RECENTLY, the University's debate over its stance on multicultural issues has focused on the role of ethnic organizations, with some students declaring that groups such as the Office of African-American Affairs and the Latino Student Union entrench racial divisions.
While these concerns about racial divisions are well-placed, the University community should remember that these organizations are based on the cultural association of ethnicity and not the biological association of race. Because of this distinction, ethnic organizations work to encourage individuality and to promote a more inclusive and cohesive University community.
The application of this distinction can be seen in the ethnic organizations on Grounds, which are not racially exclusive clubs, but are instead cultural organizations that allow people who have an interest in maintaining their cultural heritage to share their common experiences and address their mutual concerns. In this manner, ethnic organizations are no different from any other interest group on Grounds in that they seek to deal with the concerns of a group of people that are united by a shared interest.
Ethnic organizations clearly have a very positive role to play in the life of the University. Moreover, these organizations not only ensure that all viewpoints are incorporated into University policy; they also give the entire student body a greater degree of cultural awareness. Thus, these organizations play an important role in the quality of education at the University as cultural fluency is becoming a valuable commodity in an increasingly multicultural America. In an e-mail interview, Bill Ashby, associate dean of students and director of Newcomb Hall and student activities, when he said "The ability to approach issues of multiculturalism and diversity with such sophistication is a requisite skill for the leaders of tomorrow, therefore, the University has an important role to play in relation to this issue."
Although ethnic organizations have become part of life at the University, many students maintain that these groups discourage individuality by creating a climate characterized by groupthink. While this charge would be significant if these organizations focused on racial unity, the truth is that these organizations are catered to people that already have a shared interest in preserving their traditional cultural backgrounds.
Since members of these organizations are committed to the same goal of maintaining their traditional cultural identity, they will obviously share many of the same opinions in matters related to cultural diversity. Therefore, the fact that these groups are united in presenting their cultural heritage is a result of the core purpose of these clubs, and is no more troubling than the fact that the members of the College Republicans are conservative or thatthe members of a cappella groups are interested in singing.
Another claim made by detractors of ethnic organizations is that they browbeat members of racial groups into conforming to stereotypical norms. However, because these groups are based off of cultural and not racial definitions, identification with these ethnic groups is open to anyone who is holds the values of a given culture and compulsory to no one who adheres to a different set of ideas and values. In this way, they are not fighting individualism by coercing people to conform to a cultural norm, but are instead endorsing individualism by encouraging their members to maintain their cultural practices against the normalizing force of popular society.
The final indictment that is often leveled against these ethnic organizations is that they break down societal cohesion by breaking society down into a series of isolated ethnic groups. This fear is embodied in the rise of the concept of self-segregation. While this concept of self-segregation implies that groups such as ethnic organizations create a social climate that is dominated by isolated subgroups, the reality at the University is much different.
Indeed, in a situation in which students willingly share the culture and institutions of the University, the creation of ethnic organizations does not stem from a desire for separation, but instead from a desire to make sure the University's procedures incorporate all viewpoints. In fact, ethnic organizations strengthen social cohesion by making all students feel respected by the University's culture and institutions and, in turn, increasing the respect for the University's established practices.
With all of this in mind, it is clear that students should encourage ethnic organizations' attempts to articulate the concerns of all segments of the student body. In doing so, these organizations provide a tremendous aid toward ensuring that the University can function in a multicultural world.
Adam Keith's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at akeith@cavalierdaily.com.
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