Students Discuss Ethnic Groups

Students from across the spectrum of color and ethnicity came together Wednesday night to discuss campus ethnic organizations in a town hall meeting organized by the Black Students Association (BSA) in response to a recent column published in The Crimson.

Jason L. Lurie ’05’s column “Color Blind Students Association,” published on April 20, 2005, criticized ethnic organizations as being “part of a wider trend called self-segregation,” words that have sparked debate across campus.

“Multiculturalism and exchange is important, but the number one purpose [of ethnic groups] is about rectifying” social systems, said Okechukwu W. Iweala ’06 at the meeting. “People should be asking, why should we not self segregate?”

The open discussion attracted over 80 students from various ethnic organizations including Fuerza Latina, the Asian American Association, Native Americans at Harvard College, and the Black Men’s Forum.

Students who are not members of campus cultural organizations also joined the discussion, voicing their opinions on the function and mission of ethnic organizations.

The meeting “brought into the dialogue many voices I had never heard before,” said Chang Liu ’06, a former Forums/Political co-chair of the Chinese Students Association. “I had never heard whites talk about race relations.”

Catherine E. Powell ’08 said after the meeting she felt “really uncomfortable” as one of the few white people in the room.

“The opinions expressed were kind of one-sided. Each racial group seemed to be retracting into their own group, excluding whites from the dialogue,” Powell said.

While some at the meeting took an accusatory stance, the overall tone of the event was one of open dialogue.

Many emphasized that ethnic organizations were open to participation from students outside their ethnicity.

Fuerza Latina President Felipe A. Tewes ’06 said at the meeting that the “Fuerza List exploded” in response to Lurie’s column, adding that “The overwhelming response in Fuerza was that having people from other cultures is a part of our goal.”

Students also brought up the social reality of race relations, defending the existence of ethnic organizations in order to promote awareness on campus.

“At the end of the day in America you’re white and America is a society with white people on top,” said Aaron K. Tanaka ’05. “When do you see white people amongst themselves talk about race on TV?” Tanaka asked at the meeting.

“Ideally these organizations would not exist, if history had been the way it’s supposed to be,” said BSA President Lawrence E. Adjah ’06.

Last night’s discussion, however, did not include much input from critics of ethnic organizations.

Lurie was invited to the meeting but said he could not attend due to short notice.

“People who would most benefit from this discussion weren’t here,” Angela A. Amos ’05 said after the meeting. “Jason Lurie and his type [who are] most antagonistic toward these groups don’t actively try to engage in these forums.”

Michael J. Arth ’08 said after the meeting that he believed few people on this campus would agree with Lurie’s stance, calling his argument a “largely indefensible opinion.”

“Is there something inherently wrong about an organization that exists as a haven for its own community members?” one student asked at the beginning of the discussion.

Participants also expressed hope that the forum created by Wednesday’s discussion will lead to follow-up action from the various organizations.

“At the end of the meeting people were smiling,” Adjah said. “People are ready to do something.”

“This could be a great starting point for a good interracial dialogue,” Liu said.

—Staff writer Victoria Kim can be reached at vkim@fas.harvard.edu.