Though this year’s student body has the highest diversity percentage of any class, there are still many issues minorities have to face.
The last Sundaes on Mondays of the semester addressed the experiences of the minorities at ACU. Byron Martin, director of the Office of Multicultural Enrichment, moderated the conversations with students Kenyon Jackson, senior psychology major from Oxnard, Calif.; Catherine Narvaez, president of Hispanos Unidos and senior sociology major from San Antonio; and Gabriel Elorreaga, vice president of Hispanos Unidos and senior political science major from San Antonio.
The conversation was held in the Mabee Core Classroom from 8-9 p.m. The topic raised many difficult questions regarding the lives and experiences of minorities on campus, ranging from facing subtle racist remarks to the ignorance of not knowing the difference between ethnicity and culture.
Some students explained that racism usually came in the form of stereotypes.
“The most memorable experience happened in my freshmen year. My roommate and I were Hispanics, but my hall would call us Mexicans,” Elloreaga said. “There was once, after winter break, we received a card from the hall saying, ‘Merry Christmas Mexicans.’ My roommate and I just had to let it go and laugh about it.”
The students went on to discuss remarks people make unknowingly.
Elorreaga said the problem is not about the noticeable attacks but rather the ones that are not noticed such as not using the correct terms when referring to race or nationality.
Students also expressed the difficulties of acclimating to American culture. Common themes included a lack of interaction, language and cultural barriers and different types of food.
As the discussions came to a close, each student gave a word to define their ACU experience: wealth; ignorance; unexpected; eye opening; shocked; stereotypical; challenging; controversial.
Students also explained, in one word, what was missing in ACU: unity; acceptance; openness; representation.
Martin concluded the discussions asking what could be done to make the students feel more accepted.
As some felt it was not easy to give a single solution for their problems, the students conversed on whether, as minorities, ACU truly cared for them and about representing them properly.
“Though ACU is about a 100 years old now, it is still young when it comes to working with diversity,” Byron said. “What is a norm now will change as we work to address this problems.”
Byron said the best way to address the issue was to discuss it.
“I think when we talk about it then people will start to hear about it,” Byron said. “Allow the conversations to have a structure at first and when professors and students start to push the conversations to happen in classes and dorm rooms, then we can begin to see the change.”
