by B.J. on 12/01/2002 11:00:00 PM 0 comments Print this post

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Red, White, Black, Yellow, BLUE UC-SANTA CRUZ.

Note: Read in context of hearsay and Asian Bias

There's an odd trend here between MINORITIES and COLLEGES/DORMS here at Santa Cruz. In general the kids at OAKES, the minority-dominated college seem to be bored at this school, whereas the kids here at COWELL, MY white-dominated college (the WHITEST college on campus out of 10) generally like and enjoy this school. I think minorities don't like this school as much as whites because they generally enjoy things that are big and extravagant --- things they perceive, whether subconscious or not, that are AMERICAN and PRACTICAL. This school isn't EXTRAVAGANT at least, it's more of a place to "Be at one with yourself" and all those other bullshit discover yourself phrases.

As mostly the first-generation sons and daughters of immigrant parents or simply "minorified", they generally look to achieve big things to establish themselves as AMERICANS. For the most part, these minority kids at OAKES build security within themselves by surrounding themselves with OTHER minorities, not that they don't have WHITE friends. Generally, in direct contrast, the WHITE KIDS here at COWELL seem to be the easy-going upper-class surfboarders with moderate expectations and goals. They don't care much for race, and are not as inclined to "being" AMERICAN and/or PRACTICAL because they already have their own at the top of the order, and feel a different, more SOCIALLY-CONSCIOUS role.

The KIDS WHO GO to UC-Santa Cruz either: didn't get into a better college, genuinely enjoy the camraderie and setting this place provides, or both. Minorities, aiming for the AMERICAN and PRACTICAL, probably PRIMARILY chose it because they didn't get into a better college, which I am guilty of. However, I enjoy the easygoing atmosphere as much as the next tree-hugger. And yes tree-hugging. . .this is a VERY POLITICALLY ACTIVE school. In general, we don't see very many MINORITY politicians, probably because the MINORITIES are too busy being PRACTICAL and SCIENTIFIC, which more than likely translates to conservative, traditional ideals. They tend towards the UCLAs because it's the "BIG", popular school and the IRVINES because it's convenient/PRACTICAL. I think that this idea of TRADITION is best embodied in the fact that FRATS and SORORITIES, which are hella hella SCARCE here, are ASIAN-dominated.

However, MINORITIES bunching up really does build some sense of SECURITY. I'm guilty of the same shit, as I hung all four-years of high school with one FILIPINO gang, whom I couldn't really find a clicking point with. But I still consider them friends probably because I could relate better to them than to any other race. I've noticed that it's not as comfortable making inferences with white people as it is with people of my heritage. It really really felt like home AUTOMATICALLY when I talked with the people at OAKES, and it took 3 months here in my SUPER-WHITE dorms to realize that. I'm not saying that I don't or won't enjoy the company of my WHITE friends, becuase I really do because I see them as people, just that it has been AUTOMATIC with minorities REGARDLESS of any commonalities.

Then there's the WHITEWASHED MINORITIES group that prides themselves on being DIFFERENT and ignores all other minorities. That's all good, just as long as they don't isolate and ignore me just BECAUSE I am a minority. They seem to deliberately deny that they are any trace of anything. Whatever, there aren't that much people that fall into this category anyway.

Without much attention to race, the WHITE guys here are either: political activists or surfers. Either way, they are all easy-going and don't pay as much attention to race because it doesn't play as profound an effect in their lives as it does a minority. They aren't seeking the MATERIALISTIC or GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS because their background makes it OK for them to do so. They know they'll just end up being "other white guys," whereas with MINORITIES, it's like a PASS/FAIL thing for life. According to our own standards, and sometimes standards placed on us by other people, we have no room for error or we've failed in life because we didn't make a big splash (make money or become famous). We create these STUPID goals because we feel the need to ESTABLISH ourselves as AMERICANS. Once we realize that we're PEOPLE, we could do ANYTHING in life, we don't have to define ourselves by our ACHIEVEMENTS and WEALTH, only then, can we really start going over to the COWELL COLLEGES all over the nation.

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