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Life is rough for everyone, not just minorities
Guest commentary
by Andrea Blaser |
PUBLISHED ON 5/11/07 IN Commentary
As a graduate student at the University, I often find myself torn between two worlds; The looming reality of finding a job in the real world always hovers over my head, yet I am still engulfed in the microcosm that is the University campus. I have found that the University contains a fair amount of students who feel that they are treated differently because of the color of their skin, and because of this they feel highly disenfranchised and alone on this campus.
While I would never want to discredit the claims of others who feel that they have been mistreated or discriminated against, it seems that many times when these claims are brought forward in the Emerald, as seen in Diego Hernandez's letter to the editor ("Racism is still an issue, even if people ignore it," ODE May 8, 2007), the argument is brought down to the level of "I am brown, therefore you hate. You are white, therefore you are privileged and powerful and do not understand."
As a white student, I find this highly offensive. I personally, like many other students of all colors at this university, have struggled to get where I am today. Where some see a white, privileged woman, I know my personal truth - that I was only able to afford to come to college because I was awarded an opportunity scholarship for children of disadvantaged families. Because of my personal struggle, I know that others have struggled as well, and that many do so silently, like I have. To assume that because of the color of one's skin that they have not had to struggle is to conveniently ignore the plight of others. This, in turn, creates a situation that parallels the current University climate, pitting students of all walks of life against each other, instead of banding them together to move forward in the fight against racism and other injustices, which exist in this world and on this campus.
On NPR Monday, a young black man submitted an essay for the long-running series "This I Believe." In his essay, he described being made fun of in high school for participating in honors classes, wearing clothes that didn't hang off of his body, and because he preferred rock and techno to rap. What struck me about this young man was his mature wisdom in the face of oppression, as he proudly stated, "My skin color has done nothing to change my personality, and my personality has done nothing to change my skin color."
While I would never want to discredit the claims of others who feel that they have been mistreated or discriminated against, it seems that many times when these claims are brought forward in the Emerald, as seen in Diego Hernandez's letter to the editor ("Racism is still an issue, even if people ignore it," ODE May 8, 2007), the argument is brought down to the level of "I am brown, therefore you hate. You are white, therefore you are privileged and powerful and do not understand."
As a white student, I find this highly offensive. I personally, like many other students of all colors at this university, have struggled to get where I am today. Where some see a white, privileged woman, I know my personal truth - that I was only able to afford to come to college because I was awarded an opportunity scholarship for children of disadvantaged families. Because of my personal struggle, I know that others have struggled as well, and that many do so silently, like I have. To assume that because of the color of one's skin that they have not had to struggle is to conveniently ignore the plight of others. This, in turn, creates a situation that parallels the current University climate, pitting students of all walks of life against each other, instead of banding them together to move forward in the fight against racism and other injustices, which exist in this world and on this campus.
On NPR Monday, a young black man submitted an essay for the long-running series "This I Believe." In his essay, he described being made fun of in high school for participating in honors classes, wearing clothes that didn't hang off of his body, and because he preferred rock and techno to rap. What struck me about this young man was his mature wisdom in the face of oppression, as he proudly stated, "My skin color has done nothing to change my personality, and my personality has done nothing to change my skin color."
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 11
dorothy
posted 5/11/07 @ 8:44 AM PST
Very good article;I agree.My family which is white,lived in Oregon,for many years,and we were always poor,No one helped us cause of the color of our skin. (Continued…)
Sean Jin
posted 5/11/07 @ 11:48 AM PST
Amazing article, Miss Blaser. It is so important that we hold ourselves accountable and responsible for our actions, our situation, and our lives. When we claim that everything is due to racism and social inequality, we shift the blame to something we cannot control. (Continued…)
Diego Hernandez
posted 5/11/07 @ 12:02 PM PST
"I am brown, therefore you hate. You are white, therefore you are privileged and powerful and do not understand." You pulled this one out of your ass didn't you. (Continued…)
Morning Valley
posted 5/11/07 @ 1:02 PM PST
Thank you Andrea Blaser for your eloquent commentary (5/11/2007), it invites understanding and communication rather than anger and hate. I applaud your wisdom and thoughtfulness. (Continued…)
Andrea Blaser
posted 5/12/07 @ 1:13 PM PST
Mr. Hernandez,
"Another conservative trying to defend social aspects in which they do not understand."
Why am I a conservative? Do you know me personally? Or do you make this assumption because I work for the Commentator? How educated is this assumption?
"You pulled this one out of your ass didn't you"
Well Mr. (Continued…)
tomstevens55
Thomas Stevens
posted 5/12/07 @ 3:30 PM PST
I sometimes think that minorities are trying to obtain power over whites by using guilt of the past, for which most people had nothing to do with. For that matter, I seriously question whether minorities today have suffered from racism, at all. (Continued…)
niedermeyer
posted 5/13/07 @ 3:32 AM PST
Thomas Stevens: "Minorities today" do suffer from racism... it shouldn't take too much research to figure that out. Please do not think that anyone who recommends ethnic studies and sociology as the keys to not being a racist represents anyone but themselves. (Continued…)
Morning Valley
posted 5/13/07 @ 8:49 PM PST
It's good to see such range of opinions shared on the issue of racism. It's true that racist incidents happen, perhaps more often to some people than others. (Continued…)
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