To the Editor:
Your feature on Diversity in dating ("Diversity in Dating, 11/1), seems to have missed the recent revolution in which Latin Americans were quietly declared white. Just as the Irish, Italians, and Jews became white in the beginning of the last century, Hispanics have immigrated and assimilated to the point of joining the American mainstream. To verify this, you need only examine the manner in which statistics are now collected - the 2000 Census is ideal - and notice the "white, non-Hispanic" category. While socially this might take a little while longer to become universal, you would be hard pressed to find a European-descended family who would object to having Ricki Martin or Jennifer Lopez marry into their ranks. Very soon, any dark-skinned Latino will be considered merely "swarthy" like the Mediterraneans.
If I may be permitted speculation, I predict that all Asians will be similarly considered among the ranks of the white within the next twenty years. Only African-descended Americans have been perpetually denied this eventual social transformation. Perhaps someday even this may change.
Christopher Thomas, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
