LETTERS: Tuesday, March 7, 2000

The dream of unity The dream of unityTo the Editor: As stated on the Asian-Pacific Student Coalition's World Wide Web site, "in unity there is strength." This is true in the sense that such organizations promote the rights of their particular ethnic group. However, after reading the recent articles on the proposed Asian student center, I question whether the goal of such organizations is to unify this society or divide it. While such organizations will promote unity within each individual race or ethnicity, they potentially segregate themselves from the rest of the population. How can we expect to gain equality through segregation? How can we expect to gain equality with a Latino student center, but without a center for all students? I thought that the purpose of such organizations was to tear down the walls that separate them from the rest of society and to educate others about their race and ethnicity, thus demonstrating the reasons why diversity is essential to society. Instead, I see that these organizations are actually building more walls, mentally and physically. How can we expect equal rights when we blatantly outline our differences? Instead of unifying our student body, we are now going to tell freshmen that if they need help, they should go to their respective student center, based on their race. All I can say is good luck with your new walls, and farewell to the once-possible dream of unity. Shaun Gonzales College '03