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DIVERSITY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF

CALIFORNIA

MAY 7, 2014

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The University of California is among
one of the most highly respected university
systems in the world, but the lack of diversity
and underrepresented ethnic groups in the UC
system prevents its students from obtaining a
fair experience from a respectable institution.
It is expected that a high number of students
should expect to be exposed to different
cultures and ethnicities inside and outside of
campus academically and culturally. These
expectations have been recorded to be very
slim according to the data in the UC system.
With this proposal, I will elaborate over the
need of reducing racial tensions around
campuss affecting the University of
California system. Providing an environment
with culture breathing in and out of a students
everyday life will impact the students
confidence and allow their culture to be
embraced, while positively impacting their life
and academics. Studies shows that people that
are within a community with diverse
ethnicities, racism is reported to be lightly
common within those areas (Anderson).
Positively enriching students lives with
diverse community interactions will allow an
acceptance to students of all races. These
positive interactions will help form new bonds
and connections within the community at the
campuses within the UCs. Without the
implementation of these cultural movements
in our campus, there will be no true purpose to
the word of diversity in these campuses. In
this proposal I introduce the importance in
bringing awareness of increasing diversity on
campuss throughout the UC system.
The main issue with the lack of
diversity in the UC system is worrisome and
can be linked with racist issues that have risen
with the UC campuses. Lack of diversity in
schools has been a concerning issue throughout
history and many students arent given the
opportunity to be selected for admission due to
their ethnicity not being recognized during the
admissions process. Culture and race issues
have been prominent among the most popular
schools such as UCLA, UC Davis, and UC San
Diego. Observing the ways to improve a
universitys campus culture is to prevent a rise
in dominant ethnicities and protection of
minorities. An incident was reported at UC
Davis of hate-speech where swastikas were
spray-painted on several locations at campus
and a swastika carved on a Jewish students
dorm door. Regent Eddie Island extended an
apology to all students who felt under attack at
the incident at UC Davis. Island apologizes,
"We failed to provide a nurturing
environment" (Gordon, Regents). Repeated
offenses have occurred at many other UC
campuses, most prominently at UC San Diego
with racial tension and a series of events
occurring at the University. A report made by
the LA Times covered the story of a UC San
Diego student holding responsibility to an act
of racism, which was hanging a noose, being a
symbol of lynching for African-Americans
(Gordon, Noose). This disturbing action led
to major incidents of racism against African-
Americans, which included an off-campus
party titled Compton Cookout which
mocked Black History Month targeting
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targeting the African American minorities in
the University. This spurred outrage among
students, igniting series of protests against UC
San Diegos Chancellor, Mary Anne Fox, for
the events that occurred proving, UC San
Diegos climate is hostile to blacks. The
protests were in favor of improving the
admissions of black ethnic minorities. The
problem with racism is clearly present, while
the lack of diversity in these schools creates a
vivid connection with these problems.
Lack of diversity and racial issues in
the several UC schools is an alarming issue,
however it is highly concerning that one the
most prestigious University systems in the
world has to face these issues. Some reasons
as to why some of these campuses suffer
problems with racism is due to the lack of
ethnic minorities being represented at these
UC campuses. Ever since the states ban on
Affirmative Action has been raised, the
admission rates of minorities have plummeted
(Neumann). Only 3.3% of UCLA's total male
population is black, equating to 48 black, male
students in the freshman class in 2012
(USAToday). At UC San Diego, African
Americans make up just 1.6% of the school's
undergraduates. These low numbers have not
become just simply a diversity problem; it has
become an act of racism, intolerance, and
incivility. (Yudof). Being underrepresented
at a school is a difficult experience students
face in large universities. A student from UC
Berkeley, co-chair of the Black Student Union
explains his experience, When you are a
minority, you have the burden of
representation everywhere you go, and it is
very easy to be type casted and thrown into a
corner when trying to represent your people.
corner when trying to represent your people.
If the issues to prevent racism do not begin
now, will the students allow another incident to
happen in order to take action? As it is stated
in UC President, Mark Yudofs, University
wide Statement in response to the events at
UCSD and UCSC, Each of our campuses is
committed to promoting and defending a
learning environment that values and supports
each student, faculty and staff member in an
atmosphere that is open, civil, fair, caring and
respectful. In order to promote this learning
environment, action must be taken now before
more students suffer the consequences. To
many, diversity will be seen as an ineffective
method, but to others it is a cry out for help to
ethnic minorities around California.
In order to help prevent the issues with
racism, diversity must be implemented to
reduce racial tensions. Research made by the
nations leading urban ethnographer professor,
Elijah Anderson, has given a thorough analysis
of a phenomenon he coins, a cosmopolitan
canopy (Anderson). A cosmopolitan canopy
is the concept of diverse people coming
together forming cross-cultural interactions
and coexisting while intolerance amongst each
other are absent. The cross-cultural
interactions are one of the necessary concepts
needed in the UCs. Anderson explains a great
deal about the cosmopolitan zone and how
being in one embraces a vibrant atmosphere,
while easing racial tensions and reinforcing
boundaries among different ethnic groups
(Anderson). According the Andersons
research, if one were emulating a cosmopolitan
zone at a UC campus, there will be ease to
racial tensions, and an increase in diverse
admissions. Doing this will prevent hate
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admissions. Doing this will prevent hate crimes and will help promote a healthy life aimed
towards academic success and leadership.
An increased diversity is possible by improving the admissions process and giving an
opportunity to underrepresented ethnic groups and forming success programs to aid these students
through their first years in college. Offering these students opportunities to succeed in their
academic studies will greatly improve the lives of these students. Offering these students
opportunities to succeed in their academic studies will greatly improve the lives of these students.
As noted by administrators at UC San Diego, African Americans make up just 1.6% of the school's
undergraduates, a proportion administrators say they will try to raise. Administrators clearly
recognize the mishap in the lack of African Americans enrolled and the connection it has with the
racial tensions at UC San Diego in 2010. Amendments to the ban on Affirmative Action will be one
of the successful methods to boost minority students.
(REBUTTAL) Many can argue that the effects of Affirmative Action have been beneficial
and justified. However, there are many reasons that this method of admissions is unacceptable, this
is because it eliminates the odds of accepting somebody without taking into consideration their race,
gender and social status. This flaw can produce an influx and undesirable control over the
demographics in the University system. Without a comprehensive reform for this admissions
process there will be a great decrease of the schools diversity. (REBUTTAL CLAIM)The problem
with Affirmative Action is the effect it has had on student diversity since its ban in November 1996.
The ban on Affirmative Action has decreased the freshman admission rates of Black, Latino, and
Native American students by over 50 percent between 1997 and 1998 (Murphy). These numbers
have been detrimental to the life of student diversity, making it much more difficult to be admitted
to college for many ethnic minorities.
The University of California is an institution placed in one of the most ethnically diverse
states in the country, ironically the system is faced with the concerning issue of lack of diversity
among its campuses. Although the problem with diversity hasnt been resolved due to Affirmative
Action, certain measures can be taken to handle this issue. To solve these issues, different policies in
admissions should increase the ethnic proportion admissions to admit more ethnically diverse
students, and prevent low admissions to certain minorities. Students with less opportunity or with
less ethnic representation are only trying to find their place in a university. Fewer minority students
are obtaining the University of California degrees they should be receiving if it werent for the
reductive effects of Affirmative Action; the only way to increase it is for diversity to increase until
then racial tensions will only increase.


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Works Cited
Anderson, Elijah. "The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life."
Google Books. W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 28 Mar. 2011. Web. 23 Apr.
2014. <http://books.google.com/books?id=J9qv-
A3q01wC&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false>.

College, Akane Otani. "Black UCLA Students Take to Twitter to Combat Lack of
Diversity at Their School." USA Today. Gannett, 19 Nov. 2013. Web. 22 Apr.
2014. <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/14/youtube-ucla-
lack-diversity/3518373/>.

Diversity: Annual Accountability Report. Rep. N.p.: September, 2010. Web. 28 Apr.
2014. <http://diversity.universityofcalifornia.edu/documents/diversity-
accountability-report-and-appendix-0910.pdf>.

Gordon, Larry. "Noose Ignites More Protests at UC San Diego." Los Angeles Times. Los
Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.
<http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/27/local/la-me-uc-protests27-2010feb27>.

Gordon, Larry. "Regents Apologize for Racist Incidents at UC San Diego." Los Angeles
Times. Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
<http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/25/local/la-me-uc-regents25-2010mar25>.

Murphy, Katy. "Affirmative Action Ban at UC, 15 Years Later." MercuryNews.com.
Oakland Tribune, 24 June 2013. Web. 05 May 2014.

Neumann, Alyssa. "Affirmative Action: Student Diversity Impacted by Race-neutral
Admissions Policy." The Daily Californian. Daily Cal, 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 23
Apr. 2014. <http://www.dailycal.org/2012/10/15/affirmative-action-student-
diversity/>.

Yudof, Mark G. "Statement of UC President Mark G. Yudof, the Chancellors of the Ten
UC Campuses, and the Chair and Vice Chair of the Universitywide Academic
Senate." Http://chancellor.ucla.edu. Ucla.edu, 26 Feb. 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
<http://chancellor.ucla.edu/updates/Statement%20from%20UC%20President%20
and%20Chancellors.pdf>.