Diversity an Asset? Wishful Thinking

Re “Make Diversity an Asset,” Jan. 9 editorial:

You plead for tolerance for the immigrants and those yet to come. It seems to me that diversity, instead of being an asset, is an almost overwhelming liability.

Consider a front-page Jan. 9 news article, stating that the income gap growing between the haves and have nots is a difference not seen in such extreme cases since the last days of the Roaring ‘20s.

Your editorial admits that economic prosperity doesn’t cause all boats to rise with the tide but seems to want public sentiment to accomplish this.

The immigrants from Mexico and South and Central American nations are exchanging one class of poverty for another. From a society that has little or no social conscience, for one that does have, with little else to offer but low-paying labor jobs, a small step up the next rung of the ladder.

Our social authorities have to admit that the low-income status of the Latino community will never bridge the gap that now exists until these immigrants educate themselves and learn to speak English.

For Latino youth, to drop out of education in our schools will prolong their depressed economic condition. They will either wind up continuing to do the low-paying jobs they now do or resort to criminal activities to achieve status they think they should have.

Diversity becoming an asset, as expressed in your editorial, is going to be wishful thinking for a long time to come.

JAMES C. KERR

Laguna Beach