Bad diversity essay topic?

[spotstorm]

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[Neuro25_]

If you think it's a stretch then it will come off as a stretch and nothing is worse than that.

 

[ChymeofPassion]

That sounds really interesting

 

[DrHart]

Personally, I would pick something else. Diversity essays are not necessarily looking for cultural or racial diversity... and your example is more of a "second-hand" diversity experience. They want to know what makes you unique. Goro has said something like... what would your best friends say about you that make you unique or interesting. What do you bring the table? It could be anything, not just cultural or character traits.

 

[DokterMom]

I think this has the potential to be an excellent topic, and that it does indeed make you diverse. It's a rare person of privilege who is able to recognize his own privilege and see so closely what it's like to be treated differently. You would contribute an interesting voice to a discussion of racial disparities -- one that may perhaps be often articulated but far less often truly heard.

 

[greenturtle22]

Honestly, I like it. I think it could make for a really interesting essay and could definitely showcase something unique about you. I would just caution you to make sure that the essay focuses primarily on you and your perspectives and not your brothers.

 

[Canterbury]

I don't know enough to give you any real advice, but as a topic in general, I find it interesting. I would want to know more about your experiences and perspective.

 

[aafhem]

I think it sounds like a great topic and very unique. You could talk so much about your personal experiences, what you learned from your siblings, etc. Go for it

 

[AttemptingScholar]

I'm not saying don't do it, but here are two things you need to do
1) Make it about you, not them.
2) DO NOT suggest that the closest to diversity you have is being near black people. How did this help you deal with underserved populations in college? How has it affected your decision making? It's a good place to start, but I wouldn't make it the whole thing.

 

[waynerooney1994]

I'm a white, middle class applicant with nothing super unique about me. I was thinking about writing about growing up as the older brother to adopted African American siblings. I would talk about how it's made me more aware of my own privilege, vigilant about inequality, and driven to try to understand what it's like to be a minority in this country.


I feel like that's kind of interesting but could be a stretch to say this perspective/outlook on life makes me diverse.


What do you guys think? Would this be an okay thing to write about or would it be in poor taste? Any way I could frame it to make it sound better?


Thanks for any feedback!

Could be a very good topic but this could be easily interpreted as "I understand the struggles of being an African American in today's society because I have little siblings who are black." which is something you definitely want to avoid. Also what experience if any do you have working with minority groups?

 

[JJRousseau]

If you indicate the limitations of your experience and they genuinely helped you be "woke" as it were, then I would write about it. I've met plenty of white people including my brothers who, as a result of limited exposure to cultural diversity, are ignorant to struggles imposed by the existence of the race social construct. If you are acutely aware of these things thanks to your brother, then this is a great topic. I strongly suggest though, that you acknowledge the limitations of your secondary experience (something I wish I'd noted more explicitly in my essays). Exposure to cultural diversity is NOT the same as being an individual of a marginalized identity.


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[Chromium Surfer]

If you indicate the limitations of your experience and they genuinely helped you be "woke" as it were, then I would write about it. I've met plenty of white people including my brothers who, as a result of limited exposure to cultural diversity, are ignorant to struggles imposed by the existence of the race social construct. If you are acutely aware of these things thanks to your brother, then this is a great topic. I strongly suggest though, that you acknowledge the limitations of your secondary experience (something I wish I'd noted more explicitly in my essays). Exposure to cultural diversity is NOT the same as being an individual of a marginalized identity.


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I love you used WOKE in your eloquent prose hahaha

 

[JJRousseau]

I love you used WOKE in your eloquent prose hahaha

I love the phrase. For me, it really captures the sense of the empathetic epiphany surrounding experiences derived from identities defined by historical social constructs involved in oppression on both rational and emotional planes. Also, thank you for the compliment concerning the language of my post. 🙂.


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