Do We Matter? Roles and Expectations of Ethnic Organizations on Historically White Campuses

Messy Middle Musings Track

Kristine Cody, M.S., Associate Director, Student Center for Reconciliation and Diversity

Carlos Acosta, Undergraduate, Psychology

Tabitha Parker, Undergraduate, Psychology

Angela Pham, Undergraduate, Economics and Honors Humanities

Nicholas Ramos, Undergraduate, Business and Economics

Jaeda Smith, Undergraduate, Theater Arts/Acting for the Stage and Screen

Jordan Vaz, Undergraduate, Communication Studies

Diversity is one of Azusa Pacific’s core values. This value is often espoused by modern United States universities, but minority students at historically white institutions often find themselves questioning institutional commitment. This presentation probes assumptions and realities regarding the role of ethnic organizations at private universities. Through a collection of interviews from student leaders of ethnic organizations and other key figures at universities comparable to Azusa Pacific, we explore ethnic organizations’ purposes and effectiveness in carrying out their missions. Based on academic research, we understand that the purpose of promoting diverse community and maintaining diversity as a core value is to cultivate intercultural competence among students and prepare them for success in modern society. Ethnic organizations tend to stand at the forefront of intercultural conversations at the student level; therefore, universities that claim to value diversity must resource their student ethnic organizations in proportion to their significance in fulfilling the aforementioned goals.