Thursday, June 6, 1996
Yes, inequality and racism exist, but we do face these issuesBy
Mark L. Whittle
I must admit, I am not a frequent reader of the Daily Bruin.
From time to time, however, I pick up a copy. Last Friday was one
of those times. Not much has changed in the campus news world,
because I saw the same themes that I saw last time. Two pieces
caught my eye and inspired my penning this brief viewpoint: Patrick
Marantal’s article, "Feminist group denied sponsorship," and Glenn
Oyoung’s viewpoint, "Hate confrontation in Westwood sparks
revelation" (May 31).
Marantal’s article discusses the "severe blow" that the feminist
student group Womynist Collective received in their failed "battle
for university recognition." For other irregular Daily Bruin
readers, the Womynist Collective is an organization whose
self-professed mission is to help those who "have been oppressed
because of color, class, disability and sexual orientation … as
well as because of their sex."
Unfortunately, the article does not really tell the reader why
recognition was denied. The issue is danced around with vague
language about timeliness issues and guidelines. Perhaps the
organization did not get recognition because the groups it claims
to speak for are already represented. Perhaps it is because the
undergraduate council, in a moment of clairvoyance, realized that
college-aged women in the United States have never been
"traditionally oppressed" nor underrepresented at UCLA. I don’t
know. Whatever the reason, I’m sure it wasn’t because the
undergraduate council wanted to "betray" them or to continue
keeping the oppressed from being heard.
Oyoung’s viewpoint has to do with a bigoted family in Westwood.
Again, for the occasional Daily Bruin readers out there, Oyoung saw
a family walk by a sushi restaurant in Westwood and begin making
"those ANNOYING, JUVENILE sounds, mocking the Asian language" (it
is not clear if this was the whole family or just the two sons).
Incensed, Oyoung vociferously confronted them. Such ignorance by
this family is shameful and tragic.
No doubt we continue to have a problem with racism and
inequality in our society. But let me challenge the underlying
message I see running through such pieces as the ones mentioned.
The message is that those wielding the power in the United States
are running a silent conspiracy against all minorities and
disadvantaged individuals. This is preposterous and myopic.
In our criticism of American society’s failures in the areas of
racism and inequality, however, let’s not forget the great
successes that the United States of America has achieved in its
efforts against them. Even 100 years before the civil rights
movements of the 1960s, we began recognizing and admitting that
this country has a problem. Led by the courts, private
organizations, citizens and all levels of government, we have begun
facing these issues and dealing with them. Public policy and
people’s attitudes have changed dramatically as a result.
Do problems still exist? Yes, they do! Oyoung’s incident is far
from infrequent. Nonetheless, let’s not forget also that we are
blessed in this country. One only needs to observe the societies of
such countries as China, Iran, India, many countries in Africa and
Latin America, among a multitude of others to see that this is
true.
Let me share some personal experiences. Some years ago, when I
was an undergraduate junior, I spent a semester abroad studying in
Mexico City. In one particular class, in which I was the only
non-Mexican student, the professor asked who in the room felt
racism was more prevalent in the United States than in Mexico. A
show of hands revealed everyone felt this was true. My hand was the
only dissenting one. The professor, pointing to me, said "Mark is
right." He went on to talk about the tremendous unaddressed
problems of racism and inequality that exist in Mexican society. My
own experiences bore this out.
For example, one of the highest compliments one can pay a mother
in Mexico who is holding her newborn is "Que guero es!" ("How
light-skinned he/she is!"). Salespeople call potential shoppers
"guero" to attract business. The darker skinned one is, the less
respect one receives. Indigenous groups are treated very poorly,
and women have difficulty in a society that honors machismo.
Many of the students in that classroom felt the United States
suffers from more acute racist/inequality problems than does Mexico
because in the United States, we talk about these issues, we expose
incidents on television and in the newspapers; in short, we face
the music.
I remember growing up in Spain where a black person walking down
the streets of Madrid would receive unabashed stares and snickers.
I’ve heard fellow MBA classmates talk about the difficulty in
succeeding at some Japanese companies here in the United States
because they are not Japanese. Women face even greater hurdles than
men.
Many countries around the world have not even recognized that
they have a problem with racism and inequality, let alone faced it
and sought to change public policy through laws, such as civil
rights, equal employment opportunity, affirmative action,
handicapped access, equal access to education, equality in pay,
child labor laws and many others. Not only do we in the United
States have these laws, but we also enforce them heavily!
When I see such articles and viewpoints as the two printed in
the Daily Bruin, I am proud that I live in a country where such
issues are printed, talked about and debated. I am proud to live in
a country where the civil voice is respected and plays such an
important role in our culture. Let’s not forget this.
Whittle is an MBA student at the Anderson Graduate School of
Management.