Just recently I had the pleasure of attending a conference where various admissions counselors from highly selective institutions meet to discuss issues facing underrepresented students of color in the admissions process. These individuals are more often than not the sole guardian of their institution's "minority" applications and decisions. They are also more often than not alumni of these institutions. This conference is meant as an opportunity to share experiences and ideas when recruiting these amazing students to our campuses. This time around, the discussion focused on Native American recruitment. Typically, I tend to play the role of wallflower - sit back and listen and observe. Rarely do I feel it necessary to talk at any length about my personal views on the subjects. I do what I do because it must be done. Period. However, in this rare occasion, I found extremely necessary to speak up (out) and in the process of doing so I realized that my emotion was so strong that I kinda spaced out while talking. In other words, I don't even remember what I really said or if I was looking at anyone. I do remember vaguely that I felt like I was yelling, but I could be wrong, often our voice that resonates in our own head is louder that it is to everyone else.
So here it goes: The conversation consisted of how various institutions read the applications of Native American students. Several counselors stated that follow-up is done with students who check the "Native American" box to find out what their tribal ties to their community are. Why this done? I have NO.IDEA. These schools do not provide ethnic/citizenship scholarships to such groups, nor are there special considerations given to minority students (as that is against the law). And as the conversation continued I began to feel a fire radiate in my chest. People were inadvertently saying that they did not trust students and that it was their role to determine if this student was actually what they said they were. Given that some practices are entrenched so deeply in history that its impossible to cut through the red tape, I found this quite insulting. As the conversation progressed, other individuals talked about wanting to have the most diverse class possible at their school and that to determine this they often read an application for indications that a students "knows" who they are and where they come from. As I blew a gasket, I realized it was time for the wall flower to become the preying mantis.
I asked quickly for the microphone and started. I explained to the group that they should deeply consider that this is an unfair way to read applications. I told them that most 18 year olds do not think about who they are or what they are. Many students of color don't realize they are minority students, especially if where they come from they are the majority! Case in point, TEXAS. Latinos are pretty much the majority in every city in Texas and for a student from this state to say "I am a Chicano student and I realize that I am at a disadvantage in the higher education world" is ludicrous. Most of my friends from college and myself took a year to two years to figure out what/who we were and where we really came from. To ask students to know this and write about it perpetuates the notion that minorities are always thinking about their "status" in this country are always trying to use it to their advantage, which in this case it would be.
College is a time for self-discovery. College allows you the opportunity to get away from your small circle of friends, family, city, town, religious views, political views, etc. to explore and learn from a large circle of friends, city, town, views, etc. In some cases we are not taught what we are - in secondary school students are not taught about the Civil Rights movement, Chicano/Latino rights issues, identity politics, etc. How on Earth would a student know about this unless they lived the experiences?
Well after my speaking coma, quite a bit of people came up to me afterward and thanked me for speaking up. They said that they were thinking the same thing. Well, that's all fine and dandy, but I asked them to be sure to speak up in their own office otherwise they will lose some great students, students who like me didn't realize what she was until she went to college to learn about it. In my case, one is not born a Chicana, one becomes one through experience and knowledge. Let's hope we are giving our children the chance to become what they want.
