attended had students of the same background, you’d be missing out on valuable cultural exposure. It would get boring if everyone was exactly the same.

In the end, it’s not like Caucasians and people not declaring a specific ethnicity are being absolutely robbed of their college spots.  That isn’t what colleges are trying to do.  Whites are the majority here in America, and colleges honestly just want to try to add a little color, because being around people from different countries or different ethnic backgrounds can teach you valuable lessons and make you a better person.

An article published in USNews discusses the topic of diversity and its importance in college education.  The eight reasons outlined specifically in the article were given by Aaron Thompson, professor of sociology at Eastern Kentucky University.  Thompson says: “diversity expands worldliness, enhances social development, prepares students for future career success, prepares students for work in a global society, increases [one’s] knowledge base, promotes creative thinking, enhances self-awareness, and enriches the multiple perspectives…in education.”

Look at all of the benefits of attending a diversity-rich school and compare it to any negatives you might think of.  Besides being seemingly “unfair” to some in an application process, there is no loss in having friends from all over the country or even the world.

You may end up becoming friends with that Jamaican kid and vacation with him next summer.  You might try Spanish paella or Chinese acupuncture from your fellow multicultural roommates.  You might find a new deep respect and knowledge for other cultures.

From silly to deep, people from all different backgrounds are a good thing to have at every college.

Grace Kim is Online Chief for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.