CLU DIVERSITY: HOW GOOD IS IT?

Many people don’t see a difference between ethnicity and race. CLU senior Katherine Katherine has given this a lot of thought.

“I identify myself as black,” says Katherine who grew up in Los Angeles. “For some reason that bothers many people because they believe I'm mixed. Even though I'm mixed with black, Mexican, and white, I just say I am black.” Katherine says her adoptive parents, Bronwyn and Lemuel Katherine, are African-American and are the ones who raised her. She continues to say that since her adoptive parents are the ones that raised her, she feels that it’s not important to let others know she's mixed.

Here at CLU, Katherine participates in BSU, Black Student Union, and pushes for diversity awareness. Her mother works at Santa Monica community college and her father got laid off when she was in the sixth grade. She states that it was difficult for her and her family growing up due to having only one stable income, but they made the most of it, and she was able to spend a lot of time with her dad. Her whole life she has been surrounded by black culture and has been a big part of who she is today. When asked about her cultural influences growing up, Katherine refers back to four of her schools:

“I went to a private Christian school in Crenshaw for three years. I then went to West LA off of National and Overland for fourth through sixth grade. I also attended a different school for seventh and eighth grade and another one for high school. I would say it was mainly my elementary school years in Crenshaw that I experienced the most diversity. My middle school and high school were predominantly white.” Katherine says that attending schools all over the Los Angeles area provided her with different perspectives of diversity.

Would you say that going to all those schools helped shape who you are today?

“Definitely during my fourth and sixth-grade years. I had the same teacher both years, and she really helped shape myself and my classmates. She took notice of our lives and not just our academics, I will always see her as a very influential woman” said Katherine.

CLU takes pride in the school’s diversity and being a National Hispanic-Serving Institution. As a black student on campus, I asked Katherine how her race has affected her on campus and throughout her life.

“In general, yes, I have been treated differently because of my race. Mostly due to the fact that I'm mixed. Throughout high school, I would constantly hear, oh you’re really pretty what are you? That bothered me because I see myself as black, I may be mixed, but I grew up in a black culture so therefore I identify as black. I had friends that would tell me you’re also Mexican and white too; you can’t just ignore that side of who you are. To me, race and ethnicity are two different things: Yes I am mixed, but I am black.”

Katherine has never had a problem being treated differently because of her skin. However, she has had a feeling of being uncomfortable in certain situations. For example, class settings have made her feel uneasy when she is the only person of color as well as being female. She says that it used to hinder her from speaking out and making comments in class because she didn’t want to come off a certain way and feel judged.

Aihua Zhou, a faculty member at CLU, is a part of the Asian minority on campus. Similar to Katherine, she feels that she has never been treated differently due to her race. Aihau says that even though English is not her first language, it’s easy for her to communicate with her students. She doesn’t see herself as a minority, but rather as just another faculty member. She explains how her husband is supportive and helps her better her English.

To hear Katherine’s perspective about the diversity at CLU, I brought up some statistics that College Factual gathered for the CLU student population. I asked her to guess what percentage of the student population is white. She thought about 90 to 91 percent of students here on campus are white. The statistics say that only 49.1 percent of students are white. Katherine’s statement shows how misinformed our student population is, and how students of color feel underrepresented despite the fact that minorities are the majority here. It’s actually something of a paradox.

What helps you to feel more comfortable on campus?

“Being a part of BSU definitely helps me feel more comfortable at CLU. This year there are 48 of us and about 25 to 30 that attend meetings regularly. BSU is an opportunity for students to be educated about black culture, cultural differences and events. I stress a lot that everyone is welcome, even students who aren’t black or people of color, because what is black? I have friends that are Mexicana and Puerto Rican who identify as black but are not African American. To me, it’s how you identify with culture - it’s ethnicity, not just race” says Katherine.

Diversity is very important at CLU. The university stresses that striving for a racially diverse school is essential. According to Katherine, she believes that diversity on campus is an ongoing struggle. “CLU has just recently started to push for a more diverse population,” said Katherine and affirms that the university still has a long way to go.

So is CLU a diverse campus? Do the students and faculty feel comfortable here? According to Katherine and Aihua, they both feel comfortable but do believe CLU is not as diverse as the university states it is. CLU is making slow progress in making the population more diverse and reminds individuals that everyone is welcome with warm hands.