Three different Brandeis culture clubs hosted a discussion about the specific issues each respective minority group faces as well as instances of interethnic conflict and solidarity. Members of Brandeis Asian American Student Association (BAASA), Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO) and Brandeis Latinx Student Organization (BLSO) held the discussion Monday night in the Intercultural Center (ICC) lounge.

After each student organization gave a short presentation on cases of historical and present racism their people have experienced, attendees formed three large groups to discuss with fellow students about what they learned and how it related to the Brandeis community. Faculty members Elaine Wong, senior associate dean of arts and sciences for undergraduate education, Dr. Leanne Day (AAPI/WGS) and Chief Diversity Officer Mark Brimhall-Vargas were present to facilitate these discussions.

Jamie Noh ’21 and Laura Wei ’20 of BAASA first presented on the concept of the model minority myth, which casts the Asian American community as hardworking, docile and socioeconomically successful to excuse those in power from providing them with services and to pit other minorities against Asians.

To illustrate intersections and tensions with the black community, Noh and Wei cited the LA Riots of 1992 in which Rodney King, an African American man, was tased and brutally beaten by policemen. According to Noh and Wei, Southern Los Angeles’ Koreatown sustained the most damage during these riots.

Deborah Fataki ’19 of BBSO then gave a presentation on how black lives have been criminalized throughout American history. She discussed the founding of Black Lives Matter as a response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer George Zimmerman and many other unjust outcomes of police brutality. Fataki emphasized the “herstory” of BLM as a movement created by three black women.

She also spoke on anti-black sentiment within Asian communities, referring to incidents in which Asian store and restaurant owners inflicted violence or unfair treatment on black customers. Fataki reiterated the model minority myth and how it specifically harms other minorities. It insinuates that there is inherently something wrong with black and Latinx communities for not being as socially mobile and, it also assumes that racism looks the same across all racial contexts. Fataki challenged her listeners to be active voters and debunkers of this myth.

Next, Marleny Nunez ’20 of BLSO talked about current injustices Latinx communities suffer under an administration that has radicalized immigration policy and criminalized Mexicans. She explained that the rhetoric of “Make America Great Again” in part draws from this idea of keeping America safe from “dangerous outsiders.”

Nunez also spoke about how Latinos often do not have access to a good education due to geographical zoning. Latinx children, according to Nunez, are especially vulnerable to the “school to prison pipeline,” or the disproportionate likelihood of people of color becoming incarcerated because of harsh systems of punishment within schools. In her concluding thoughts, Nunez spoke on anti-blackness within Latinx communities and how darker skinned Latinos are commonly stigmatized.

After the presentations, audience members split up into three large groups to discuss what they had just learned with their peers and a faculty moderator. In one group, facilitator Elaine Wong asked whether or not people felt that there was solidarity between different minorities on campus. Answers were mixed, but a recurring sentiment was that it was always easier to stick with one’s own community.

As the conversation progressed, it became apparent that there were differing opinions on what solidarity means and how important it is to the Brandeis community. Those who highly valued interethnic solidarity asked those who were more ambivalent why they felt that way. One student voiced their frustration at the fact that the responsibility put on minorities to intermingle isn’t applied on white people in the same way. Students of mixed race who had ties to multiple communities of color also shared that they often don’t know which group to align with.

The conversation shifted towards ethnic-specific events held at Brandeis, such as cultural festivals and performances. Students discussed whether these events attracted homogenous crowds, why that was, and whether they were welcoming spaces to all people. Students acknowledged that these kinds of events often only drew people who were in the community that organized them.

The problem of information dissemination arose. Students noted that vehicles of receiving information like Facebook pages and listserv emails require recipients to actively choose to be informed (by liking a page or signing up for a listserv). Usually, people make that choice because they are already personally invested. In other words, it’s hard for students to learn about relevant events that may be outside of their experience and interest. Wong offered up the Brandeis Pluralism Alliance (BPA) listserv, which informs its subscribers to a variety of cultural events, as a potential solution to this problem.

After the three groups reconvened, students shared what they had discussed, and found a consensus in the desire to know other groups, while they felt they did not know how.

Students brainstormed solutions to the problems they identified, such as showing up for the events of other minority groups, finding similarities between groups beyond racial oppression, and sponsoring more interracial events at the ICC.

As the event closed, many attendees stayed for Korean-Mexican food and more conversation. Kwesi Jones ’21 thought that the event was “thought-provoking” and its success “a relief.” He said, “It was good to see such a diverse group of people engaging in conversation without segregation.”

Noh commented, “As someone who organized this, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out. But it seemed like everyone was willing to make tonight a positive experience!” Carter Yee ‘21 added, “The conversation tonight highlights a need for more conversations like this to happen on campus. It obviously doesn’t end here.”