Letter to the editor
By Daily Bruin Staff
Jan. 12, 2005 9:00 p.m.
All cultures equal in diversity
In response to Eligio Martinez’s view that the failure of
the diversity requirement is an indication of racism and a
rejection of his history and culture (“What’s next for
the diversity requirement?” Jan. 12), I would like to draw
his attention to some American history that he seems to have
rejected.
More than 60 million Americans are of German descent. In fact,
during the wave of immigration from Europe over a century ago,
there was a movement to make German the second language of the
United States. Luckily, it failed.
And furthermore, nobody is being forced to learn German history,
culture and arts at UCLA. I am 100 percent Germanic, and I have no
qualms about the absence of this requirement. I moved to the United
States to look to the future, not the past.
Furthermore, I find it ironic that Martinez ties a failed effort
to dictate students’ curriculums to an example of his freedom
being curtailed.
His freedom of expression has an inverse ““ my freedom not
to listen.
Nicholas Louw Fourth-year, applied
mathematics
