Diversity Perspectives
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Diversity. It is a word that represents something different to each and every person
because our relationship to diversity comes from our personal experiences thus far
in our lives. The college environment, and UCSB is no exception, provides an opportunity
for these various perceptions and experiences to connect as well as collide. We
asked several students of different ethnic backgrounds to share their views of diversity
at UCSB. Their responses illustrate the complexity of our personal journeys with
identity, privilege, and oppression-as well as how our journeys impact others.
I never thought about diversity until I came to UCSB. Although I had heard the term
"diversity" tossed around in discusssions about affirmative action, it was a concept
I had never explored on a personal level. It seemed to me that "diversity" was something
that concerned people of color, not a white girl like me. My conciousness started
to change when I took a Chicano Studies class my first quarter. It was surprising
how little I knew about Chicano history even though I grew up San Diego, and it
made me very aware of the bias that existed in my high school education. Next, I
explored diversity on a more personal level during a day-long diveristy retreat
for work. In the workshop I had to ask myself questions about my culture...did white
people even have a culture? In addition, I learned that many of my co-workers had
experiences that were different from my own, and deep down I realized how many sterotypes
I harbored within myself. My definition of diversity was also broadened during the
workshop, moving beyond discussions of race into gender, sexuality, class, age,
ability and more. After the workshop I began to think about my position as a woman
in society more often, and I took several classes that explored women's issues-from
women in literature to US third world feminism. I joined a group called the Multicultural
Outreach Program where we discussed diversity issues in a safe and supportive environment.
Having just graduated, I take so much with me as I leave UCSB. I leave with a new
appreciation for the diverse experiences that people have in our country and a desire
to encourage open and honest discussion about these issues within my own family,
work place, and community.
--Jen Smith, English
After graduating from a very racially diverse high school, my first impression of
UCSB was that of a pretty non-diverse campus. I was surprised at the overwhelming
amount of girls in my hall who were Caucasian and thought that I would be lacking
the diversity experience. The second week of classes I was talking to one of my
friends who happened to be Asian and had come to UCSB from a predominately White
community. She caught me off-guard when she exclaimed that she was very happy that
there were other Asian students at UCSB. I couldn't believe what she said, because
I had been thinking that there was a lack of other racial groups. After giving it
a lot of thought I realized that diversity means a different thing to each person,
and that I was so preoccupied with the lack of visual minority groups that I didn't
recognize the amount that was actually present. This made me reevaluate my ideas
of diversity as I realized that UCSB is actually a very diverse campus in opinion,
politics, and ideas as well as religiously and racially. I realized that diversity
needs to be appreciated for its effects on the student body rather than how it visually
appears on campus.
--Lauren Giardina, English and Art History
My initial reaction to UCSB's lack of diversity was to assume that I would not find
a home here. Not only is UCSB demographically a predominately white campus, but
the culture is White, suburban, and upper middle class. Examples of how UCSB culture
is white are the lack of professors of color, further lack of professors of color
who are tenured, or the tokenized weeks or months of ethnic cultural celebrations.
At UCSB there is a lack of understanding about why there are resource centers for
certain ethnic and marginalized groups or the lack of understanding of why there
are ethnic studies department. Last but not least, I rarely find other students
who look like me unless I am attending a cultural event.
Diversity not only means
an equal representation of marginalized groups such as Blacks, African Americans,
Asian Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Chicano/Latinos, Multiethnic/Biracial,
and Queer communities, but also an equal support and awareness of those groups.
As a conscious woman of color who attempts to break the silence of oppression by
voicing my experience and existence to the world, I feel the burden of educating
those who lack the understanding of privilege and struggle. Although institutionally,
UCSB does not support me to the degree that I would like, I have searched and found
individuals, groups, and programs that do. The beauty of this University is that
although the support for marginalized groups is not at a systemic level, strong
support can be created and further enhanced through sharing of common experiences
and the mobilization to do something proactive about it.
--Hun Taing, Sociology & Asian American Studies
Before I came to UCSB, the only experiences with diversity I had ever had were in
my high school. I was the only Black in a small high school of about 500 students.
Overall, high school was not a bad experience because I was forced to step out of
my comfort zone and learn about and befriend other students of different racial,
cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. Because of my high school experiences, I wasn't
worried about coming to UCSB where there weren't other Black students like myself.
In reality, though, upon entering UCSB I was not prepared for the racial separation
that is prevalent on our campus. I was unsure which group I would fit into. I was
considered "not Black enough" to hang out with the Black groups and perceived to
not fit in with the other groups because my skin was too dark. I eventually found
a group of Latino students (like my friends in high school) that I fit in perfectly
with, and I even made my first "real" Black friend here at UCSB. The experiences
that I have had with diversity here at UCSB and in high school have definitely made
me grow as a person. I now understand the true value of opening yourself up to experiencing
diversity in its various aspects.
--LaTosha Traylor, Law and Society and Women's Studies
I came from a town that was nearly all Caucasian, and almost all of my friends were
white. Now, I am the only Caucasian person in my apartment, and my friends who are
white are few. I never imagined that going to college would open my eyes to so many
other cultures and languages. I have even learned new foods to eat and cook!
--Darcy Grant, Senior, English and Biology
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