Wednesday, 4/9/97
Restructuring of ethnic studies programs demands a student
voice
Centers like American Indian Studies promote, maintain campus
diversity, affect most of us
Your ethnic studies centers may be undergoing major changes in
the near future.
Restructuring proposals have been on and off the table for a
number of years. There are many players involved at various levels
in the negotiating process. A concern that has surfaced recently is
the lack of a student voice in the process. Students played a
significant role in the creation of these research centers and
academic programs. Students fill the classrooms and libraries,
lounges and offices. Students produce a fair portion of the
research that comes out of the centers and programs. It seems only
fair that students have a voice in the future of ethnic
studies.
The American Indian Studies Center is where my specific concerns
are directed. Currently, I am a first-year student in the American
Indian studies master’s program – how many of those do you know? I
have been involved with the American Indian Studies Center in
various capacities since 1993 – I did my undergraduate work here
too. At first, this might appear to be an issue that does not
concern you. But I believe that it concerns every student on this
campus.
Many of you have taken an ethnic studies course. Many others
have some affiliation with people in these areas of study. Most
students are well aware of the diversity on this campus. Some of
you might welcome the variety of people and views that are found on
Bruin Walk during the lunch hour. But to the dismay of others, the
falsehood of the melting-pot theory can be troubling.
Most people choose to draw a box around themselves. This box
usually includes people who interest you and also understand you.
From an outsider’s point of view, that box has been created based
on color lines. In my opinion, this is called a community.
Communities have always been necessary for survival. If the
melting-pot experiment is bogus, these various, unique communities
are the reality that we need to live with.
If you have ever taken note of the different languages,
attitudes and colors of people on this campus, there is reason for
you to take note of your ethnic studies centers. If you do not care
about these centers or the communities that they serve and support,
you probably only care about yourself and can choose to be ignorant
about the concerns of fellow students. But based on the fact that
we are on a diverse campus and in one of the most diverse cities in
the world, I would suggest that you consider enrolling in an
American Indian studies, Chicano studies, Asian American studies or
Afro-American studies course to learn a little about yourself or
someone else.
I question the education I am receiving every day. One reason is
that I have been forced to learn a foreign language in order to
receive my bachelor of arts degree. This troubles me, not because
it is an unimportant requirement, but rather because I cannot learn
the language that my grandparents spoke. Instead, I have been
forced to learn two foreign languages. I will accept the foreign
language requirement when Tlingit 1, 2 and 3 are offered here. The
Tlingit language, like many other native languages, has been
effectively extinguished by the boarding school system. There are
no fluent speakers younger than 40 years old. It is unfortunate
that this American educational system has exterminated so many
native languages and attempted to suppress so many cultures.
By the same token, I think that it would be unfortunate if any
of the distinctiveness of each of our ethnic studies centers was
lost in this reorganization. Money and resources are, as always,
underlying motivations for making change. This is not inherently
evil, but we need to ensure that students are considered before the
winnings are tabulated and the losses are cut.
Productive and smart changes are welcome. I only hope that they
do not come at the expense of student services. The recent closure
of the American Indian studies library caught the attention of many
students.
Fortunately, these students were able to grab the ear of
administrators that were willing to listen and had the power to
reopen the library, at least temporarily. American Indians may have
a lot to gain in a restructuring. But we also have a lot to lose
because we are very unique. The use of the ‘ethnic’ studies
terminology is scary because we are not an ethnicity. There are
over 500 distinct tribes within the United States, most of which
consider themselves sovereign nations. Many Indian groups have
their own land, their own police forces and their own governments.
A few tribes even produce their own passports.
American Indians have a history that goes far beyond this
country. Relations with Europeans and the Americans have been and
continue to be government to government. American Indian studies
might fit just as uncomfortably in International studies. American
Indians just do not fit easily into the typical minority model.
No one can, or wants to, predict the future of ethnic studies.
There are too many people and too many agendas involved in the
process to make a safe guess at an outcome. Concerned students need
to formulate an agenda of their own and see that it gets to the
table also.
On this issue, I do not envision a list of concerns that serves
the needs of all students. Ethnic studies programs are distinct for
a reason. Students need to bring their concerns to each of the
studies centers’ directors. The dynamics of the politics involved
are not easily understood, but each director and their particular
community of students will need to work together to achieve
something desirable by all parties. Until recently, students have
been excluded from these negotiations.
Now is the time – not to fear change, clinging to the status quo
– but rather to weigh the strengths and weaknesses of these ethnic
studies programs and demand changes that will best serve you.Nelson
is an American Indian studies graduate
student.
Joe Nelson