Students representing several different racial backgrounds spoke about the extensive stereotyping they have faced on campus in a panel discussion sponsored by the Interracial Concerns Committee last night in Dartmouth Hall.
The focus of the discussion was "How do stereotypes of race and racial gender affect the way we perceive individuals?"
Susie Lee '94, a Korean-American student, said she had not thought of herself as different until she began to hear racial slurs in third grade.
"For the most part, all Asian Americans are considered to look the same and to be the same," she said.
"From my personal experience, I know that my work with the Asian community for the past two years has been in many ways shaped by the fact that I'm not seen as a distinct and individual person," Lee said.
Terry Asay '94, president of Native Americans at Dartmouth, said that his fair-skinned appearance gives him a unique perspective on racism at Dartmouth.
"Because I don't appear Native American, I'm placed in a very interesting position on campus," Asay said. "I can be with a group of students that expresses their stereotype against the Native Americans and see what really goes on."
Asay, who lives on a reservation at home in Montana, related some of the questions he has been asked on campus, including "Do you still live in teepees?" and "Do you have running water?"
Shimi Subramaniam '94, who is Tamel but was born in Singapore, said there are two conflicting stereotypes of Indian women. They are "exotic and erotic" but are "made invisible" by the media because there is a lack of Indian models.
Sam Winslow '94, a white student, described being a white male on campus as "the path of least resistance" because "no one is making comments about you."
Winslow emphasized that stereotypes are "approximations, not truths" that emerge when humans try to rationalize diversity. But they are useful "when you have no other way to judge someone," he said.
Mark Harrison '94, a black student, said he has discovered three contrasting black stereotypes: the ones associated with rappers, the strong man "with women falling all over him," and "the happy guy."
Harrison said during his four years at the College, he discovered the stereotypes often do not apply and that "being a black male is something about being loose and being okay."
Mireya Garcia '95, a Hispanic student, described her personal experiences as a latina on campus.
She said that she had three options regarding how she would act on campus. She could stay silent and ignore her ethnicity, acknowledge her ethnicity but not be vocal, or she could be vocal.
She said she chose to be vocal "to show self-confidence about who I am."
