To the Editor:
I am one of the few people that knows exactly what happened with the "Cuban Party," mentioned in Ali Rashid's column in yesterday's issue of The Dartmouth. The reaction at the time of the incident was hypersensitive and now this misunderstanding is being used to demonize the Coed Fraternity Sorority system. In fact, in the rush to avoid being labeled racist, the offending house apologized profusely and neglected to explain the incident. It was a Miami Vice party, where someone said that if you don't have white pants and sockless loafers a la Don Johnson, "dress like your favorite Cuban," in a specific reference to a Cuban brother that was approved by the brother himself. It was well known to the few people who received the email who it referred to, because it was a closed party. In fact, the individual was incensed by the resulting public condemnation, as he frequently and publicly celebrated his Cuban heritage. For instance, by flying a Cuban flag on his personal Tubestock raft, which he boisterously called his "flotilla." The party was not a situation where he felt unable to defend himself from criticism, rather, he was a loud individual who undoubtedly offended more people with his own sense of humor than were upset about the Miami Vice party misunderstanding.
But those are trivial details. A separate question is how can you be offended by a luau? First of all, Hawaii is a U.S. state and a luau is a Hawaiian celebration. It's true that the United States Government overthrew any governmental authority in Hawaii and absorbed it into the United States, but even though these parties originated within the indigenous Hawaiian culture, Hawaii is now part of the United States and therefore luaus have become part of our culture. I have never heard anybody get offended by a Mardi Gras party, despite its meaning and origin. Assuming that you can't blame Dartmouth students for our country's imperialism, luaus are as American as apple pie. I'm sure if apple pie were a fun and festive antithesis to cold Dartmouth winters, we might not have luaus. But honestly, isn't condemnation of a luau refusing to acknowledge America as a cultural melting pot?
I don't see how the creation of endless subdivisions will end racism any faster. For example, isn't the suggestion of creating a "Latino Greek Council" hypocritical, since you are not Greek at all and the only association with Greece is using their symbols to differentiate our social clubs? At least the Indian mascot you deplore was rooted in Dartmouth's history of educating the local populace, while the CFS system just pillages the Greek language for its exotic letters. Will anything be solved by creating separate, but equal, councils?
