Race on college campuses
CVK
It’s great to see that colleges continue to openly discuss the complexities of race, ethnicity and culture. This article from the University of Maryland’s school paper discusses the phenomenon of students joining cultural organizations that they may not necessarily belong to. For example, a “full” Taiwanese student who joined the mixed race group, or a white student who has taken a leadership role in the Black Student Union:
LoGerfo has seen few fellow white students take the same kinds of steps he did, he said. Unlike minority students, white students are seldom in situations in which they feel like an outsider, he said, and that affects their involvement in cultural student groups.
And the University of Pennsylvania has started a new initiative this year called “White Week.” Its purpose is not necessarily to celebrate white culture, but to understand the origins of whiteness, and also explores some of the stereotypes associated with whiteness. The week was put together by the Race Dialogue Project, a campus group that discusses issues of race and privilege.
Lyonside wrote:
My small college was about 90%+ white, and whether white students joined the ethnic clubs really depended on the attitude of the club.
The pan-Asian club had a mix of Asian-Americans, Asian exchange students, other international students, and white Americans. There were south Asians, Pacific Asians, etc. in the group, and the white students felt welcomed in to learn about cultural events, holidays, foods, events, etc.
Hispanics In Action was mostly all US students, and did some community work (tutoring, fundraising, etc.). Non-hispanic students were few, but the group also wasnt’ very visible.
The AfricanAmericanAwarenessSociety was all African-American, and my white friends, an acquaintence from Kenya, and myself all had similar experiences. If you walked into or through a lounge during a meeting, the conversation stopped dead until you passed through. The school in general didn’t know what they were doing except fundraisers. I’m sure they did some cool and productive things, but most people felt out of the loop.
It’s all about the attitudes of the leadership. People don’t have to look like you or be from the same background to have the same issues and causes and interests.
Posted 18 Apr 2006 at 8:36 am ¶
Adrianna wrote:
Well I ‘m happy it happen at the bigger Colleges.The college I went to we had like maybe 2 white students in our club. I live in upstate New York and here well the atmosphere can be a little regressive. we don’t talk much about race.
Posted 18 Apr 2006 at 2:37 pm ¶
brad wrote:
I was watching a rerun of “Everybody Loves Raymond” in which Raymond’s brother Robert, a police officer, starts hanging out with his African American fellow officer and her friends. Robert finds himself fitting in and having fun with his new African American friends, picking up language and dress. Ray then starts questioning Robert’s “racial” transformation. It was funny in a “I can’t believe they are pushing this racist humor.”
Posted 18 Apr 2006 at 5:16 pm ¶