Diplomas in hand

Seattle's first really nice June weather -- sunny and warm -- greeted University of Washington graduates as they received their degrees today, as their parents looked on with pride and -- in some cases, no doubt -- exhausted relief.

The carillon in the square gothic tower of Gerberding Hall (née "Administration Building") chimed non-stop in the background; a fully costumed bride and groom posed for photos before a backdrop of Drumheller Fountain and Mount Rainier; graduates strode briskly across campus, their black robes flapping open at times to reveal Bermuda shorts and t-shirts underneath; recipients of advanced degrees strutted proudly in their colorful hoods and faux-medieval caps; foreign students and their proud families were everywhere, wearing a wide array of dress styles and speaking innumerable languages; graduates' younger brothers and sisters dashed about exuberantly while their smiling parents and grandparents walked quietly, seeming a bit shy and perhaps uncertain how now to relate to their newly degreed offspring.

More than ever, ethnic Asians seemed represented among UW graduates far out of proportion to their share of the general population. Some of these graduates were foreign students, of course, but most were fully-assimilated Asian-Americans. The notable success of Asian-Americans at the university level, and in post-graduate work, suggests, to me, at least, how valuable this segment of our population is becoming to our nation; in future years, Asian-Americans will be represented more and more heavily in fields such as science and engineering, medicine and law. The talents these highly talented graduates bring to American society demonstrate Congress's wisdom in passing the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, the statute that abolished a prior system that discriminated against Asian immigration.

The Class of '10 faces a struggling economy and an unpromising job market. The recent recession may be just one more blip in a cyclical economy, or it may mark the beginning of a secular decline associated with worldwide economic and political changes. I sympathize with the nervousness and uncertainty that today's graduates must feel. But whatever the future holds, today's UW grads will be better able to face it with the educations they've received.