A few days before I moved into Rieber Hall in the fall of 1995,
my otherwise stoic dad called me over to have a little
“talk.” He started off by saying, “When you walk
down Bruin Walk, a lot of people will try to make you join their
group.” He cited various religious, Greek and political
organizations that he heard about from his UCLA alumni co-workers.
“Don’t let them follow you to your room. Focus on your
studies. Don’t become a radical.” I wonder what he
would think if he witnessed my involvement in student government
over the past five years at UCLA?
I’m sure this is not a unique experience. I bet your
parents have stressed “studying” and getting good
grades over participating in social groups and activities. But with
over 500 organizations on this campus, it’s apparent we
didn’t follow all of our parents’ rules.
Together we have cultivated a sense of community through various
student organizations. We’ve learned so many things from each
other that we couldn’t get in a classroom. I’ve seen a
lot of us find our passions through our involvement with different
groups. For many of us, our passions lay in making this world a
better place. Many of these student organizations also made life
more interesting than homework. As for myself, my involvement in
Samahang Pilipino and other student organizations has empowered me
to continue to fight for social change as I leave UCLA and enter
“the real world.”
But as I reflect on the graduating Class of 2000 ““ the
leaders of the new century ““ I’m worried.
I’m worried that our passions will become relegated to
building our resumés. I’m worried that salaries will
drive our ambitions. I’m worried that in the process of
pursuing our personal goals we will perpetuate individualism.
I’m worried that we will forget what we have learned while
being part of groups here at UCLA: collectively we have the power
to make positive social change.
As a freshman, I was welcomed into UCLA by Samahang Pilipino
through participation in Pilipino Cultural Night.Fun stuff; nothing
too “radical.” Yet during this time Samahang was also
wrought with internal conflict, much of which centered around the
issue of the mistreatment of Pinays (Pilipina women). As a new
“Samahanger” who was having fun making new friends,
this conflict burst my bubble of security. Listening to arguments
fly back and forth made me think about my own identity as a Pinay.
It also made me more sensitive and attentive to
“controversial” issues. I guess Samahang wasn’t
just about PCN, and I would soon learn through getting involved
with USAC that UCLA wasn’t all about fun and games.
I was introduced to USAC through the campaign against
Proposition. 209, the ballot initiative that dismantled affirmative
action in California. Coming from a conservative family that was
against affirmative action, I felt uncomfortable, especially since
I thought I could just stay “neutral” about the
issue.
Well, at UCLA the affirmative action debate was anything but
neutral. As Samahang adamantly condemned Proposition 209 and
supported affirmative action, I remembered my father’s
“talk.” His words, “Don’t become a
radical” echoed through my mind as 3,000 students stopped
traffic at Wilshire and Veteran in a mass action against
Proposition 209.
In these past five years, affirmative action has always been a
major issue that has divided the campus. Students who ran for USAC
against Students First!/Praxis on slates called
“Access,” “United Students” and
“Sanity,” all who wanted to skirt the issue of
affirmative action, lost. It remains an important issue because it
speaks to the larger issues of power, access to education, and who
is really able to come to UCLA.
With the passage of Proposition 209, my classmates and I
witnessed a dramatic change on campus. Every year, the drop of
African American and Latina/o students was visible, whether I was
on Bruin Walk or in the classroom. In my English classes I could
even count all of underrepresented students of color on my fingers.
This bothered me because I began to feel increasingly isolated.
Concurrently attitudes seemed to take a more individualistic
turn as minority admissions plummeted. Even though GPA and SAT
scores skyrocketed, the students coming in seemed, more than ever,
overly concerned solely with academics.
In my first two years here, people seemed friendlier. We shared
notes and kept each other posted on what we needed to know.
Nowadays, when I casually glance over to catch a point I missed,
I’m usually met with a classmate’s arm blocking his or
her notes. Or when I ask, “What did the professor just
say?” I get a reply of, “Um, I don’t know,
I’m not sure,” as they continue writing. The
overemphasis that admissions put on GPA and SAT scores is not an
insignificant factor in shaping student attitudes on this
campus.
These individualistic tendencies became more apparent when I
experienced the challenges of organizing students as a leader in
Samahang. Often times it seemed like people didn’t care about
the activities we promoted and I was often met with indifference or
condescension.
Many of my peers in Samahang and those in other student groups
felt the same way. But we realized that for the survival of our
organizations and the communities we represent, giving up is not an
option.
No one ever said that standing up and fighting for what you
believe in was easy. And there were always things that reminded me
why I shouldn’t give up. Forming friendships and working in
coalition with other marginalized communities for solidarity always
kept me going because I didn’t feel alone. There are students
who came before me that fought for important things like the
Academic Success Referendum and the ethnic studies centers so that
students can be exposed to the diverse historical viewpoints of
various groups.
Students in the past also fought to ensure that students like
myself (who under current admissions policies, would have almost no
chance of getting into UCLA) would have a place here on campus.
Learning this made me realize that we have a responsibility to
ensure there is a place for those who succeed us as well. As a part
of Samahang leadership, this responsibility guided my work. And
through these experiences, I felt that I could further serve
students by running with Praxis for USAC.
This past year, serving as Cultural Affairs Commissioner was an
enjoyable learning experience. But the greatest lessons I learned
over the past five years came from working with Samahang and other
student organizations like African Student Union, Raza Women,
MEChA, Asian Pacific Coalition, La Familia and others.
USAC is not where major change takes place. Change comes from
the student organizations that take a stand for what they believe
in. It was through the vigilance, aggressive organization, and
coalition work of student organizations on this campus that
resources such as the Student Retention Center and Student
Initiated Outreach were developed.
Additionally, the administration would never had considered a
Hate Crimes Policy if students didn’t bring the issue to
public attention. The student organizations on this campus have the
voice and power to make change. USAC’s role is to ensure that
students will always have a space to bring issues to the forefront
and educate the campus community.
For all of you with a few more years to go, keep in mind that
UCLA is a temporary space. This is a time for you to learn,
experience, take chances, mess up and maybe even get a little
“radical.” More important was that my actions were
guided by the values that my parents instilled in me to stand up
for what I believe in, and to ensure a better world for those who
come after me.
Use this time as a student at UCLA to summon change and see
where it takes you. Continue the struggle to put students first at
this university, because only students can.
The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s made such an intense
impact not only in the U.S. but all over the world because students
took the responsibility to organize a movement and incite change.
You, as a student, make the movement. So get up and start
moving.