[Peace-discuss] Letter and Liberacion Program

[David Green]

This letter from Carol Spindel ("Dancing at
Halftime")appeared in yesterday's N-G. It was also
read by Antonia Darder on the great Liberacion program
that was aired yesterday morning on WEFT, which can be
listened to at:

http://www.iresist.org/liberacion/

Go down to the end of the left column.
_______________________

UI encourages cultural insensitivity

Sunday November 12, 2006

Chancellor Richard Herman recently wrote about the
unfortunate incident in which Latino culture was
stereotyped and denigrated at a Greek party. He
characterized the students who took part as
insensitive, thoughtless, juvenile and callous, and
said he expected more from Illinois students. 

But the incident shows these students have learned
well the lessons their university teaches. At the
Urbana-Champaign campus, stereotyping another culture
is promoted as the highest form of entertainment.
Intentionally denigrating another group's culture
against their explicit wishes might be considered
insensitive in most circles, but not here. 

The chancellor urged students to put themselves in the
shoes of others. If they put themselves in the shoes
of American Indians on our campus, they are likely to
feel bitter and uneasy. American Indian students,
faculty and staff have clearly asked other students
not to wear or buy the Chief logo. But it is
everywhere. And the university, so quick to turn the
Greek party incident into an educational experience,
is silent about the Chief T-shirts that say clearly to
Native students, "We don't care. We'll have our fun
and you can't stop us." Elsewhere their behavior would
be seen as juvenile and selfish, but the UIUC calls it
attachment to tradition, an innocent-sounding
euphemism for willful ignorance.

Young people are works in progress. But they need
guidance. UIUC has not only failed our few American
Indian students but also the larger group that is
pro-Chief. They need and deserve a better education if
they are to be leaders in the multicultural world. The
bar to get into UIUC is high. But we have the lowest
bar in the country when it comes to how much
sensitivity to other cultures you have to learn to
graduate.

CAROL SPINDEL

Urbana




 
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