Valuing diversity: the role of minority associations.

Long before anyone spoke of valuing diversity, America's evolving tradition of pluralism began. Members of subcultures -- religious, regional, racial, ethnic, political, and socio-cultural -- acknowledged each other as Americans and shared the ideal of coexisting peacefully. Yet legal and political rights and social opportunities sometimes are only accorded slowly, after struggle. Still, the distribution of power through systems of checks and balances is another basic American ideal.

The national motto E Pluribus Unum ("out of many, one") first applied to regional differences that didn't prevent the peaceful change from a post-revolutionary confederation to the first United States. Today this same motto also reminds us of America's rich legacy of achievements by people with diverse backgrounds.

Now, as America makes its way in the global economy, tension exists between two needs. We need to embrace diversity as a matter of fairness as well as to benefit from the versatility that it brings. We also need to avoid fragmentation by "we-they" disputes that have potential for becoming entrenched and degenerating into separatism. Americans' traditional right of voluntary association helps to balance these needs. Having a variety of minority associations promotes fairness in the distribution of influence and resources and increases the number of ideas in the national conversation. At the same time, cross-cutting interests and values lead minority associations to form partnerships with one another and with other associations and organizations.

Even so, the relevancy of minority associations in this countr-y remains intact, believes Hector Jimenez Juarbe, CAE, executive vice president of the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association and a past ASAE board member. People seek out organizations that cater to their particular needs, says Jimenez Juarbe.

"If a group serves an important need of its members, it will always be indispensable." Minority associations will not cease to exist, says Jimenez juarbe. They "never could be absorbed by major associations, never will surrender their self-representation, and never should. They can join in alliances and look to larger associations for assistance in specific issues, but their need for identity will always be present."

Reasons for being

The people who began minority associations in the first half of this century often did so because contemporary associations excluded women and racial, ethnic, and religious minorities. After World War II, particularly since the late 1960s, most associations that had policies of exclusion repealed them. Antidiscrimination laws and awareness of the value of inclusion both motivated steps in an ongoing move toward diversity within associations. Today's minority associations make a priority of interests that usually are served -- but not as the first consideration -- in other associations.

For example, the National Bar Association, Washington, D.C., began in 1925 when people of color couldn't join the existing bar association, says John Crump, executive director. Most NBA members are African Americans, but the membership has always been open to lawyers of other ancestr-y (such as Caucasian civil rights lawyers). Because of this diversity and because people of color constitute a majority, Crump's view is that NBA isn't a minority association, although others may use that description.

The growth curve of African Americans in law has been dramatic during the past 25 years. By 1970 there were only about 4,000 African-American lawyers; by 1990, almost 26,000, Crump says, citing census data. Today the number is up to about 30,000.

Facilitating professional development. The National Association of Black Accountants, Greenbelt, Maryland, is also growing. NABA began in 1969 as a support vehicle for black public accountants, says Beverly Everson-Jones, executive director. When opportunities began opening up for blacks in accounting, the association's founders wanted to help African Americans find opportunities and resources for professional development and advancement. NABA's mission is to address the professional needs of African Americans in the accounting field so that they can excel based on their talents. Today more than 3,000 professionals in accounting, finance, and general management -- staff accountants, chief financial officers, and company presidents-and nearly 2,000 students of accounting and related fields belong to the association.

Approaching business issues. Inez Kaiser, president of the National Association of Minority, Women in Business, Kansas City, Missouri, says, "Our organization formed in 1972 as an outgrowth of a study that I conducted for the U.S. Department of Commerce on women in business. It was clear to me that the problems that African-american business-women faced were different from those of their counterparts with different backgrounds."

Although educational opportunities for black students had increased by the early 1970s, the percentage of black students in, for example, M.B.A. programs was very small. And, Kaiser says, most black businesswomen were just beginning to think of seeking advanced education and training. They also had little access to capital through banks and other lending institutions, which were usually owned and operated by white men. White businesswomen had an advantage in that many more of them had husbands who were in positions to approach financial executives and negotiate on their wives' behalf, Kaiser found.

Access to capital remains a problem for African-american businesswomen, despite gradual improvement. Federal mandates for investment in disadvantaged neighborhoods help, as do loan programs that aren't too complicated for small business owners to find time to deal with, she says.

"Our members own businesses or have day-to-day operation of businesses. They are a coalition of women with the same ethnic background who discuss approaches to business issues and develop experience in networking and decision making," says Kaiser.

Focusing on educational opportunities. The Hispanic Association of Colleges, and Universities, San Antonio, Texas, grew from a consortium of' about a dozen college presidents in the Southwest (who were themselves Hispanic American or headed student bodies that mainly were). They first combined for funding initiatives, then realized that they also wanted to address other issues. In 1986 the consortium flowered into a full-fledged association.

Laudelina Martinez, president, says the association remains dedicated to increasing the number of Hispanic Americans who graduate from high school, then enter college, receive a good education, and graduate. She notes that Hispanic Americans often face barriers to education, one being that institutions that have large enrollments of minority students usually aren't wealthy.

About half of Hispanic Americans receiving higher education are in Hispanic-serving Institutions, so these are HACU's focus. The 1992 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act defined these as colleges and universities having 25 percent or more Hispanic-american students. This formal definition was a historic achievement, Martinez believes, because it gave these institutions the official recognition that earlier was accorded to land grant, tribal, and historically, black colleges.

HACU works to help member institutions acquire the curricula, laboratories, libraries, equipment, and materials they need to offer their Students first-rate education. Capacity building also encourages academia and the job market to view graduates' degrees as proof of quality education.

Nonprofit, accredited higher-education Hispanic-serving Institutions may become full members of the association, which also has nearly 50 associate members. As defined in association bylaws, these are higher-education institutions having either 10 percent or at least 1,000 Hispanic American students. Schools such as the University of Texas at Austin, Cornell, Penn State, and UCLA have joined to find information on attracting students with Hispanic heritages and developing strategies for helping them succeed.

In 1994 HACU'S geographic reach extended: An international membership category was approved. Institutions in Latin America, Spain, and Portugal will be eligible for this status. For now, an admission committee is considering how to establish closer ties with international members, especially in this hemisphere. "Emerging democracies are interested in how American higher education is constituted -- especially accreditation systems and technology curricula -- and want to work with American institutions," says Martinez.

Conveying an accurate image. The need to overcome discrimination prompted the 1988 founding of the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA), Atlanta, says Bharat Shah, who chairs the organization. When students came to the United States from India in the late 1960s and early 1970s, many entered the hospitality industry. This career choice extended a trend begun a decade earlier in San Francisco. There, some Indian immigrants found a niche: buying and managing 18-to-20-unit hotels that provided them residences and incomes at least adequate to cover living expenses. From within the close-knit Indian-American community, later immigrants secured down payments for 40-to-50-unit "mom-and-pop" hotel properties.

Although family members staffed the front desks and did the laundry and housekeeping, these hoteliers considered themselves professionals who met professional standards. "But bankers and brokers had a different perception. To most of them, family-run businesses, especially those involving people of a different national origin, carried a stigma," says Shah.

Years ago, when Mike Leven (now worldwide head of Holiday Inn) took charge of Days Inn U.S. franchise operations, he measured several standards. The results showed that Indian-American franchise owners exceeded the average levels of quality and efficiency in bill paying, although this was not in keeping with their image. Leven offered leadership and financial support, and AAHOA began with 100 members determined to convey an accurate, professional image of Asian-American hotel owners. Now the association has 3,000 members plus 3,000 allied members, such as suppliers of hotel furniture. Membership is open to all Asian-american hotel owners, but more than 98 percent of the association's members are of Indian descent. The Korean-american and Chinese-american communities have been represented, Shah says, but other associations focus on ser-ving Asian Americans from countries other than India.

Services, activities, and

partnerships

Shah says that by now the hospitality industry has recognized Asian-American hoteliers' professionalism, so Days Inn, Comfort Inn, Ramada, Howard Johnson, Sleep Inn, Best Western, and Hampton Inns all have sponsored AAHOA activities that help maintain the group's high standards. Because its members range from coast to coast, the association runs 25-30 regional educational conferences yearly. It develops some of its own educational material; other material comes from the American Hotel and Motel Association's Educational Institute at Michigan State University. AHMA's economy. lodging committee works on issues related to the luxury-budget sector, and past chief elected officers of AAHOA have served on the committee and its board.

Forging partnerships. From the outset, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities sought partnerships in the public and private sectors. For instance, AT&T helped the association establish its research office, which recently looked at educational financial-aid programs and proposals for changing them. The Pew Charitable Trust, Sears, Aetna, Exxon, Miller Brewing, and Equitable have also supported studies and programs. The Ford Foundation backed development of strategies for encouraging students to make the move from two-year community colleges to four-year institutions. At present, the majority of Hispanic-American students who enter college start at community colleges, but only 10 percent go on to four-year schools.

HACU has memoranda of understanding with several government agencies, including the U.S. Agriculture, Commerce, and Energy departments. In the summer, these agencies provide 10-week internships, Martinez says. Interns participate in seminars and special events and get on-the-job experience. To be eligible, students must have at least a 3.0 grade point average. In 1994 about 200 interns were selected from nearly 700 applicants. About 85 percent of the interns were of Hispanic background, and students of Anglo-American and African-American backgrounds also participated.

The association works closely with the American Council of Education. We are members of its Secretariat of Higher Education, which encompasses more than 35 associations. The Secretariat may take issues to the White House or Congress when it's in our common interest," Martinez says.

Martinez finds that the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities is in a good position to be a mediator: "Through us, corporations, government, and professions interact," she says. Recently the association began consulting to higher-education associations by helping them to develop programs related to Hispanic-American students or to identity candidates for professional positions.

Meeting emerging needs. In the past five years, the National Association of Black Accountants' membership has surged. "Our growth partly reflects good marketing. But it also shows that when times are bad, members cling to us," Everson-Jones says. NABA's national convention and other meetings draw representatives of Corporate America who want to hire talented African Americans. A placement service routinely works with about 10 participating companies. More than a job bank, the ser-vice is crucial in this era of downsizing and regulatory change, including possible alteration of affirmative action requirements. NABA also provides continuing education, and a member doesn't have to be a certified public accountant (CPA) to tap into its development opportunities. What's more, association service in leadership roles gives members experience that can be a springboard to managing people and projects elsewhere. For student members, the association has provided $1.2 million in scholarships since 1987.

These days the overall association membership is aging. Everson-Jones says that the association is challenged to find ways for members aged 40 and up to contribute to recruitment and development of younger members. In turn, the association is considering offering new services (such as insurance and retirement-related benefits) that would meet needs expressed by NABA's older members. Another change is that members include more entrepreneurs and franchisees who may need new services targeted to their particular needs.

NABA currently works with groups such as the American Institute of CPAs and state accounting societies to keep up with best practices, help these groups diversify their ranks, and join forces on other matters of mutual benefit. And the association has established a Center for the Advancement of Minority Accountants. The center will be a research and resource base to disseminate information to other organizations, including majority associations. The center will promote employers' recruitment and retention of association members, including those who have attained key senior management positions. Senior managers who have raised or broken the glass ceilings in their organizations are important to continued advancement of upward mobility, says Everson-Jones.

Addressing common concerns. At the National Association of Minority Women in Business, some activities are based on members' areas of business: service, technical fields, manufacturing, and so forth, says Kaiser. More often, however, members develop approaches to common concerns such as hiring and bidding. To be more competitive in hiring, black businesswomen work to dispel negative stereotypes about women as managers. And since bidding is a process of elimination, members share information about how to stay in the competition and win. Currently, the association is seeking more interaction with other associations.

Kaiser points out that many women purchase foodstuffs and toiletries for themselves and their families. She believes that more women should move into manufacturing these products. She urges women in the association to become entrepreneurs in the global economy. "Find a niche, set goals, take risks, and persist with determination," she advises.

Working with others. The National Bar Association has a history of co-sponsoring functions and meeting with other groups. Recently NBA became part of a new Coalition of Bar Associations of Color, which also includes the Hispanic National Bar, Native American Bar Association, and the Asian-pacific American Bar Association, Crump says. The coalition will meet annually to discuss issues germane to all its members.

Back to the future

As demographics change, the minority-majority concept may be transformed. In some regions of some states, national minorities have become majorities. During the next few decades, historical minorities may grow large enough to make an America in which no racial or ethnic group has a significant majority. Time will tell as our traditions of pluralism and voluntary association evolve. Each has a record of, and holds promise for, making demographic transitions more civil.

In any event, NBA's John Crump doesn't foresee an amalgamation of majority and so-called minority associations, even in the next 20 years. He believes that most people who have rarely been in situations in which they weren't in the majority -- or labeled as the majority -- are uncomfortable with being in a minority position. Therefore, they're unlikely to join associations perceived as serving minorities. On the other hand, people who have experienced socio-cultural discrimination are cautious in assessing diversity efforts by groups that once weren't open to them. They may join these groups because of shared interests, but are unlikely to forsake membership in other associations that were always open to them.

"Is a given diversity program just another marketing approach? Or is it being undertaken because people really feel that something needs to be done about full inclusion? I'm concerned because I don't always get the clear answer that I should," Crump says. He sees progress in that diversity and inclusion are being addressed. He finds lack of progress in that many people still presume that if one looks a certain way, that predicts how one will think and act.

So Crump expects diversity among associations to continue even if diversity within them increases. He also anticipates more partnerships, coalitions, and shorter-term relationships in which various associations maintain their own identities and focuses while working together for mutual benefit.

HIGHLIGHTS

* The American traditions of pluralism and voluntary association are evolving to reflect more diversity.

* Many minority associations are flourishing and forming relationships with other associations and organizations.

* The minority-majority concepts may be transformed as the United States undergoes demographic shifts during the next few decades.

Diane E. Kirrane is a policy consultant and business writer in Washington, D.C.