Not just optically. Even slightly different cultures can result in novel ways of thinking or world views that bring something new.
Diverse viewpoints are more likely to arise from introducing 3 black women to a group of 3 white men than if you introduced 3 more white men.
> it is quite possible that yet another white man with a different background would provide the greatest diversity,
Are you and the parent really arguing white men are even better than black women at diversity?
Meanwhile, the person who is self made (real diversity in this situation) and successfully bootstrapped themselves gets passed over because thier skin color is too bright.
Qualified diverse people are rare (no relation to skin color "diversity"). That is why everyone is cracked out over skin color and gender because there is an actual population of people that the HR secretariat pool can EASILY identify by just taking a glance. Thier mission, of course, is to please thier white male executives.
Yes or, for another example, an Israeli would add diversity to a group of Americans (of various colours).