Spring Break
Abstract:
Everyone should question the purpose of cultural organizations. Is there a reason to organize the few Latinos on campus beyond being just that: a group of Latinos? What makes people "cultural enough" to be involved? Would it compromise the integrity of the Latino organization if the president was half Chinese - and didn't always check the ever-so-disputed "Hispanic/Latino" box?
How can students proactively address or gain awareness of disparities facing specific populations? The national high school graduation rate of Latinos is just breaking 50 percent, teen pregnancy is more than double that of Caucasians, prevalence of illicit drug abuse competes with the highest in the country and Latino representation at Hopkins has been stagnant for over five years; there are serious yet unaddressed issues facing this population - the most rapidly growing ethnic population in the United States....
Jonathan Kroner
posted 4/05/08 @ 5:51 AM EST
You understate the benefit of cultural groups. Cultural organizations serve many purposes. One benefit is that by participating in groups, individuals better understand who they are, and how their own behavior and identity is influenced by their cultural background. This allows conscious choice about those behaviors. And an additional benefit for those for whom cultural difference are obvious and significant is that socializing with others of similar background is just easier.
I teach intercultural and cross-cultural communications and participants in my workshops come to learn about "those people" (regardless of who those people are). But they end up learning more about themselves.
Cultural groups can allow a stable foundation from which to view, appreciate and bridge cultural differences.
Jonathan Kroner, JD, MBA, Miami