Opinion: There needs to be more education for white students and faculty about how not to be inadvertently or intentionally, racist
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Living in a college town, one would expect to be surrounded by a community of diplomatic individuals. We are here, presumably, to get an education and use the information we learn to make the world a better place than generations past. But is this really the case?
Since moving here from California a year ago, I have witnessed questionable behavior from white students and faculty alike. This led me to question whether I was alone in this experience.
Many students at the University of Oregon pride themselves on their progressive stances on LGBTQ+ and environmental issues, but when it comes to race, these conversations are not afforded the same time or consideration. The conversation either gets pushed aside, considered too uncomfortable for white students to approach or is acknowledged but not applied.
UO is a predominantly white institution with 61% of students identifying as white, 14% Hispanic or Latino, 7.87% two or more races, 6.6% Asian, 2.56% Black or African American, 0.616% American Indian or Alaska Native and 0.44% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.
The whiteness is evident for POC students when they move to Eugene. It can be a jarring experience when one arrives and almost strains to find people who look like them or share the same experience.
“I didn’t think it was going to be that big of a change. And then I came here, and it was definitely a big culture shock,” Brooklyn Cicero, a UO sophomore, said.
Cicero is not alone in this experience. This is one of the reasons why UO has decided to make safe spaces, like the Multicultural Center, and why advisors insist on POC students getting involved in clubs. Attending a PWI is overwhelming if you are a POC student.
But sometimes, even the intervention of advisor advice isn’t enough to help POC students feel like they belong. Ignorance and racism is an insidious force in the U.S. and permeates even UO, where students receive an education to, again, presumably, make the world a better place.
“I’ve definitely heard stories from my other friends who are POC. About some crazy stories, too,” Cicero said. “One of my friends was walking around the EMU, actually, and they heard someone cough the N-word with the ‘ER’ while they walked past.”
How could this happen, you ask? I wonder the same thing. When I moved here, I was told by a faculty member this is a safe area to live in. But who is it safe for?
On the other hand, these experiences don’t always happen for every POC student. They are sporadic, and some students of color don’t pay mind to these issues at all.
“I pay more attention to how people are in the sense that, they are friendly, they always support you,” Gabriel, a second-year grad student, said when asked about his experience going to a PWI. “I don’t really care about that.”
But some students like Leilani Pech, a sophomore, acknowledged an ostensible disconnect between some white students and POC students.
“I’ve heard a bunch of stories of people saying ‘Crap, I’m going to fail this class,’ but then they’ll say something ignorant like, ‘Oh, it’s fine. My parents can just pay for it later.’” Pech said. “But that’s not the case for some people. I think there needs to be more resources like financial stuff, more information about scholarships for POC.”
Now, this isn’t a call for people to feel paranoid about their surroundings here in Eugene, nor is the intention divisiveness. Nevertheless, it’s important to know that universities are not nunneries exempt from racism, as progressive as they may appear.
Here are some suggestions for our community. Students need to look out for each other and call out racism when they see it. White students must be willing to have this conversation, as uncomfortable as it may make them. Know that you aren’t exempt from acting in racist ways just because you want to be. There needs to be some action behind their intentions.
Programs dedicated to the safety and inclusion of POC students should be making more effort to make themselves visible to students. Gabriel mentioned that he had “never seen or heard of any programs related to inclusion.”
The admissions committee needs to dedicate itself to making the UO a more diverse campus.
All faculty members should have implicit bias training to know what kind of behavior is appropriate when approaching a POC student about who they are or if they “belong” here. And lastly, to the POC students, protect your peace. Know that you do belong here and that your voice matters. Take your space.
