During my early years of childhood, my family lived in a remote town that had no ethnic diversity. My house had been egged, and flowers and bushes had been uprooted from our yard and thrown into the street. I grew up being the only Asian in class, and people assumed I was either Japanese or Chinese. I ran for class president one time, and some students defaced my campaign pictures and tore down my posters. I remember crying alone in the girl's bathroom after being spat on on the back.
Such offenses made me feel socially isolated from other students, but I still took part in leadership activities, clubs and sports. When I came to Dartmouth as a freshman, I thought that people would be more culturally educated and mature. Never again would I experience or see the kinds of attacks that had troubled me back home. Yet as time has passed, I have been more disappointed and saddened by the different kinds of racism that still exist in the school environment.
After reading "College Investigates Hate Crimes" [The Dartmouth, Feb. 19] and "Working Beyond Tokenism: African Americans at UCSD continue to strive for recognition despite numbers" on the front page of UCSD's main newspaper, The Guardian, I sat through class entirely dismayed, angered and hurt. I had to speak out. I do not know how Dartmouth students are reacting to this hate crime. Perhaps, some students are ignoring it because they believe that racial slurs are all hype or even humor. I hope, however, that people recognize this and other acts of hate and ignorance as major problems in campus life.
Having lived in Cutter-Shabazz Hall, I discovered how cultural ignorance and miscommunication cause academic and social difficulties for African and African-American students at Dartmouth. I've heard many stories of professors making inappropriate remarks during class, store clerks giving suspicious looks, a couple of drunk fraternity brothers yelling derogatory remarks to a freshman woman and so on. It is obvious that life at Dartmouth has been wearisome or just plain uncomfortable for my friends and fellow residents.
Here at UCSD, there are only 303 African-American students in a student body that is five times as large as Dartmouth. Seventy percent of these students are dissatisfied with the ethnic understanding on campus. In The Guardian's article, a number of African-American students share various acts of racism they experienced. Although I have not witnessed an offense made by a student, I have seen and have taken down several threatening homophobic and racist flyers posted on campus walls and bulletins.
Racism occurring at UCSD is not much different than at Dartmouth, nor is it a far cry from what I've experienced. Offenses or slight remarks motivated by hate or ignorance can build and wear down the heart and mind, sometimes making it difficult to concentrate. This is not fair to students who wish to make the most of their education and social life and who want to develop and grow in their academic setting. Some people ignore racism and discrimination. Some people don't. It makes no difference how people handle it; it is a social problem and should concern everyone.
Cultural sensitivity, awareness and education help this problem. We must understand and communicate with one another, listen to people's concerns and be open-minded and responsible for our actions and words. My efforts to understand others are more outgoing than most, but at least they are examples. At Dartmouth, I have lived in the International House and in Cutter-Shabazz. I discovered and threw out wrong perceptions and embraced new ethnic understanding. Living in affinity houses was my attempt to step outside my social comfort zones and develop enriching relationships with people of various backgrounds and interests. I overcame social insecurities, and, in the end, I have gained wonderful friendships.
Incidentally, I have been communicating with an 85-year-old Holocaust survivor here in San Diego. During our phone conversations, he has shared with me many stories of hate-inspired crimes. I have learned about the brutality that he, his family and friends have experienced. When an old man stammers to you in German and English, you can hear desperation, anxiety and loneliness. I am amazed how much energy he has despite his old age. He told me, "You know I'm old, and I have to share my story." Indeed, he has an aching need to share a part of history that he has witnessed.
When I read The D's article, I thought, "Who could have been so hateful and so ignorant? What could be going on in this person's mind?" Then I asked myself, "What would I say to this person?" After a while, I thought I would just ask a few questions.
To whomever made those racial slurs: Have you ever seen your friends shot in head or knifed to death? Have you ever seen your neighbor trampled by a horse? Have you ever heard someone scream right before they died? No? Well, neither have I, but I have spoken to someone who has. Face the reality. These are real stories, and these are real lives.
I pray that people open their eyes to this situation, and I hope what I have shared encourages people to understand one another on a deeper level and break down barriers of misunderstanding in all forms. Communication and involvement with the student body increases cultural awareness, discourages racism and helps improve the relationships among students. Racism and hate crimes are the result of ignorance and fear. I hope people do not become indifferent to these problems and that they maintain cultural awareness and sensitivity.
