It would be nice to believe that racism and prejudice are a thing of the past, and that we could all live in a world where race and culture were not barriers in society.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. Discrimination, while not as obvious as it was in the past, still does exist.
Being of mixed heritage I feel that I am in a difficult position when it comes to the already complicated issues of culture and "self-segregation." I have learned from my family's experience and the experiences of my peers about what it means to be identified as an underrepresented minority.
I see them being followed around in stores and I see them unjustly stopped by the police. I also hear from different friends about how they become nervous when at night they see a dark-skinned person walking toward them, and how they move to the other side of the sidewalk, if not across the street. I hear in the news that people of Middle Eastern descent warrant extra scrutiny in the airport, or that Asian Americans exemplify the "model minority."
Never mind the fact that the dark-skinned person walking on the sidewalk was a pre-law student, or that terrorism plagues all ethnic groups, and that Asian-American communities are also challenged by poverty and bad public school systems.
This is the environment in which we live. If you pay attention to your words, your actions and your thoughts, you will realize that, moreover, you probably contribute -- and I cannot even exempt myself from this indictment. It is just easier for us to simplify situations and to reduce people to stereotypes and cultures to a skin color.
The fact is that each one of us has a culture. No matter how we identify ourselves ethnically, our individual upbringings have entrenched in our lives a particular culture. This culture may be common to a particular skin color, or to a particular language, religion, sexuality or gender. When we enter college, it is indeed natural for us to seek out people with similar culture.
At first thought, it seems fairly easy to identify cultural "self-segregation." The black students sitting together in the dining hall and DuBois College House are commonly identified as forms of self-segregation. And as one recent Daily Pennsylvanian opinion piece mentions, all students of minority background that "wall themselves up in" cultural groups such as the United Minorities Council, the Chinese Students Association or Wharton Latino, to name a few, are guilty of the same.
It all begs the question, why isn't there a White Students Association on campus? Well, if you think about it, most organizations and institutions on campus are already essentially white cultural groups -- most fraternities and sororities, many a cappella groups, Jewish student groups, Penn's senior societies throughout history, and the majority of faculty members at Penn. Or consider the national level -- the United States Senate or the presidency. The fact is that society in the United States has historically favored people with white skin and their associated cultures.
"Things have changed," I often hear. Things are changing is what I say. The bottom line is that white culture has its outlets for expression through traditionally white groups and institutions. You may not think of it this way because it is always easier for the majority to see itself as the standard and the minority as the "outside" group that is segregating itself.
Like whites, other groups seek to socialize with people of similar culture. Unfortunately, this socialization is easier to identify simply because it is the minority that is congregating.
However, these minority cultural groups not only provide support networks for people of similar cultural background, but many of these groups have an inclusive attitude to anyone who is interested in learning more about the particular culture.
They sponsor innumerable events throughout the year, such as Unity Week, Latino Heritage Month, the Asian Pacific American Heritage Week, Black History Month and the many others that are open to everyone at Penn. The intention of all of these programs is not to segregate, but to educate the campus about the various cultures that comprise the diversity with which Penn is endowed.
So the next time you see people selling tickets for the Onda Latina presentation, advertising for an African Rhythms performance or an e-mail about the Diwali show, take advantage of these opportunities. Only then will you realize that these organizations do not seek to segregate themselves from a "common Penn identity," but are already a part of the Penn identity and seek to enrich your Penn experience.
Shaun Gonzales is a senior International Relations and South Asian Regional Studies major from Victorville, Calif. and political chair of the United Minorities Council.
