Tuesday, February 25, 1997
Students look on in dismay as racially segregated cliques season
UCLA’s ‘diverse’ campusBy Linda Yoon
Daily Bruin Contributor
It’s a small world after all, and according to several
professors and students, it’s getting even smaller.
Although UCLA is a racially diverse university, many students
feel they are unable to take full advantage of the many cultures of
the world due to segregation.
Natashia Williams, a first-year undeclared student, feels that
despite the many cultural identities at UCLA, there are divisions
among different ethnic groups that lead to barriers within the
community.
"Diversity denotes behavior, so if you’re in a diverse
community, you’re going to make some sort of effort to homogenize
… but we don’t do that. It’s ironically sad that we’re a
‘diverse’ campus, (yet) all the races clump together," she
said.
Williams is one of the several students who feel segregation is
a prominent factor on the UCLA campus. Segregation does not
completely exclude individuals from different ethnic groups, but it
poses an intimidating and problematic factor.
Williams is not alone in her observation.
"Supposedly, I go to a diverse campus, but I don’t see it at
all," said Hallie Jones, a second-year undeclared student. "This
school is so huge and there are such large populations of each race
that it’s really easy for people to fall into those groups."
Joseph Nunn, professor of Social Welfare and director of Field
Education, views segregation as a natural affinity for people to
group together based on similar backgrounds.
"People who come from the same neighborhood, from the same
community, or people who belong to the same racial group are all
parts of (the cause of segregation)," Nunn said.
Segregation is not deliberately exclusive; rather, it involves
voluntary friendship and social acquaintance. People are more apt
to group with others from the same culture because it promotes
comfort, Jones said.
"When I look at my own circle of friends, I find that I tend to
group myself with people from same socioeconomic class, gender, and
race," she said.
Individual groups create cliques because it naturally occurs and
that is what they are most comfortable with, said Jason Hansen, a
third-year psychology student.
"I think it’s something that naturally happens … I don’t think
there’s any hierarchical purpose to it," he said.
Shabeen Merchant, a first-year math student, views segregation
as a personal decision.
"I personally like it when everybody is mixed, but I know some
people are comfortable because they share the same background and
it’s easier to understand each other," Merchant said.
Although similarity and personal choice are significant, they
are not the only building blocks of segregation Â
identification and comfort are also compelling factors of
separation, said Won Kay Lau, a second-year psychology student.
"Basically, in a school of 30,000, as an individual you
sometimes feel very lonely and have no one to identify with. So
people segregate like that because they become friends with others
from their own race and it’s comfortable … that creates a
division because we all tend to stick to our own race."
Nunn stresses that segregation is harmless to a degree, but it
is important to keep in mind that the lack of integration can lead
to problems.
"I don’t see it as a problem in and of itself, but it can be
problematic if it becomes so exclusive that you don’t learn about
others and don’t have some understanding of who they are," Nunn
said.
Mike Delarocha, a second-year English student with
specialization in Chicano studies, believes that segregation is
detrimental to society as well as to the individual.
"I think society should be integrated, but the thing is, when I
walk down on campus, as a student of Mexican descent, I feel very
left out and that other races don’t want to get to know the beauty
of my race," he said.
"I find that a problem because I think we should be moving ahead
over the race question, but we aren’t going forward, we’re going
backward," Delarocha added.
Delarocha feels his attempts to integrate with different
cultures are not always reciprocated.
"I belong to certain groups on campus, and I stay mostly with
Mexicans, but that’s just because they seem to be the most willing
to learn about me," Delarocha said.
Although Jenny Kim, a second-year English student, does not feel
as alienated from other ethnic groups, she feels that segregation
is obvious at UCLA and the lack of integration is a personal loss
as well as a communal issue.
"I think it’s really sad how we have the opportunity to meet so
many different people from different cultures, yet we just
segregate each other on campus.
It’s such a waste. Just because of the segregation, you really
don’t take advantage of the full opportunity to meet different
people," Kim said.
Not all factors of segregation are based on shared background
and familiarity. Intimidation also plays an important role in the
division among different ethnic groups, Jones said.
"I’d love to go out and experience different cultures … but
it’s hard and scary because people are so strongly segregated. It’s
a lot easier to stay in your own circle," she said.
Additionally, Jones feels segregation is harmful because it can
lead to either the creation or the strengthening of
stereotypes.
"I think (segregation) has increased a lot of stereotypical,
racial tendencies that I have because I don’t feel my circle of
friends are very diverse, so I’m not exposed to a lot of different
things," she said. "My college experience is limited."
Lau expresses her belief that the dangers of segregated groups
lie in the constant exposure of other people’s opinions  an
individual may adopt stereotypes based on the group’s opinion.
"When you’re segregated, sticking with your own kind for so
long, and people hype up the stereotypes, you start to believe them
after a while. You don’t become racist but when you’re with other
people and they think a certain way, you’re going to eventually see
it too," Lau said.
Nunn believes no one is exempt from encountering biases or
stereotypes about different cultures.
Stereotypes arise from both personal experiences and outside
influences, such as family, friends, and the media.
"We all stereotype. I think we all come with some biases about
other people, and the only way we tend to break stereotypes down is
when we have personal contacts," Nunn said. "It’s often hard to
maintain the stereotypes because the person that we’re talking to
doesn’t fit."
Kim also notes that certain culturally-oriented organizations on
campus unintentionally contribute to segregation.
"The clubs are supposed to encourage you and help you get to
know about your own culture and to meet other people in your
culture, but it limits you a lot (because) you’re only socializing
in your own race," Kim said. "When people come to UCLA and join
some of those clubs, they’re really limited in what kind of people
they can meet."
In order to take the first step to solve the segregation issue,
an individual has to understand his or her biases, said Nunn.
"It’s important for all of us to understand … that based on
our socialization, each of us has attitudes and beliefs about
people that we perceive as different," he said. "The only way for
me to get around those attitudes that I have is for me to become
aware that I carry those biases, and then it becomes a decision at
that point whether I want to hang on to them or let them go once I
become aware."
Delarocha feels that individual consciousness and family
influence play big roles in solving the division within the
community.
"There’s a lot of talking going on about how diverse we are, but
that’s all rhetoric. I just think (integration) starts with the
parents because parents are very influential, and it’s also up to
you to make a change … (by) gaining a certain level of
consciousness," he said. "I think students here are too caught up
in their own world and their lifestyles to make that change."
Lau, however, believes there is no simple solution.
"(UCLA) is doing everything they can, but you can’t force people
to change their opinions because a lot of people are afraid of the
unknown. You have to make people have an open mind, and it’s hard
to do that," Lau said.
Despite the observation of segregation by Delarocha, Lau and
other UCLA students, some feel that there is little segregation
among racial groups.
Zach Foster, a first-year electrical engineering student, feels
that segregation is not a problematic factor within the Bruin
community.
"I don’t really notice (the problems of) segregation on campus.
I mean, no matter where you go, you’ll see a group of people
hanging out with their own race," he said.
Foster believes the tendency of racial groups to segregate
naturally occurs, therefore is not detrimental to the whole
community.
Keith Nicol, a first-year mechanical engineering student,
explains that he hasn’t observed any segregation on campus.
"I’m half Filipino and half French-German, but it doesn’t really
matter. We’re all just friends and (segregation) doesn’t really
affect my life," Nicol said.
"I respect that people can be hanging out with each other and it
doesn’t matter what race they are," he said. "You just have to
respect that (friendship) bond between people."
"It’s ironically sad that we’re a ‘diverse’ campus, (yet) all
the races clump together."
Natashia Williams
undeclared student