Hey man, first of all I totally dig where you’re coming from. I think a lot of issues at Penn come from the fact that there are HUGE class differences. I mentioned it in my article but I’m not sure if that part was cut out or not. But I think that a lot racism and sexism (I wish this blog also mentioned sexism and lgbt along with microaggressions towards  people of color and without), stem from class/wealth differences.

I feel for you, and I hope you get a chance to read this. There are many white allies around that are cool people. And I think that there is so much tension and resentment within minority communities because we live under a heavy cloud of systematically approved bigotry (which also includes sexism). There is an unfortunate hierarchy in this country that exists and I feel that those in charge, that those with power and true wealth, stir the pot amongst the people below them to stay in power.

I honestly feel that a dialogue about bigotry cannot go without classism, because the two go hand in hand.

Thank you for posting your experience. I really hope this blog grows because perspectives like what you posted should be heard.

-Christopher Abreu

I would write about my experiences with microaggressions, but I’m easily identifiable. Instead, I’ll write about how I continue to feel amidst these conversations on race at Penn.

In the wake of saddening testimonies of microaggressions and inspiring demonstrations, I made the mistake of reading today’s columns. I continue to see my fellow students belittling our experiences of racism. Apparently, “it’s bigger than racism.”

It is, but in a different way than many students are conceiving it — have you ever heard of the term “intersectionality”? That means that race is inextricable from sexual orientation and gender and any other possible identity marker, that we all are impacted by systemic oppressions…and, most importantly, that we are all complicit in these forms of power!

To minority and majority students alike: if you haven’t experienced racism here, that’s great! That means I don’t have to shed tears for you, too. Please stop being defensive and be compassionate in the way you believe our campus is. It’s not a compassionate place for everyone.

“Ching, chong!” (or some other words that are “supposed” to sound like an Asian language)

“It sucks to be Asian!!!!!!!”

What another student said to me as I was walking to DP Dough.

Penn may be one of the most diverse Ivy League institutions. When compared to the Ancient Eight, 33.08% of the undergraduate population at Penn is representative of traditionally underrepresented populations in the United States. 

Before making a conclusion about how the guest column should be understood, we must first understand that Penn, as an Ivy League institution, inevitably attracts wealth. There will always be a population of people who have not been exposed to diversity and still hold a conservative set of beliefs that do not cooperate with the growing underrepresented populations at Penn.

It’s Spring Fling weekend - of course a bunch of drunk college kids might make their true colors a little more apparent after taking on the mission to fling like no tomorrow. The guest columnist seemed to have run into a handful of these drunk college kids, and the experience resonates with those of many students here at Penn.

My experience at Penn has not been one where I’ve struggled with racist encounters. I am Latino - my parents are from the Dominican Republic and I’m of fair skin. A lot of people see me and are inclined to believe that I’m Caucasian. While the common misconception is something I’ve dealt with when uncovering my own identity, I have not faced some of the experiences my African American friend have encountered or witnessed.

The outcome of this guest column should be social awareness - rather than calling Penn a place where diversity is a false dream and everyone goes through a similar struggle, we should focus on educating current students about this reality and letting them know we can beat the odds and continue to represent our families in this environment. 

~ Luis

One of the strange things about being white is that almost all of the stereotypes you face either assume something good about you or are about stereotyping itself. Please hear me out and let me explain.

“Penn is a school for rich white kids.” “White people are privileged.” “White people are naive.” “White people are racist.” 

Well I might or might not be naive, but I come from a modest background, I was the first person to ever get into they Ivy League from my half-black/half-white southern public high school, and I really hope that anyone who knows me doesn’t think I’m racist.

Being white at Penn means that you’re automatically classified as being one of those “rich white kids.” So what’s so bad about that?

It means that if you’re walking down the sidewalk in a group, YOU are the one heckled by the homeless. It means that YOU are the one who feels guilty even though you really didn’t have any cash to give. It means that YOU are the one telling that black guy out in front of McDonald’s that “yes, white people are racist, and they are greedy, and they do look down on you because you’re homeless and black.” It means that YOU are just like the rest of them, who only got in because Mommy and Daddy bought a library or sent you to boarding school.

It means that YOU are expected to spend thousands of dollars on Spring Break and come back with some wild story so that you don’t feel left out amongst your peers. It means that YOU are expected not to say anything and pay up when for a group dinner somebody suggests Morimoto or Pod or Buddakan. It means that YOU are supposed to go out every weekend so that you can come back to class and brag about “accidentally” racking up a $100 bar tab.

It means that there is something wrong with YOU when—wait—you’re NOT rich? You CAN’T, like, skip class Friday to hit Vegas for the weekend?

When your peers have expectations that you cannot live up to, it’s a problem. But it’s a problem you can avoid if you need to. When these expectations are solidified into a stereotype—and one that is rarely questioned and highly pervasive—it produces a frustrating, suppressing effect that I’m sure many African Americans could identify with.

What about being classified as racist? I mean, nobody ever says “white people are all racist” at Penn, but it’s assumed that if a particular place or school is racist, it’s the whites who are the culprits. Being stereotyped as racist (remember what I said about being stereotyped about stereotypes?) means that as a white guy, you have to constantly watch what you say and do. I can’t tell a black girl to stop talking or I face the prospect of looking racist. I can’t vehemently disagree with a black guy in class because I don’t want to look like I think he’s “ignorant because he’s black.” I can’t be as open as I’d like to be with everybody because I am afraid of being offensive. 

I was in a rush on the sidewalk one day, right on Walnut outside the bookstore. An African American woman was walking on the right side of the sidewalk, and I moved to the left to pass her. Just as I got next to her, she stopped suddenly and turned to the left, right into me. “Oh I’m sorry, excuse me” I said, and kept walking. Two seconds later, I hear her yell:  “Excuse me, you stupid fucking white boy, did you just bump me?! Did you even say excuse me?!” “Yes,” I replied. She made her way to a car that was waiting for her and said something to the driver as she pointed at me. She was probably telling the guy that she had just been disrespected by one of those annoying, rich, prejudiced white kids. 

It’s not uncommon that someone asks or comments: Where are your parents from, what languages do you speak, where are you from, do you mind if I ask what your heritage is, are you ________, or (the only one I truly find rude,) What are you?  (The answer: A female college student, majoring in physical anthropology, originally from the west coast, but if you meant what my race is, I’m half black, half white.) It’s all part of what I’ve termed the Why Are You Tan game.

I don’t mind. I look different, I’m not easily classified, and people are curious.  Most of the time, if there is a problem, it’s easily solved with a little humor.  Most of the time, it’s caucasians asking and most of the time they don’t mean to be rude. (Like the woman who asked me last summer why with my Swedish last name, I wasn’t blonde. Or my first boyfriend’s mother, who after finding out about my racial background, asked me if I liked rap.)  In fact, the racism for me, doesn’t usually come from the people who are in the racial majority.  It’s the minorities who give me the hardest time.  

Like the time my Native American former roommate told me I shouldn’t be a republican because if the republicans won, that would be the end of affirmative action and then how would people like us get into a school like Penn.  I told her that I didn’t know about her, but I got in on merit. Or the first time I realized that out east being biracial didn’t mean being part of both groups, it meant choosing one.  

When I first came to visit Penn for the multicultural student admittance weekend.  My host and her roommates were pleasant, but distant until I mentioned that my mother was black.  Suddenly, I was allowed to be part of the group because of something as stupid and insignificant as my mother’s (not mine, since mine alone was too light) skin color.  My personality hadn’t changed.  I wasn’t any smarter, funnier or prettier, they just identified how I could belong.  And when I asked my host if all of the dorms were as segregated as DuBois felt, she looked aghast and replied that no, this was just for people who wanted to live in their own community. (Go ahead, quote stats at me about how that dorm is 40% African American, all I know is that the other new student I walked back with was tittering excitedly about how things would be different if she got to live in the Black Dorm, and during my stay that weekend and my subsequent 4 years I have yet to see much to disprove it.)

My point isn’t that what the writer of the 4/19 editorial endured wasn’t horrific.  My point isn’t that I didn’t feel ashamed for and angry at the people who said those things or ashamed of Penn for allowing that kind of community to exist.  I felt sorry for that kid, I know what it feels to not belong.  And that brings me to my final point, racism (or in my case even exclusion) comes in all shades, shapes and sizes.  If you’ve read this far, take a moment to think and ask yourself if you’ve ever excluded someone based on something stupid.  I have.  I’m ashamed of and sorry for it.  It is not white against black, or Jewish against Muslim or anything against anything. We are people.  We are students.  If we got into Penn, be it from any combination of merit or state distribution or lineage or race or any other angle that we use to try and make ourselves stand out from the crowd, we belong here and we need to work together.     

I get sick and tired of constantly seeing different cultural tropes be appropriated by people who are totally uninterested in engaging with those people or learning more about their everyday realities. 

An awesome blog I found: http://mycultureisnotatrend.tumblr.com/