Harvard's Diversity Problem Goes Deeper than Race

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Harvard's Diversity Problem Goes Deeper than Race

When I stepped foot on Harvard’s campus in the fall of 2022, I found myself to be a foreigner among the student body. Pristine, elite, and doused in money, Harvard seemed to be most of my peers’ territory—their destiny even. They were well-versed in the institution’s hidden curriculum—Harvard’s vast connections, fellowships, and affluent social networks that low-income communities have not been privy to—and thus, were well-equipped to navigate academic and social life. Meanwhile, I was still trying to figure out how to write a college paper.

Most of my peers, including those of color, were either part of, or at least familiar with this world, but because I was the first from my public high school to attend Harvard, this type of culture shock knocked me to the ground. The similarly privileged upbringings of many meant that, at least when it came to socioeconomic status, the community of thought at Harvard was quite homogenous. I, on the other hand, didn’t speak their language and was callow to their etiquette. How had Harvard’s social hierarchies solidified before I had a chance to participate in its social life? Before I could even make a case for myself.

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