Friday, October 25, 1996
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION:
UCLA officials attempted to explain U.S. politics to befuddled
visitorsBy Hannah Miller
Daily Bruin Contributor
Imagine explaining California politics, Gov. Pete Wilson, the UC
Regents and the affirmative action controversy to 25 international
journalists in under two hours.
UCLA Financial Aid Director Ronald Johnson, Admissions Director
Rae Lee Siporin and Affirmative Action Office Director Keith Parker
attempted to teach a crash course in these topics Thursday
afternoon to a roomful of international journalists and
administrators.
And their impressions?
"I don’t mean to be rude, but your society is sick," said one
African delegate after the panel discussion, which focused on
affirmative action, had ended.
Johnson and Siporin started by explaining what they feel will be
the devastating impact that Proposition 209 is expected to have on
UCLA minority admissions and the $32 million in financial aid
targeted towards students of a particular race, gender, or
religion.
Parker explained how affirmative action works with respect to
employment, adding his own anecdotes as historical background. "In
1954, I was one of the first generation of ‘brown babies’ to go to
integrated schools. In helping people become more productive, there
is nothing quite so important as education."
Journalists were also curious about the political role of
students.
"How involved are students in this? With 35,000 students, they
could stop the town!" asked Osama Abusaffia, general director of
the Central Election Commission for the Palestinian Authority.
"Well, student activism in this country isn’t what it used to
be," reflected Parker. "But the number of students demonstrating
for affirmative action is the highest in a while. Like some of the
civil rights movements of the 1950s, it’s much more about concern
for other people."
Before long, the panelists were admitting to a certain degree of
misunderstanding in American politics.
"There is a common misperception that ‘quotas’ are used at the
university level, and generally people do not understand that they
are actually illegal in private business," explained Parker.
The journalists, whose travel-studies were sponsored by the U.S.
Information Agency, came to some jarring realizations about
American politics.
"I was quite surprised to discover that many people do not
vote," said Trairat Sunthornrpapat, a senior commentator and
foreign news editor for the Daily News in Thailand.
"In my country, the politicians are very corrupt," he said.
"They spend a lot of money to buy votes. Your media is quite free
compared to the rest of Southeast Asia. There, it’s a war with the
government."
The delegates were also curious about why the affirmative action
issue is currently so important.
"California Gov. Pete Wilson was looking to get nominated as the
presidential candidate, and he decided (affirmative action) would
be the decisive issue," Siporin said.
Delegates were concerned about the state of politics in
America.
"This confirms all my deep-rooted fears about American
politics," one delegate said. "This doesn’t seem like a laughing
matter. You’re playing with the future."
Johnson also voiced his concerns about the international effects
of Proposition 209.
"If it passes in California, then it will pass at the federal
level. Our overall credibility in the free world will be in
question if we cannot tolerate diversity at home," he said.
For Charles Owor, a member of the Interim Electoral Commission
in Uganda, it seemed a bit too late. "After all these years of
Americans crusading for international human rights, … they can’t
even take care of their own issues of institutional racism."