For those of you who haven’t heard the story yet, last week a fraternity at Duke held a party that’s
For those of you who haven’t heard the story yet, last week a fraternity at Duke held a party that’s been getting some attention. The original theme of the party was “Asia Prime,” a pun on the chapter’s name, Eta Prime. After the invitations had been sent, the fraternity was reported to Duke’s Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. In response, the fraternity sent out a second invitation, changing the name of the party to “International Relations” and issuing an apology for anyone who might have been offended by the original theme. However, the actual party stuck largely to the original theme. Partygoers dressed as geishas, ninjas, sumo wrestlers, and a plethora of other Asian stereotypes.Pictures of the party were made available on social media and were posted around campus by offended students who sought to start a campus dialogue on racism. They also posted on Facebook and other social media outlets about what had happened, which eventually led to national media attention. In response, some of you may be thinking that Duke might not be the school for you.If so, I want to challenge you on that. The attention Duke has attracted because of this event is not a product of the severity of the fraternity’s offense. The reason why we have attracted so much attention is because of our reaction to it, which stems from our university’s commitment to diversity and a welcoming and inclusive environment.Racism is not a problem specific to Duke. Racist party themes are not a problem specific to Duke fraternities. This is a problem that affects American universities and America in general. None of the costumes worn by students at the party were difficult to find. They were available at any party store. Racism in varying degrees is still exceedingly common in our world.What is not so common is the courage that our community displayed in the face of what so many have become passive about. There has been huge support for the Asian American community, a rally of several hundred students demanding a more inclusive culture on campus in the middle of a week full of midterms, and a meaningful discussion not just about one fraternity or one party but about a larger culture of privilege and oppression.So when you see Duke’s name alongside words like “racist” and “rager” in headlines and the twittersphere, remember that the reason why is because of the progress we are making and the steps we are taking, rather than the problems we face.Photo & commentary by Connor Cotton, over on the Duke Admissions Blog.What do you think of this comment? Any Duke students in the house want to weigh in? -- source link
#asian american#duke#racistrager