The Conflict Between "Excellence" and "Diversity"—A Letter to HCCS


前言：
写这个信的原因，很私人，因为我家小孩是考入Hunter学校的，所以当我们家长发现，Hunter居然也有一小部分学生搞了个Hunter Students for Diversity的小组织，并煽动学生起来反对考试制度，要求学校要搞以种族为标准的“多样性”，防微杜渐，我还是要写一写这个。


Preface:
My reason for writing this letter is very personal. My child was admitted to Hunter College High School, so it comes as no surprise that I had to write about the new “Hunter Students for Diversity” organization founded by a small group of students. They encouraged students to oppose the examination system and required schools to engage in “diversity” rather than excellence. So of course, I had to write about this.


正文：



亲爱的Dr. Tony Fisher校长：
Hunter College High School（HCHS）学校1869年建校，做为最早的精英女子学校—“ Hunter College High School for Intellectually Gifted Young Ladies”，（才华横溢的年轻女士的亨特学院高中），Hunter学校实际上是最早关注并实际解决“多样性”（女性及不同肤色）入学的的先驱，并且从一开始就是一个坚持以精英标准来录取的学校。


Body:


Dear Principal Dr. Tony Fisher,
Hunter College High School (HCHS) was founded in 1869. As the earliest elite women’s school—”Hunter College High School for Intellectually Gifted Young Ladies”, it was called— HCHS was actually the first pioneer who paid attention to, and actually solved diversity. From the very beginning, it has been a school that enrolls based on elite-standard admission.


因为精英标准，所以人才辈出。
从目前的数据来看，在美国高中（公立或私立）中，Hunter的平均SAT得分最高，平均ACT得分最高，入选国家优胜奖的比例最高。
Because of those elite standards, the talent from HCHS shows in huge numbers.
According to current data among all American high schools, Hunter has the highest average SAT score, the highest average ACT score, and the highest percentage of selected national awards.


可见，坚持以精英标准来录取与多样性并不矛盾。
Clearly, the elite standard has had nothing to do with race, nor has it judged by race.


时过境迁，现在的美国早已经实现了不同性别，不同肤色的教育机会平等，一个学术成就符合精英标准的人不会因为不同性别，不同肤色而被制度拒绝在门外。
Times have changed. The US has already achieved equal educational opportunities for different genders and skin colors. A person who meets said elite standards will not be rejected due to their gender or skin color.

纽约，是个机会之城
( STATE OF OPPORTUNITY）
我们，追求卓越
(Strive For Excellence）


但显然，并非所有的人都能准确地认识到这一点。
由极少数学生（Hunter Students for Diversity）所提出的说法，这些极少数学生无端地指责学校剥夺了“非裔、西语裔、原住民及低收入学生”的入学机会，更要求Hunter学校应该在录取、教学及学校内消除所谓的“种族主义”（racism）与“阶级主义”（classism）。
But obviously, not everyone recognizes this.
According to the statement made by a tiny number of students calling themselves "Hunter Students for Diversity", these very few students falsely accused HCHS of depriving “African, Hispanic, Aboriginal, and low-income students” of admission opportunities, and demanded that HCHS should be further teaching and eliminating the so-called “racism” and “classism” that they claimed the school portrays.


他们错误地将追求“卓越”与追求“多样性”对立起来
They mistakenly opposed the pursuit for “excellence” in order to pursue “diversity”.


他们指责追求“卓越”的Hunter学校是没有“多样性”的，并且熟练地使用“racism”与“classism”这样的“斗争用词”进行上纲上线。。
They accused HCCS of denying “diversity” in its search for “excellence”, and used terms such as “racism” and “classism” to support their faltered claim.


（下图是他们在推特上的截图）
(The picture below is a screenshot of their Tweet on Twitter)



这是一种对Hunter的不公指责，这是一种人造的冲突，也是当下混乱的环境下的人造的幻觉。
This is an unfair and unjust accusation against Hunter. The so-called denial of “diversity” is completely false, and only an illusion among the elite standards and admission.


这些极少数学生的言论，虽然只有个位数的转发（4个）与点赞（7个），但这仍然引发了我们家长深深的忧虑。
Although the tweet never even reached double-digit retweets or likes, it still arouses deep worry amongst our parents.


我们应当追求学术的多样性，而不是种族的多样性，
因为科学的进步，源于学术的卓越，而不是来自肤色的多样性，
肤色只是人的生理特征，并不会天然地赋予人任何学术的不同特征。
Hunter should pursue excellence and retain its age-old, time-tested legacy, rather than throw away itself in order to pursue artificial “diversity”.
Progress in both academics and creative works come from academic and creative excellence, not from how racially diverse a group is.
Skin color is only a physiological characteristic of a person, and it doesn’t naturally give anyone any academically different characteristics.


华盛顿DC的保罗·劳伦斯·邓巴高中（Paul Laurence Dunbar High），曾经是一所精英非裔学校，学术成绩曾经一直在美国全国平均成绩之上，执行的是严格的精英考核录取制度，培养出了美国第一位非裔将军、第一位非裔内阁成员和海军学院第一位非裔毕业生，第一位获得大学文凭的非裔女性，由这所学校培养出来的常春藤校友也比比皆是。
Paul Laurence Dunbar High in Washington, D.C. was once an elite African-American school. Its academic performance consistently topped the charts in the U.S. Like Hunter, it achieved these golden standard through a strict elite assessment and admission system, and cultivated the first African-American general, the first African-American member of Cabinet, the first African American graduate of the Naval Academy, the first African-American woman to receive a college degree, and numerous other distinguished Ivy League alumni.



但在放弃了精英考核录取制度后，学术成就一落千丈，这所辉煌的精英高中最终成了一所典型的非裔贫民窟学校（ghetto school）。
The school’s downfall came after it abandoned the elite standards and admission system.Academic achievements plummeted, overall success fell from its ledge, and the once-brilliant, once-distinguished high school eventually became another typical ghetto school.


同样的故事也发生在纽约大学（CUNY）的身上，CUNY是人才辈出的学校，出现过诺贝尔级的学者，但随着后来取消了精英录取标准后，学术地位就此陨落。。
This same scenario occurred at City University of New York (CUNY), though not as extreme. CUNY is a school where talents are born. Nobel-level scholars have been brought up by CUNY. However, when the elite admission criteria was cancelled, academic status fell, and CUNY lost its former prestigiousness.


前车之覆，当为后来者鉴
The reversal of the past, as a lesson for the late





我们希望Hunter坚持严格的精英考核制度，专注于学术的卓越，而不应被许多似是而非的社会观念所影响。

我们希望Hunter能够在坚持严格的考试制度的同时，对这些似是而非的社会观念进行必要的声明与澄清。
We hope that HCCS will continue to adhere to a strict elite assessment system and focus on academic excellence, instead of being influenced by specious social concepts.
We hope that HCCS will make necessary statements and clarifications on these specious social concepts while adhering to a strict and elite examination system.


对于人为地将追求“卓越”与追求“多样性”的对立起来的做法，我们希望Hunter能够防微杜渐，引导学生形成正确的认知。
Regarding the specious opposition of “excellence” and the pursuit of “diversity”, we hope that the school can prevent failure and guide its students to form a legitimate understanding of the situation.


对学术的卓越要求，是学校对每一个追求卓越，追求上进的学生的最大负责，是对纽约、对美国的未来的最大负责。
Academic excellence is the school’s greatest capability for every student who pursues excellence and progression, and is the greatest responsibility it holds for the future of New York and the future of the U.S.


在今天的美国，社会的进步已经消除了“系统性歧视”，在今天的美国，只要努力，“机会平等”并不缺乏渠道。
Social progression has alright moved the U.S. ahead of “systemic discrimination”. In the United States today, as long as opportunities like HCCS stay open, there is no shortage of “equal opportunities”.


人类的历史一再告诉我们，只有对个人进行严格的、坚持的自律与考核，才能最大程度地促进个人的进步。
人类的历史一再告诉我们，只有通过学术的卓越与进步，才能最大程度改善民众的未来生活。
Human history has repeatedly told us, that only by pushing individuals and raising the bar, can we unlock their full potential.
Human history has repeatedly told us, that only through academic excellence and progress can the people's future lives be improved to the greatest extent.


——毕竟，用嘴是造不出iphone的，用学术进步才能造出iphone。
——After all, you can’t make an iPhone with your mouth; but you can with excellence.


                                                                                一位普通的学生家长

An ordinary student parent



华二代们啊，你们是我们族群的未来，我们族群的希望啊
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