In light of the racial incidents last winter as well as the issue of segregated housing in the past couple issues of the Dartmouth, I'd like to offer some thoughts about race relations from a minority's point of view. Segregation in itself is a negative word and in that absolute sense, I can understand why many non-minorities are against the notion. I don't intend to defend or condemn it, but I would like to explain where a lot of us are coming from. Let me first state that this is only my opinion, which may or may not represent other minority members on campus.
I read a quote a while ago about a Dartmouth alumnus who, upon returning to the campus and entering the cafeteria, wondered why all the different ethnic groups seemed to isolate themselves at the tables. In fact, he said that in his day, whites and non-whites alike, sat and enjoyed conversations together. The fact is that in his day, to be a black, for example, and to isolate yourself from the rest of the students (i.e. whites) meant utter emotional and physical dissociation. Therefore, association was necessary for survival. However, in recent years, as the population of racial and ethnic groups have increased, a minority can stay within his or her own group and still, more or less, function without problems (whether this is healthy is another question).
So why do many minority group members, whether gay, Native American, international students, etc., associate mostly with their own "kind"? Well, why are there a large number of football players in Beta? Why does one choose to attend Christian fellowship every Thursday night? Why are your best friends particularly the "best"? Not exactly big news, similarity is the reason. We usually choose to interact with people who are most similar to ourselves, those who share our experiences as well as our beliefs. Consequently, when I want to tell someone about the troubles that my parents have in operating a dry-cleaning store, the last person I want to talk to is a white person from Massachusetts who went to Groton. This is unfortunate because it probably would have been a worthwhile conversation.
The point is, I am asking the Dartmouth community to try to put itself in our shoes. Here, let me give it a shot. A white person who sees a group of blacks isolating themselves at a lunch table may think, "Why do they always sit there by themselves? They really need to integrate more with us. We're nice, interesting people." In truth, they may be. But perhaps, the person should be thinking, "WE really need to integrate with them more. THEY seem like nice, interesting people." (I know this seems hokey, and in fact, I need to stop for a moment and apologize for generalizing and stereotyping like crazy. I realize that concerning individuals, what I am saying might not be appropriate or even correct. However, in terms of perception of whole groups by other whole groups, there is some validity.)
So here's a minority's point of view. If you're from a metropolitan area like Southern California or New York City, and you attend a school where about every four out of five people you see is white, it can be a harrowing experience. It just might make you search for solace in similar company. It's hard for someone to understand unless he or she has experienced it. Imagine attending Howard University or a school in a foreign country. Those of you who have been lived in Mexico, Japan, or any other country where your skin color and behavior distinguishes your foreign status, you may understand this feeling. But even then, it's more of an amazed confusion than a threatening one. You might say, "I was in Brazil last fall and I always tried to interact with the local people." Yet, we live in an age where America is at the top of the global ladder (economically, culturally, technologically, etc) and naturally and more easily, you'll find people in other countries intrigued and eager to meet these "Americans." In fact, when I went on the Mexico FSP, if you were blond and American, forget it; your Friday nights on the calendar were filled to end.
At Dartmouth, it's a different case. We minorities aren't fawned upon or in certain instances, even treated with equal respect. Oftentimes, there's an indifferent, oblivious attitude of "we can do fine with or without you." An example of this indifference is the fact that the Student Assembly candidate platforms include how many doors should be kept open for dorms or how many free bus rides we should have, instead of pushing for Asian-American Studies or Korean language courses. No wonder we have people scribbling racial insults on Asian students' doors. Furthermore, in a culture that dictates what is admired and attractive -- the tall, sculpted, renaissance man and the thin, light-skinned woman with sharp facial features -- Asians, Native Americans, Latinos, and others just don't match up. What many white Americans don't understand is the amount of power they have in being white. When whites argues that affirmative action is detrimental to U.S. education and that schools should determine admission by achievement not skin color, they have the luxury of being righteous and egalitarian because they have a head start, and don't face the initial obstacles of traditional and historical inequality that many minorities do. Moreover, with this head start, many whites have the option to pursue alternative careers such as music, creative writing, art, or professional sports, whereas many second-generation minorities, in order to justify their parents' decisions of leaving their native countries and sending their sons and daughters to an Ivy League college, are pressured into more conservative and guaranteed careers such as medicine or law.
I know I've spit out ideas that may seem racy, accusing, or self-victimizing but they are a sample of what some minorities are thinking right now. This is the first time I have ever written anything like an opinion piece so you will understand what would have caused me to do so. I hope this article has added to the dialogue on campus and I hope to continue it with any interested people over a lunch in the cafeteria.
