Trying to Forget Ethnic Identity

Sorry for the lack of updates guys.

But after seeing this, I feel like I had to spit some ether because it’s borderline unacceptable.

There’s a new group on Facebook called “Students for the Disestablishment of Demographic Identity.”

First, I want you to look at the creator’s picture.

And this is the group’s description… the blue text is my commentary.

UC Berkeley is supposed to be one of the most diverse institutions of higher learning on the planet.

This diversity is probably measured in terms of both raw numbers of students within certain demographics, as well as the amount of category-based activity that goes on on campus.

Indeed, the amount of student groups here with ethnic prefixes is astounding. But, is this really diversity?

At its ideal core, the goal of diversity is to promote equality between groups of people, to undo the long history of separation based in shallow differences. This is not being accomplished at Berkeley.

Here, it is impossible for many of us to find clubs that suit our interests because so many of them have ethnicities attached to their titles.

We do not have true equality at Berkeley; what we have is cliquism and self-segregation.

You are not your ethnicity.
You are not your sexuality.
You are not your economic class.
Does anyone know why this statement is wrong on so many levels? He just equated ethnicity and sexuality with an economics class. For white people, this may be the case, but not for any ethnic minority who takes themselves seriously.

Why, then, do we willfully discriminate and insulate ourselves based on these qualities?

We are at one of the finest academic institutions the world has ever seen, as well as one of the most socially progressive. Why, then, in all our supposed intelligence and forward thinking, do we choose to hold ourselves down with racism and other such prejudice?

White people ARE NOT allowed to use the race card unless they fully recognize that minorities get systematically f*cked over by white politicians.

The only way that we can free ourselves and establish true solidarity on our campus is to ultimately disassociate demographic status with individual identity. We must abolish exclusivity. We must eliminate arbitrary sectarian pride.

How the hell can you say “free ourselves” when minorities are looking at YOU, yes YOU, Jeremy, as the slave master? It saddens me to say that, but that’s the reality. Do you know what it means to disassociate demographic status with individual identity? Do you know what it means to disassociate ethnic identity? For a minority, it means that you’re trying to be white, which doesn’t get a lot of respect from most minorities. What you call “exclusivity,” we call COMMUNITY. You know why we need a community, so we can make sure we don’t get f*cked over by our government. And sectarian pride? Stop b*tching because people don’t like you and won’t let you into their little groups. If they thought you were worth the time, they would give you the benefit of the doubt. Have you even tried to learn what it is that these groups do? Or did you just look at a bunch of tables with minorities sitting behind them and automatically think racism?

As far as your definition of self goes, forget your skin color, your sexuality, your money, your politics, and your religion; remember that these are things that you HAVE, not things that you ARE. Only then can you take back control of your individual identity and help make into Berkeley a place of true equality.

The dude is asking to forget who you are. Guess what? As far as white people are running things, you are your skin color, you are your sexuality, you are your religion, and YOU DEFINITELY ARE YOUR MONEY.

I guess I understand what the dude was trying to do, but he was the wrong dude to try to do it.

You're white, and NO, you can't use the N-word.

And NO, you can't tell people to forget their ethnic identity if you've never felt what it's like to be a minority. And if you do think you're the victim of racism, you're racist. You're just as racist as those dumb frat guys on Borat. (side note: Those dumb frat guys are suing Borat for tricking them. I don't care if you got tricked or not. You said stupid stuff ON CAMERA. And the point of the whole segment was to show that there are people out there in America who think the same way. "Racism still alive/ They just be concealin' it." - Kanye)

What is disappointing is that there are Filipinos who joined the group. But let’s not forget that a LARGE part of why you’re at Berkeley is because of your ethnicity. And I'm sorry for sounding a little bit ignant but I felt like I had to fight fire with fire for this one.

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To further extend this discussion…

Do you know what happens when you TRY to disassociate your ethnic identity? You have confusion.

Your mother is Filipina, making you Vanessa, a Filipina, not Polynesian
Here's a very insightful take on the subject

You have a whole country watching you're every move, and this is what you pull. Does anyone remember me calling Vanessa Minnillo the whitest Filipino I know? I guess I was wrong. She's the whitest Polynesian I know.

At least, someone is STILL doing something right...

Cheryl Burke (w/ Emmitt Smith) Did anyone check out those armbands?


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The sis: When I got back from watching it, dad asked me which movie I watched. I told him “Borat” and he said, "That means testicles in tagalog. How do you think that would sell in the Philippines?"