MARCH 2007 | S TAT E M A G A Z I N E | 3

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Let Us Hear from You

R E A D E R S ’ F E E D B A C K

Since panels do not meet with employees

anyway, eliminating gender pronouns and

personal names from the EER review panel

system would seem a small yet meaningful

change for the better.

Donald Kilburg

Foreign Service officer

U.S. Embassy, Santo Domingo

Puerto RicoSince I am of Puerto Rican descent via

New York City, or a Newyourican as we call

ourselves, I was glad to see an article on

Puerto Rico in the February issue. I'd like

to point out two small mistakes, however.

First, Puerto Rico is the smallest of the

Greater Antilles and not the largest of the

Lesser Antilles. Second, the island of

Culebra is a part of Puerto Rico and not

the Spanish Virgin Islands.

I would also like to point out that the

Department has been remiss in launching

an active and viable recruiting effort on the

island. This is a significant omission, given

that State has only two underrepresented

minority groups and they are American

Indians and Hispanics. The island's popula-

tion has a much higher level of education

than can be absorbed by the local job

market. Combine this with the very high

percentage who are fluent in Spanish and

you get very fertile ground for recruitment.

I'm sure the Department would not

want for volunteers to travel on recruit-

ment trips to this beautiful island paradise.

Just let me know where to sign up.

Raphael A. Mirabal

Deputy Executive Director

HR/EX

Final PostingsI just wanted to tell you how much I

enjoy all of the excellent reporting, articles

and other news items you and your team at

State Magazine make happen. One relative-

ly new column is your own "The Last

Word." Through it you always present an

excellent wrap-up of a given issue, but what

I like best is your sign-off, acknowledging

and recognizing our "colleagues en route to

their final postings." Very nice. Very appro-

priate. And so very thoughtful.

Tim Lawson

Foreign Service officer

U.S. Embassy, Seoul

Considering “The Case for Diversity” (January issue) and “ForeignService Promotion Statistics” (February), one thing the Departmentcould change is its routine use of gender pronouns and personalnames in the EER review panel system. Studies show that gender,ethnic and racial discrimination are significantly reduced whenevaluators are not permitted access to data that give away thesubject’s gender, ethnicity and race.One such study reported by Steven Levitt at the University of

Chicago compared the likelihoods of getting a job interview with theexact same résumé but a different name on top of the résumé (e.g.John Williams versus DeShawn Williams or DeShawna Williams).Result: different likelihoods of getting the interview.Perhaps the Department could create a system wherein gender pro-

nouns and personal names of employees are withheld or concealedfrom the tenure and promotion panel members to defend againstsubconscious stereotyping and prejudice. This measure could alsoserve to limit the biasing effects of privileged information that somepanel members may have on a given employee they are evaluating.Ironically, the Department has already eliminated mention of suchmerit-based information as educational degrees, but still includessuch birth-based information as gender and personal names.

Gender and EERs