In my opinion, one of the best features of Loyola is its diversity. Despite being a Catholic institution, Loyola’s populace ranges across all faiths, socioeconomic classes and, most importantly, races. Being a racial minority myself, and one who was raised in a multicultural metropolitan area, this is the kind of environment I thrive in. As a college community, the racial interaction here is top-notch.
However, there is a big disconnect between what Loyola students see and what is happening in the New Orleans community at large. The Big Easy has one of the largest concentrations of blacks in the nation and some of the highest poverty and crime rates. This is, of course, not news to most of us. What many students don’t realize (or don’t want to admit) is that the impoverished conditions most racial minorities live in are the products of a long history of racial oppression in the United States and the systematic institutional racism that is still maintained today.
As college students, we have the privilege of living in a bubble that shields and divorces us from the realities that are outside of Uptown New Orleans. This isn’t necessarily our fault. Many of us come from privileged backgrounds and never had to face economic adversities in our lives. This is especially true if you are white. Now, I’m not saying that all white Loyola students were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. I’m saying that, as part of the dominant racial group, whites enjoy more advantages and wield more social, economic and political power than members of racial minority groups. Unfortunately, because white is often considered the norm in our society, many whites are taught not to recognize their own privileges.
Because we live in a society built upon the myth of meritocracy, I understand some might vehemently disagree with or even be offended by my statements. After all, haven’t we moved past racism and into a color-blind society? We elected the first black president for goodness sake! Tokenistic fallacy aside, racial inequality and racism are still very much prevalent today.
Consider housing. Residential neighborhoods in the United States today are more racially segregated than they were before the pre-Civil Rights era. In education, even after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education decision, our schools are more segregated today than they were half a century ago. Additionally, neighborhoods that have a majority of non- white residents are often targets for dump sites and urban developments.
They also lack resources such as public parks and are almost always faced with higher crime rates and lower property values. Consequently, since schools derive a significant chunk of their funding from personal property taxes, those that are located in non-white neighborhoods are often underfunded, leading to lack of resources and personnel. This, coupled with school zoning, means that minority students are overall getting a deficient educational experience.
Because we, regardless of racial backgrounds, are privileged enough to have finished high school, been accepted to college and can afford to stay, it’s important to realize that not everyone is blessed with our circumstances, considering the many racial barriers that still exist today. At the risk of sounding preachy, we need to step out of our bubbles and carefully examine the current state of racial relations in the United States. Especially after the recent Republican primaries where presidential candidates like Newt Gingrich explicitly stated that “the African-American community should demand paychecks and not food stamps” (even though the majority of food-stamp recipients are whites) and Rick Santorum told Puerto Ricans to learn English if they want to be granted statehood. This upcoming presidential campaign should be interesting at the very least, and as college students, a very important voting block, we need to critically examine the racial issues that will surely arise.
Phuong Tran is a sociology senior. She can be reached at [email protected]
In My Opinion is a weekly column open to any Loyola student. Those interested in contributing can contact [email protected]
“The African-American community should demand paychecks and not food stamps,” Newt Gingrich said. (AP Photo)
