Be Careful with Political Correctness

“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin, American writer and civil rights activist (1924-1987)

Following Prof. Rosalind Picard’s controversial keynote speech, a classmate remarked, “Now you know why political correctness is very much needed.” His point was clear: movements toward political correctness have helped protect minority groups, including Asians, from overt discrimination.

While I agree with the intentions behind political correctness—to promote respect and reduce bias—I also believe that, like anything taken to extremes, it can become counterproductive. As the Chinese idiom goes, 过犹不及 (“going too far is as bad as not going far enough”).

The Search for Scientific Data

We must resist the temptation to view issues in black and white. While most Chinese students are not cheaters, we must also acknowledge why such impressions persist in some people’s minds.

In my attempt to find scientific data on whether Chinese students have higher academic cheating rates, I quickly realized that the answer is far from straightforward.

While one survey found that Asian and Black students report being accused of plagiarism more often than other groups (12% vs 6%), Beasley (2015) noted that international students are more likely to have their cheating behaviors reported by peers than local students, which may skew the data. Further complicating the narrative, Stiles et al. (2017) observed that Chinese students were more likely to copy internet documents (plagiarism by definition), while American students tended to cheat on class assignments.

Actually, according to the University of Alabama, 65-75% of undergraduates admit to cheating at least once (source). It’s a more universal problem than many might realize, one that affects all racial groups.

An interesting observation: when I searched Google for data on academic cheating among minorities, the first results weren’t related to that topic at all—instead, I found data on marital infidelity. Unsurprisingly, men were shown to be significantly more likely to cheat than women. Perhaps this is because men have been less of a focus for political correctness, making such topics less sensitive to report on.

The Risks of Over-Political Correctness

My concern is that excessive political correctness can silence important conversations, making it more difficult to identify and address real issues. While Prof. Picard's comments may have overgeneralized and speculated, and though I don’t agree with her, I believe in supporting her right to express her perspective. In doing so, she has given us an opportunity to reflect, challenge biases, and uncover the truth. If Prof. Picard had avoided addressing this sensitive topic, she would have missed the chance to reflect on potential unconscious biases, and the issue might never have been brought to light. Similarly, the biases held by some (hopefully not too many) Americans may never have the opportunity to be confronted and changed.

On the other hand, while I strongly oppose unnecessary brutality toward Black individuals, I also believe it’s crucial to allow open discussions of objective statistics to identify where help is most needed. According to data from the US Department of Justice, Black people are overrepresented in crime statistics: despite making up 12.5% of the population, they account for 33% of nonfatal violent crime rates. This disparity might explain (though it absolutely does not justify) why some police officers tend to use unnecessary force against Black individuals.

Until we address the underlying social issues contributing to this overrepresentation and provide meaningful support, the cycle is likely to continue. Tragically, this reality means there will always be cases where police officers (acknowledging that corruption and incompetence exist) —or even civilians —overreact, leading to catastrophic mistakes. These mistakes have cost lives like those of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Sonya Massey, and Botham Jean.

A Fundamental Truth

No nation, race, or gender can thrive by consistently doing the wrong things. Across humanity, good outweighs evil, light outshines darkness, and love prevails over hate. Acknowledging our flaws and facing our biases are the first steps to making progress.

Let’s remember: Want to become better? Go admit and face the problems first.

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12/23/2024, St. Louis

Citations:

• https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2021/11/23/six-ideas-prioritizing-academic-integrity-among-students
• University of Alabama: Statistics on Cheating
• Beasley, E. M. (2015). Comparing the Demographics of Students Reported for Academic Dishonesty to Those of the Overall Student Population. Ethics & Behavior, 26(1), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2014.978977
• Stiles, B. L., Pan, M., LaBeff, E. E., & Wong, N. (2017). The role of academic entitlement in college cheating: A comparison between China and the United States. Research in Higher Education Journal, 33.