Spring Break
'Different' does not mean bad or wrong
KIMBERLY MOXLEY
Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: Opinions
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They posted that we all should stop trying to reinforce the differences that only serve to divide us and focus on our similarities. This idea has become quite prevalent in the last several decades of obsession over political correctness and desire for a "united America."
We have seen a sort of hyper-correction - a desire to erase completely racial and cultural differences - in an attempt to show that we, too, agree with the commonly held ideals of universal equality brought to our nation's mind during the Civil Rights Movement in the '60s and the Equal Rights Movement of the '70s and '80s. However, this hyper-correction erasure is not the answer.
In fact, this idea is known in studies on diversity and multiculturalism as "colormuting" and "colorblindness." In an attempt to throw out and reject the negative stereotypes that had been traditionally associated with certain races and cultures in the past, i.e., non-white races and cultures, many of us have decided it is best to ignore race and culture and adopt the stance that we are all the same.
This attitude only serves to create the mindset that "different" equates to wrong or bad. It is hard to wrap our minds around the concept that equal does not necessitate that everyone be the same culturally and racially. For many, the concept remains foreign that racism is not recognizing the differences between us, but rather a systematic way of preventing individuals from reaching their full potential because of these differences.
Chiego stated that "eliminating racial divisions will be one of the greatest challenges facing our generation." Well Chiego, like so many others, seems to have misdiagnosed the problem plaguing our society. The issue is not the differences; the issue is treating these differences as a handicap or hindrance.
As a country and a people, we must begin to rejoice and delight in the many and varied experiences that each group and each person has added in creating our heterogeneous, all-encompassing American identity. The greatest challenge facing our generation will be accepting differences among our fellows and then challenging the institutional and societal constructs that twist and contort these differences into maladies.
There was one point Chiego made of which I must hope we all agree. Our campus needs more interaction and more dialogue between different cultural, racial and minority groups.
There have been several small steps toward this end - the "multicultural credit" graduation requirement, lectures and discussions sponsored by different groups and student organizations, Blue Card events, etc. - but we still must push for more. Each of us needs to "break out of our own comfort zones" and go experience what each of these "certain" minority, cultural and ethnic groups has to offer.
- Kimberly Moxley is a junior from Lawrenceville majoring in linguistics and Spanish.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
Critic
posted 4/21/09 @ 9:35 AM EST
Our all encompassing American identity? If you meant race, then yes, that should be the case--no one should be excluded due to their race EVER. But if you meant true, unadulterated "multiculturalism" without any baseline set of "American" norms, then you are off-base. (Continued…)
Critic
posted 4/21/09 @ 7:13 PM EST
In Western societies, multiculturism was not embraced as common policy until Canada led the way in 1971. I will grant you that academics had been kicking it around since the turn of the century, but it is questionable if they envisioned the form it has taken today. (Continued…)
Dimer
posted 4/21/09 @ 8:50 PM EST
I don't see how the article on Monday meant in any way that we should completely ignore culture and background of people and ethnic groups.
This response is uncalled for and pointless. (Continued…)
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