University demography fails minority students

“So, what are you?” Typically, this question is posed to people whose racial identity does not fall under European origin. However innocent in nature or well-intended, such an inquiry adds insult to injury. Not only are people of color “othered” by their non-whiteness alone, but they also are obliged to explain themselves and to reduce something as complex and personal as a racial identity into a homogenizing, non-specific and almost colorblind category. The same narrative holds true on college campuses; while USC does have a diverse and multifaceted cohort of minority students, the University fails to recognize certain racial groups and relegates the racial identities of students by using umbrella terms.

On the topic of diversity issues, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences stated on its website: “We support the full inclusion of all of our undergraduate student populations and develop programs aimed at ensuring that each student takes full advantage of opportunities to be successful at USC and beyond. We have created specific programs to target our first-generation college population and strategies to support our underrepresented minority students in USC Dornsife.” In the name of diversity and representation, however, the student demographics for Fall 2015 suggest otherwise. As a result, the image of the University is one of inequity and misrepresentation that seeks to erase and condense diversity into neat, throw-away categories that are not reflective of the student population.

The student demographics for Fall 2015 includes Asians (17.9 percent), Black/African-American (5.4 percent), Hispanic (12.5 percent), White/Caucasian (33.7 percent), International (23.8 percent) and Other (6.7 percent). It is important to note that segregating and homogenizing racial demography is an act of structural discrimination that devalues students who do not have a category to identify with. Namely, Native American and Middle Eastern students are two important groups forced to identify inaccurately as white or other. University demographers need to understand that racial identity is incredibly personal.

Evidently, the misrepresentation of certain groups gives way to a campus climate that does not support inclusion and diversity. If marginalized students are intentionally unrecognized, it is impossible for them to feel included or supported by the institution. As a Middle Eastern student here at USC, I find that students who look like me are often not mentioned in diversity issues, campus climate meetings or petitions for cultural centers.

While I, too, feel exhausted from a campus climate that is discriminatory and hostile, I, along with other students, am completely left out of the conversation of undergraduate diversity in both administrative and student spaces. Because the University does not recognize students of Middle Eastern descent as part of its student demography, it inadvertently allows for a campus climate that is hostile. Quite frankly, if I am not white enough to walk through an airport without being accosted, I am not racially ambiguous enough to be labeled as “Other.” Middle Eastern culture, languages and phenotypic features are distinct enough to be celebrated — not ignored.

Matters of racial identity are of utmost importance when discussing inclusion and diversity issues. In order to facilitate an environment in which more than four races are recognized, the University should highly consider allowing students to self-identify so that the undergraduate demography is truly reflective of the students it is supposed to represent.

Lida Dianti is a junior majoring in international relations. Her column, “That’s So Racist!,” runs  Wednesdays.