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Editorial: Race relations still need response, bilateral solution

By Gaveliers, The Gavel Media Team, on October 26, 2009 3:07 PM

Though other student publications on campus have each touched on the topic of race relations at Boston College in recent weeks, we believe that there is no such thing as overkill when it comes to the matter. Progress will not be attained until there is a sustained dialogue, and public forums such as newspa­pers and club-sponsored events, in keeping the BC community aware of the problem, are providing the tinder for change.

Yet these public forums are only a starting point. There needs to be more of a response from the University administration to our Princeton Review ranking at 17 on the “Little Race/Class Interaction” list. The best way to work toward solving the problem and attain­ing the mutual respect called for in BC’s poli­cy against hate crimes is something asked for year after year — diversifying the University’s core curriculum. In the meantime, the panel discussion hosted by the Student Programs Office this week, “I’m AHANA, May I join your group?/I’m Caucasian, May I join your group?” is a step in the right direction.

The desired effect of administrative in­volvement is the same as that of the programs and columns — to inspire individual action. It is only on an individual basis that real change can occur.

No one can deny the existence of cultural differences, and denial will accomplish noth­ing. But in acknowledging those cultural dif­ferences, one must also realize the value of diverse interaction — everyone has a story to share, from which we can learn a multitude of lessons.

There are countless excuses to stay within the familiar boundaries of your particular racial or ethnic group. The reality is that these seemingly divisive forces are more often than not sources of interaction. Underneath surface differences lie strong similarities that should be highlighted as equally as — if not more so than — our distinctions.

Take for example the Italian culture, cen­tered on food and family. The same descrip­tion can be applied to Haitian culture, Greek culture, Cuban culture, and dozens more. Culture should be viewed as a unifier, not a divider.

To facilitate this, we need to get out of our comfort zones to learn about each other. This is why culture groups on campus are so essen­tial. Through the celebration and sharing of their respective cultures, they have taken on the role of unifiers. Almost every executive board makes a conscious effort to ensure that everyone feels welcome, although much of the time, their efforts are fruitless because people are scared to be temporarily uncomfortable.

The burden of initiating interaction should not lie solely on culture groups or the AHANA Leadership Council. Nor should it lie on the “29” (percent of BC undergraduates who identify themselves as AHANA). The 29 have a responsibility, but it’s the same responsibility as that of the remaining 71. Every individual student has the responsibility to learn about and from each other.

Let’s not forget that the BC community also has its own shared culture and traditions — and it isn’t always rooted in football. We are college students who are more or less at the same point in our lives, with the same dreams and fears for the future. And once the dialogue and the interaction begin, we will learn that cultural differences can co-exist with com­monalities.