Friday, May 22, 1998
Multiculturalism should be university’s duty
RACE: Equal opportunity for education needs to be afforded to
all individuals
By Francisco Arzu
It was very difficult for me to think about multiculturalism
without instantly associating it with race. Therefore, the question
of whether or not multiculturalism is good for the educational
system is really asking whether or not we should have segregated
educational institutions. This interpretation, while it may sound
radical, is the reason why it should not be doubted that
multiculturalism is necessary. Are we really that afraid of
interacting with other races or cultures that we should even doubt
the benefits of multiculturalism?
An educational institution, especially at the university level,
should be representative of the communities around it. It doesn’t
make any sense to live in a country as culturally diverse as the
United States and have educational institutions that are only
interested in teaching about a particular group of the population.
It makes a lot less sense in a city as diverse as Los Angeles.
Why, then, should educational institutions not be interested in
teaching its students that, 1. There are a lot of different
cultures in the United States; 2. That each one of those cultures
is here to stay whether or not racist individuals feel they don’t
belong here; 3. That each of those cultures has something positive
to bring into society; and 4. That each culture is composed of
human beings who may have different skin colors or accents, but
have the same potential to succeed as anybody, if they are given
the chance to do so.
It is really a shame to see that recently, the universities in
California have forgotten about the importance of multiculturalism.
How can we expect to have an educated society if not everyone is
given the same opportunity to get a higher education? The answer is
simple: We can’t. Multiculturalism should be a goal for every
educational institution because it is only by learning about other
cultures that we are able to understand our own.