Anti-diversity policies are telling top talent they’re not wanted
When I made the challenging, life-altering decision of where to pursue my Ph.D. and continue my research on improving the quality of mental health care for all families, the University of Texas was the best fit. I felt represented by its diverse faculty and students and felt assured by their embrace of a robust diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) mission. And then came SB 17, Texas’ anti-DEI law, which goes into effect Jan. 1.
SB 17 makes it illegal to have DEI offices and programming in public universities. The legislation is already having a chilling impact on students like me by creating concerns over the potential impact on the quality of our education and raising questions regarding whether Texas even wants students of color. If SB 17 had passed before my decision, I would most likely not have chosen to come here, and I’ve been wondering: given that top-ranked programs fight for the most qualified applicants, do states that adopt these policies believe they will not sway the top, diverse talent to go elsewhere?
Some educational leaders and policymakers may argue that institutions will remain true to their values of diverse ideas and people despite these policies. However, I align most with the view in UT Austin’s Change Starts Here strategic plan: tangible benefits for students and the greater community cannot be accomplished without “creating processes and policies that cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive campus.”
As an immigrant and person of color in this country, I understand that establishing structural and transparent mechanisms that offer support and keep schools accountable is key to preserving a space of genuine belonging. While doing my post-master’s work at the Yale School of Medicine’s Yale Child Study
Center, I vividly remember navigating a difficult situation with the support and transparency of the Chief Diversity Officer, who reminded me I was not alone. While I acknowledge that no institution has it all figured out, that experience does not allow me to unsee the tangible benefits of having such structures.
To lawmakers, university presidents, deans, and all those who decide on and carry out educational policies, please understand that students of color like me are no longer settling for being allowed into these spaces; we are demanding what we all deserve: structures and mechanisms that support our educational growth.
While some people may genuinely hold values that align with diversity, equity, and inclusion, fear of retaliation has taken control over how many choose to respond to these policies. But my Abuelita (grandmother) taught me: mas hace una hormiga andando que un buey echado (an ant on the move does more than a dozing ox). This dicho empowers me to act in times like these by reminding me that while it is true that I may be no more than a tiny ant compared to massive systems, I can still act. Hence, I am confident that if enough of us collectively take a stance to call for adding to DEI efforts (e.g., expansion of DEI offices and resources), we can help carry the conversation where it needs to go.
Coming from a multigenerational migrant farm worker family taught me the importance of planting seeds. As we decide if we will move forward or backward as it pertains to DEI, we must remember that what starts here changes the world. Thus, we need decision-makers to plant seeds that bear fruit that nurtures all community members, and whose roots are strong enough to break the concrete foundations of inequitable systems.
Hector Chaidez Ruacho is a doctoral student at the University of Texas Steve Hicks School of Social Work.