Merely being proud of belonging is pointless

I’m Indian, but I’m not sure my personality reflects that very well. I took Chinese in high school, I’m going to be in an Arab culture show, I did taiko drumming, I went to Korean Culture Night and the only food I can eat every day is pizza. There are certainly several things about Indian culture I embrace, but I find exploring other cultures far more interesting and enriching than pigeonholing myself into one category. In fact, a UCLA study shows that confining yourself to one ethnic group is something that can be altogether dangerous.

Research on college campus diversity conducted at UCLA last December tracked 2,000 students over five years and revealed that “involvement in ethnically segregated student organizations, such as minority-specific groups, sharpened perceptions of discrimination and aggravated conflict between groups.”

According to the study, fraternities and sororities which were mostly white also “increased the members’ opposition to an ethnically diverse campus.” Conversely, the study found that having a roommate of a different race decreased race prejudices toward all groups.

I’m not surprised.

From my own observations of some ethnic clubs, I’ve seen cliques form that are very reminiscent of those you’d find in high school, with the most suave and popular members sticking together like peas in a pod. Rarely do I see these students interact with people of other ethnicities, and some of them even label themselves with blatantly separatist names like “Brown Town.”

It’s nauseating enough to make people like me who couldn’t care less for the childish drama that usually ensues want to steer clear of ethnic groups altogether. I joined (and left) a certain ethnic club twice before finally realizing that the group wasn’t nearly as much about celebrating culture as it was about trying to appease egos.

Luckily, my mediocre experience with this group didn’t deter me from exploring other options, and I soon found that some groups are more open than others. Juliana Darwiche, a third-year sociology student and member of the United Arab Society said the group “has great relationships with a lot of other student groups, such as the Iranian Student Group,” and added that members, “always try to support other cultural clubs on campus.”

It makes perfect sense for different ethnic groups to collaborate, exchange ideas and customs, and become more familiar with each other. Such familiarization fosters camaraderie between groups and helps ease tensions between those who may normally be at political odds.

While it’s understandable to seek out familiar faces when forging friendships can seem like a daunting task, students shouldn’t be afraid to push their comfort zones and join cultural groups distinct from their own heritage. Students will find that different cultures are often more alike than they are different and share similar struggles.

Kush Patel, a second-year bioengineering student who is Indian, said he joined Vietnamese Student Union because his friends wanted him to dance in the Vietnamese Culture Night. Despite not being Vietnamese, Patel said he found a new family among the group, and the club helped him learn about issues facing the Vietnamese community.

“Some of the problems their community faces overlap with the problems the Indian community faces,” Patel said, “and they talk about how to fix those problems. I can relate to everything they say.”

Moreover, chances are you’ll become more open-minded and lose some of that inevitable narcissism that comes from associating solely with people of the same ethnicity. Joining a group just for the sake of ethnic “pride” is both superficial and risky; to have “Indian pride” is so vague that it naturally comes with a whole slew of implications, most of which are attached to stereotypes. Does Indian pride mean I want an IT job? Does it mean I like curry? Does it mean I agree with arranged marriage? Not necessarily.

Ethnic pride is really only warranted if your interests happen to align with a particular culture. One major way I celebrate Indian culture is by playing the sitar, and I am proud to be able to share this beautiful aspect of Indian culture with people of all backgrounds. I even encourage people who like the sound of the sitar to take it up themselves, since jealously safeguarding traditions only encourages hostility between people, demonstrates arrogance, and would reflect rather poorly on Indian culture as a whole.

After all, if you’re in a student group (large or small) that represents your own race, it’s in your own best interest to be even more open in order to create a positive experience for people of various backgrounds. I don’t know anyone who wants their culture to be perceived as rude, condescending, or narrow-minded.

Take advantage of the fact that no single race is a majority at UCLA. At a place where diversity is made obvious by little things from the Sriracha hot sauce in the dining halls to yoga classes at Wooden, there’s just no excuse not to be a multicultural person.

If you think this is a racy topic, e-mail Nijhawan at [email protected]. Send general comments to [email protected].