The Red and Black

Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: Opinions

ZAID JILANI [Click to enlarge]

Chris Chiego is wrong. And not just a little wrong, either.

The premise of Chiego's argument in his Monday column, "Univ. encourages racial divide on campus," is that the University promotes "racial divisiveness" by hosting student organizations, events and departments focused around certain racial groups.

He even goes as far as to compare these groupings to "balkanization" - referring to the process of ethnic cleansing and violent segregation in the former Yugoslavia.

Ask yourself this: What sorts of organizations are you part of? Chess club? A fraternity? Intramural sports? Do you feel segregated by being part of these organizations? Do you feel the University is promoting "divisiveness" by using its money to support these things? Probably not.

Of course, race is different. But it's not that different. It's a social construction. It's essentially a cultural phenomenon. And people of different cultures often want to get together and do things common to their culture.

It doesn't mean they hate other cultures, or that they think their culture is superior. Just like I, as a Wii owner, might want to get together with other Nintendo fans and play Smash Bros. - I might even make a student organization around it and request Student Government funding, to Chiego's horror! - people of, let's say, Dominican descent might want to make a Dominican student group and put on events that their culture enjoys.

Look around you, Chiego. This is an incredibly white campus. It's something like 76 percent white.

You don't realize it, because you are in the most powerful segment of this cultural group - you're an upper middle class white male and a Foundation Fellow - but the No. 1 race this University promotes is white.

There are more events, organizations and departments that cater to the point of view and culture of the white social construction of the world than anything else. The reason Chiego doesn't understand this is because the dominant culture never realizes its dominance.

We don't call University events that interest primarily caucasians "white" events, we just call them events. That's because white culture is so dominant we don't even have to refer to it. I don't ever stop and wonder why I'm wearing a T-shirt to class instead of a shalwar kameez; I just do it.

It's just like if you went to Brazil and complained about the self-segregation and divisiveness of Americans in expatriate clubs getting together to play baseball and drink Coors. It makes zero sense.

I've been to probably a dozen events this school year sponsored by international and race-related groups, none of them my own. I've been welcomed to every single one and treated like a friend, despite the fact it was put on by a minority group I wasn't a part of. This support for diversity - and by the way, we don't use affirmative action at the University, as several ignorant commentators posted on his column online, we haven't since 2000 - makes us stronger and more united. It shows that we value all students, and we embrace all cultures.

Two years ago, Chiego, you wrote a column about cheating in Dubai. You claimed cheating is a part of Arab culture, and that it doesn't exist nearly as much in America - after all, you have "never seen any cheating occur" at the University!

Given how quickly you cast aspersions on a whole race of people and how poorly you understand your own University, I'm glad we fund programs to promote cultural awareness. You could use them.

- Zaid Jilani is a senior from Kennesaw majoring in international affairs.

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