UW-Madisonâ??s long-standing focus on â??targeted minoritiesâ? is a much-too-provincial view of â??diversityâ? in the global world of the 21st century. This narrow approach ignores the many channels through which students are exposed to the wide range of subject matter, ideas, people, cultures, and attitudes that characterize UW-Madison.
For starters, in 2008-09 UW-Madison undergraduates came from cities large and small, spread across Wisconsinâ??s 72 counties and all 50 states, plus Guam and Puerto Rico, and more than 100 foreign countries.
The most â??targetedâ? of the â??targeted minorityâ? groups — African-Americans, American Indians, and Hispanics — included 2,088 students. â??Targetedâ? Southeast Asians added another 528 students. To this must be added the 1,149 Asian-American undergraduates who are not counted among â??targeted minoritiesâ? but bring with them a rich cultural heritage and unmatched academic prowess.