UCLA, balkanized
Consider as Exhibit A graduation week at UCLA:
Heavily subsidized by taxpayers, the various graduation ceremonies at UCLA make the campus a virtual Balkan peninsula in June. The discussion is being led by the right, but it is worthwhile for the left to review. It is surprising to me that all these groups can't simply identify themselves as Bruins.Commencement weekend is hard to plan at the University of California, Los Angeles. The university now has so many separate identity-group graduations that scheduling them not to conflict with one another is a challenge. The women’s studies graduation and the Chicana/Chicano studies graduation are both set for 10 AM Saturday. The broader Hispanic graduation, “Raza,” is in near-conflict with the black graduation, which starts just an hour later.
Planning was easier before a new crop of ethnic groups pushed for inclusion. Students of Asian heritage were once content with the Asian–Pacific Islanders ceremony. But now there are separate Filipino and Vietnamese commencements, and some talk of a Cambodian one in the future. Years ago, UCLA sponsored an Iranian graduation, but the school’s commencement office couldn’t tell me if the event was still around. The entire Middle East may yet be a fertile source for UCLA commencements.
Posted by Joseph F. Mailander @ 6/16/2007 08:37:00 AM
25 Comments:
nice to discover your blog.
Good Morning Bloggin Mentor,
I heard this last night on Kevin James Show. Here is a simple idea. lets have an "AMERICAN GRADUATION", this would be the ultimate exercise in diversity.
didn't they actually cancel nursing program decade ago to allow funding from that for the Chicano Studies program after all sorts of sitins; now there's a huge nursing shortage, are they putting it back, or at some other campus. let's see: nursing or a program that breeds radical activists for Mexican separatism...
The different fields of study at UCLA are also balkanized. I've been employed in one of the science departments at the school for the past five years and I've noticed that despite the fact that the city and county are majority Latino, Latinos make up no more than 5% (!) of the students, technicians, postdocs and faculty in the science and engineering fields. There are probably as many Turks where I work as there are Latinos.
Are they all going into Chicano studies?
You fail to mention that there is still the "general" graduation were all students attend and actually get there diplomas. These "ethnic" graduations are celebrations for particular groups of graduates, what's wrong with that. Especially when the graduates represent only 2% to 4% of that particular groups population - this is something to celebrate. It is much more enjoyable than the typical "white" graduate celebration of a family visit to Denny's!
If anything these separate celebrations are affirmation that even educated people of color still see themselves as separate than white - why? This is a question for the sociology department at UCLA. What are the conrtibuting factors to this "problem" you claim exists. Why don't people of color feel comfortable in a white world?
Why don't people of color feel comfortable in a white world?
Partly because they feel inferior and humiliated amidst people of other races who are more accomplished. Sort of like how all of the Middle East hates Israel. Here's this tiny little enclave on the periphery of the region whose accomplishments, power and international influence have dwarfed those of every other nation around them. That's why Israelis are hated so much. The non-Jews tell themselves that they are the "better" ones, but then they look outside and see a world in which all evidence points to the Jews being the ones who are "better." Of course they resent that and don't feel comfortable living in the midst of Israel. Similar situation here in LA - just toned down several notches.
typical anti-white racism here: all whites are literally dull whitebread and of course end up at Denny's, but whatever the ethnic celebrations are, are naturally superior...guess that's why french and italian etc. foods are so uninspiring and dull, too. Or do they become dull "anglos" when they live in s cal, and switch to dennys?
There is no "American" graduation for a simple reason; not enough graduates are citizens to make it worthwhile.
They could hold it in a phone booth.
That's why Israelis are hated so much. The non-Jews tell themselves that they are the "better" ones, but then they look outside and see a world in which all evidence points to the Jews being the ones who are "better."
Any group thinking of themselves as the "better" race does not promote peace. Didn't someone already try this "master race" stuff?
The next Judicial Watch lawsuit should be a discrimination claim against UCLA for these graduations. Bleed UC dry in legal fees.
I commented on this back in 2003, with several links. One of the comments I pointed to is similar to the one about Denny's.
11:26 AM,
tell that to the arabs
Dave Elliott is fucking the blog.
11:21,
This is the racial breakdown for this year's admittees to UCLA:
Black - 3.4%
Hispanic - 12.8%
White - 33.0%
Asian - 43.1%
and this is the racial breakdown for L.A. county:
Black - 9.7%
Hispanic - 46.8%
White - 29.5%
Asian - 13.1%
I wonder what the admission stats would look like minus affirmative action/"holistic" admissions policies. I also wonder what sort of programs these different groups will end up in. Ethnic studies? Or physics or economics or linguistics?
Disgusting!
UCLA's separate graduations discriminate or grant preferential treatment in violation of California's Proposition 209:
"The state shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting."
Ethnic group graduation ceremonies are illegal and should be stopped.
ucla
ucla
underachievers
conned
Los Angeles
10:14 AM
The "POLITICO FORMERLY KNOWN AS ANTONIO VILLARAIGOSA" comes to mind.
Where are they going to get all the free handicapped parking for these graduations?
Quote: This is the racial breakdown for this year's admittees to UCLA:
Black - 3.4%
Hispanic - 12.8%
White - 33.0%
Asian - 43.1%
and this is the racial breakdown for L.A. county:
Black - 9.7%
Hispanic - 46.8%
White - 29.5%
Asian - 13.1%
End quote
Hmmmmm...........Asians must be running things at UCLA and discriminating against everyone except whites. Maybe the Asians and whites are in cahoots?
UCLA also has departmental graduation exercises for people in various study programs (law school, medicine, sociology, etc.), also symbolic.
Should we also do away with "majors" in different disciplines and just graduate everyone as a non-descript "college graduate" or is it ethnic variations that bug you so much?
Being "American" was never meant to be a cookie cutter that chopped off all the edges of the dough that didn't fit into the mold (your mold).
I participated in UCLA's Raza Grad five years ago. I also participated in my department's graduation. I did not participate in the large 3,000 student graduation typically held on Friday afternoon.
I chose to do this because (a) most of my friends were doing Raza Grad, (b) I was highly invested in one of the groups planning and fundraising for the graduation, (c) I could invite as many people as I wanted unlike the larger graduation which limits the number of attendees a graduate can bring. The fact that the ceremony is in English and Spanish was less important considering that 18 family members who attended were all fluent in English, but I know this is not the case for many Latino students at UCLA.
I didn't participate because I wanted to be separate or because I felt inferior to white people contrary to what other commenters wrote.
I participated in Raza Grad a few years ago and did it because it was the only way to graduate with my friends (we were from different departments). It was also the only way to include my parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins in the graduation. A UCLA graduation is a big deal in some families. The psychology department limits the amount of tickets each graduate may recieve.
I didn't care much for the parts of the ceremony that were in nahualt or any other indigenous language. Many of my family members appreciated that parts of of the ceremony were in Spanish.
I am definately not uncomfortable to be in a "white world" (just ask my white boyfriend). Many of my friends that graduated from Raza Grad have gone on to JD, MD and MA programs. We have not segregated ourselves.
Why can't we celebrate and be recognized in the environment we enjoy?! A mariachi is a great way to end a graduation. Its just a graduation celebration, get over it. Just let it be.
Some of these comments are absolutely ridiculous and a clear reflection of your ignorance regarding ethnic culture. UCLA offers different graduations because they are organized and funded by the students. Keep in mind that it is the students who work their ass off for years in order to educate and better themselves. Why should they not be allowed to celebrate such a big accomplishment with family and friends in an atmosphere where their language and cultural traditions are practiced, if this is what they feel comfortable in? UCLA is not the only campus who does this, and these graduations are not limited to ethnic groups. There are also gay/lesbian graduation ceremonies.
does "balkanized" mean "mongrelized" to you? I'm from a town even more mx/am than L.A and we graduate the largest amount of Mx/Am. engineers in the country!! If it is angering you than maybe its exactly what we "should" be doing!
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