[382] in Discussion of MIT-community interests
Campus Segregation
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Chris Cornell)
Tue May 1 01:47:55 2001
Message-Id: <200105010540.BAA22980@melbourne-city-street.mit.edu>
Date: Tue, 01 May 2001 01:41:21 -0400
To: Zhelinrentice L Scott <zlscott@MIT.EDU>, mit-talk@MIT.EDU
From: Chris Cornell <cornellc@MIT.EDU>
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>Segregation on Campus is a big issue. Next House is known
>for being predominately Asian. Particularly Chinese.
"big issue"?? but yes, there is self segregation
>Why is that? Why do a large percentage of the white, asian, and black
>people cluster together apart? Why don't they want to have anything to
>do with each other?
I don't see how "not having anything to do with each other" followed from
your earlier statements. Is this to say that you don't associate with
anyone outside of *your* dorm or suite? If not, what makes these people so
inferior to that you are capable of communicating to people outside your
living area and they are not. Anyone who does not socialize outside of
their dorm or ILG or apartment has more "issues" than racism going on...
>As a black woman living in New House 4 (one of the many suburbs of
>chocolate city) I often get asked the question: Oh, you live in New
>House...do you live in Chocolate City? Then I have to tell them
>no. I live in New House 4. New House 4 is multiethnic we have
>Chinese, Malaysian, African American,American White, Thai, and
>puerto rican.
And when I chose where to live, I chose a place where I felt I fit in and
where I could live with people that were "on the same page" as I am. In MY
case, that place turned out to be diverse in all superficial and cultural
respects, but what if TIM (no one in particular) had a strong cultural
upbringing and felt most comfortable living with people with that same kind
of background. Does mean that TIM doesn't like people who did not have
that kind of upbringing? or that TIM doesn't want to know what other
cultures or like? are you going to tell TIM that he's wrong for choosing
what would make him most comfortable and at home, particularly at a school
where his mental and emotional health will be stressed? and are you going
to suggest that TIM has the intention of not socializing with people not
like him, just because of his choice of living arrangements?
That itself sounds like a gross stereotype of people who tend to live with
people "like them" (in whatever respect). Are there people who segregate
themselves because they look dimly on people "not like them" and whatnot?
sure probably. But do NOT presume to tell yourself or anyone else that
people in general who do this are racist, or elitist, or intend to
segregate and disassociate themselves from the rest of MIT, lest you
propagate more useless stereotyping and render yourself a hypocrite.
cc
PS Perhaps you think men who join all male fraternities wish only to
associate with men and are sex elitists to the point that they wish to
disassociate from women altogether. Absurd? Why is that absurd and what
you said is not? Maybe you think all sorority chicks are lesbians, because
they chose to live with each other and disassociate from the rest of mit?
attn world: cancel your mixers
PPS What Aisha said is also very reasonable and true, be sure to read it.
