Spring Break
Latina student breaks down diversity barriers
Kelli Pryor
Issue date: 5/12/08 Section: News
"We are doing every possible strategy we can to increase diversity," said Guadalupe Salazar, director of El Centro Student Services. "I have been on many other campuses, and I feel CSU is doing even more (than them) to become diverse."
Even so, Ramirez said she has seen misrepresentation of minorities on campus.
Campus life is not the only place minorities are being misrepresented, Ramirez said. The media is contributing to the cultural ignorance as well.
"I think the media looks at the negative aspects of our culture," she said.
Immigration, an issue that gets a lot of media coverage, is a subject Ramirez says many people are misinformed about.
"For me, it is hard when they are talking about immigration and how all of the immigrants are taking resources away from people. They can't even apply for those resources because they are undocumented," she said. "I don't like how they make Mexicans seem like they are lazy or dirty when they are actually really hard working. They don't get paid as much as they should for the work that they do."
For Ramirez, basic understanding is all that is needed to improve relations among different ethnicities.
"I think that people need to show more respect and sensitivity toward (Latin) culture and understand the culture more and see what we have to go through. By having that understanding and cultural awareness," people are more likely to relate to one another, she said.
While there is a lot of room for improvement toward advancing diversity, Ramirez says it's moving in the right direction. Since starting at El Centro, she has seen interest in different Hispanic activities increase.
"For Hispanic Heritage Month, things are starting to get bigger and better and people from different ethnicities are starting to get involved," she said.
Staff writer Kelli Pryor can be reached at news@collegian.com.
Even so, Ramirez said she has seen misrepresentation of minorities on campus.
Campus life is not the only place minorities are being misrepresented, Ramirez said. The media is contributing to the cultural ignorance as well.
"I think the media looks at the negative aspects of our culture," she said.
Immigration, an issue that gets a lot of media coverage, is a subject Ramirez says many people are misinformed about.
"For me, it is hard when they are talking about immigration and how all of the immigrants are taking resources away from people. They can't even apply for those resources because they are undocumented," she said. "I don't like how they make Mexicans seem like they are lazy or dirty when they are actually really hard working. They don't get paid as much as they should for the work that they do."
For Ramirez, basic understanding is all that is needed to improve relations among different ethnicities.
"I think that people need to show more respect and sensitivity toward (Latin) culture and understand the culture more and see what we have to go through. By having that understanding and cultural awareness," people are more likely to relate to one another, she said.
While there is a lot of room for improvement toward advancing diversity, Ramirez says it's moving in the right direction. Since starting at El Centro, she has seen interest in different Hispanic activities increase.
"For Hispanic Heritage Month, things are starting to get bigger and better and people from different ethnicities are starting to get involved," she said.
Staff writer Kelli Pryor can be reached at news@collegian.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 27
Bdygard
Craig Hawley
posted 5/12/08 @ 4:11 AM MST
"The bad thing about CSU is that there is a much bigger Caucasian population in relation to Hispanics,
I find this statement highly offensive.
Why is it bad because you went to a place with more whites than you were used to. (Continued…)
Craig Hawley
posted 5/12/08 @ 10:20 AM MST
Got a blog right here.
Now my turn , Get an arguement. :)
Craig Hawley needs a blog
posted 5/12/08 @ 12:21 PM MST
Are you a friend or foe of Craig Hawley?
Tell us by going to:
http://www.collegian.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticleComments&ustory_id=18243091-5dea-4ba8-9367-e70c2cbfea44#e256995d-7dae-4059-9bf1-8e95eabe3e75
Tell him there whether or not he should have his own blog elsewhere. (Continued…)
Bdygard
Craig Hawley
posted 5/12/08 @ 12:52 PM MST
Another exercise in futility brought to you by another anonymous nick coward.
LOL!
Bigot Alert***Bigot Alert***Bigot Alert
posted 5/13/08 @ 2:18 AM MST
When will these racist bigots, who judge people by the color of their skin and refer to them in the same way, just go away?
The idea that people like this, who spread hate and intolerance of persons who are not like them, somehow have something important to say is asinine. (Continued…)
Craig Hawley
posted 5/13/08 @ 8:26 AM MST
Another anonymous poster. The person who wrote the article in my opinion has a huge problem.
The bad thing about CSU is that there is a much bigger Caucasian population in relation to Hispanics
This is a horrible statement and smacks of racism. (Continued…)
Craig Hawley
posted 5/13/08 @ 4:19 PM MST
Tru Dat Bigot Alert. :)
Bdygard
Craig Hawley
posted 5/13/08 @ 4:24 PM MST
The thing that gets me is how the Collegian and other cow to to bigots if they are minority's.
If I was a white bigot and wrote an article saying the only thing bad about CSU is they allow to many Latinos or any other ethnic group I would never have been published. (Continued…)
Craig Hawley
posted 5/14/08 @ 2:12 AM MST
You know what, I retract that previous statement, I am completely wrong.
I have no life and no friends, I was just lying. I am such a sad and lonely person, I was just reaching out to a younger generation, in hopes that I might find some kind of acceptance. (Continued…)
Bdygard
Craig Hawley
posted 5/14/08 @ 7:30 AM MST
You'll notice my stalker is so unoriginal and lazy they are using cut and paste and the same tired lame cut downs. I on the other hand do not steal their lame nicks because they are lame. (Continued…)
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