Category Archives: Reflections

The Black Kids At the Table: Understanding Self-Segregation

This past summer the University of Connecticut made headlines when it announced that it would establish a separate housing section particularly for black male students. Immediately, this decision sparked outrage and criticism, with detractors accusing the administration of encouraging a separatist atmosphere. The magazine The National Review went so far as to say that the new policy encouraged “racial isolation and stereotyping, along with a sense of grievance and a victim mentality”. It reopened a larger conversation about the role that race-specific spaces play on college campuses; the term “self-segregation” began to fly around. Certain sources like the NPR and Fox News paralleled Uconn’s new project with the racist policies of the 1960s. “Self-segregation” almost always has a certain ‘tsk-tsk’ connotation, as if minorities were doing themselves a disservice by primarily associating with those that belong to the same race and/or culture as them. Continue reading →

The Way WeChat: Chinese Americans, Social Media, and Trump

In the months leading up to the election, the prototypical “Trump voter” was endlessly described, dissected, and puzzled over. Summer 2016 gave us extensive post-primary analyses, comparisons to Brexit, and Hillbilly Elegy, with the terms “xenophobic,” “misogynistic,” and “racist” used to describe our fellow Americans with astounding frequency. On the other hand, we were given the assurance that minority voting blocs, at least, would vote in favor of Clinton. Continue reading →

NO, GOVERNOR NIKKI HALEY—THE UNITED STATES HAS NOT, “FOR CENTURIES,” WELCOMED IMMIGRANTS “REGARDLESS OF THEIR RACE”

In her response to President Barack Obama’s 2016 State of the Union address, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley declared that “fix[ing] our broken immigration system . . . means welcoming properly vetted legal immigrants, regardless of their race or religion. Continue reading →

COALITION IN QUESTION

In a very short timespan, the Princeton Open Campus Coalition (POCC) has amassed an impressive following, one which is claimed in their recent open letter to represent the “majority” of our campus. The group purports to protect “diversity of thought and the right of all students to advance their academic and personal convictions in a manner free from intimidation.” Despite the ostensibly honorable mantra, the POCC’s sudden emergence, their authenticity, and their intent all seem questionable. Continue reading →

SORRY BRO, YOU’RE NOT COOL

In 2012, a study examined the correlation between TV watching and self esteem in children, and came up with some not-so-surprising results: white boys who watched television had higher self esteem, while white girls, black girls, and black boys who watched television had lower self esteem. Both lack of representation and associations with undesirable behavior contributed to the low esteem outcomes, while, on the other hand, white male characters were far more often associated with strength, logic, and accomplishment, as well as a more varied set of character traits.

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GUAM: A STRUGGLING ISLAND DISGUISED AS A TROPICAL PARADISE

After my first semester at Princeton University, I was excited to return home to Guam for winter break. However, instead of being happy to be back in what most people deem as a “tropical paradise,” I was reminded of something sobering: I am poor. Compared to the comforts provided at Princeton, the living conditions of my family seemed dismal. While some students complain about their dorm beds being too lumpy or the water pressure in the restrooms being too low, I was grateful for these things after having to sleep on the couch and floor for my entire life and to use a bucket to flush the toilets at home.

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PRINCETON REACTIONS TO ‘DEAR WHITE PEOPLE’

Last month, Justin Simien’s film “Dear White People” premiered across American theaters. Days before its official release, the film had an early screening near Princeton University campus as a part of Princeton’s black alumni reunion weekend. Since that showing, and the subsequent nation-wide release, several members of The Stripes have watched DWP and weighed in with their impression. Continue reading →

MULTICULTURAL ASSIMILATION: ADOPTEE PROGRAMS AT PRINCETON

It is not uncommon for transnational adoption to double as transracial adoption, and in those instances families must strive to reconcile a new set of cultural, ethnic, and geographic concerns. A persisting race-conscious and race-critical American society inadvertently forces some adoptees to confront not only why they look different from their parents, but also why they are subsequently treated differently. Nonetheless, the American tendency to adopt from abroad is higher than ever, and our already diverse nation is witnessing the addition of many newly diverse households. The arduous process of upholding an adoptees’ multicultural identity relies on the proactivity of the parents, the community, and of course the adoptee him or herself.

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WHO CARES?

“Who cares?” says Jerry Seinfeld about diversity in comedy.

I do. In early February, Jerry Seinfeld made remarks about his role in increasing diversity in media. He states: “People think [comedy] is the census or something, it’s gotta represent the actual pie chart of America, who cares?” I believe complaints about minority representation in media are not particularly calling for creators to diversify as an obligation, but question how the media is not reflexive of our diverse society. Continue reading →