Minorities find support on Yale Campus

By Jennifer Supernaw

The adjustment to college life is stressful for everyone. Minority students, however, may face additional challenges when they arrive at Yale. In response to this need, students and administrators have developed a variety of ways to help incoming minority students make a smooth transition to their new home and find their niche within the broader Yale community. Their efforts have evolved over time, and now provide numerous educational and social options for incoming minority freshmen.

Each residential college appoints one ethnic counselor to live in the freshmen dorms and help minority students deal with concerns of university life, especially those related to ethnicity. "Ethnic counselors are trained in the same way as residential college counselors," according to Jane Yoon, BK '97, a former ethnic counselor. "We try to be accessible whenever students have something to discuss. We're here to listen and support freshmen as they go through new social and academic experiences."

Many minority students find Yale's cultural houses a great place to meet people with similar backgrounds, interests, and experiences.Yale's Afro-American Cultural Center, founded in 1969, served as a model for the Asian American and Chicano houses, and for La Casa Cultural de Julia de Burgos, a Puerto Rican cultural center.

Each building contains kitchens, libraries, computers, and other facilities and are often used to host parties, meetings, concerts, and film festivals. Many activities, such as multicultural dinners and art exhibits, are designed to attract students of various ethnic backgrounds to promote a better understanding of other cultures.

These sites can foster a sense of community with members of one's ethnic group. According to Terri-Anne Davis, SM '99, a co-moderator of the Black Student Alliance at Yale anda participant in the Afro-American Cultural Center, the cultural houses can play a vital role in minority students' lives. "Cultural houses are great because they're a place where we can all come together as a community, whether for meetings, parties, or just to spend time with each other. They're a unifying force because the African-American community is divided among the residential colleges. Cultural houses also bring together a lot of African-American student organizations on campus so we can interact with each other."

Yale has long promoted the study of various ethnic groups by offering programs such as African and African-American Studies, East Asian Studies, and Latin American Studies. In March, the Administration approved a proposal to create Ethnicity, Race, and Migration (ER&M) as a secondary major. The new department will allow students to choose courses from a variety of disciplines, such as history, anthropology, and foreign languages, concentrating on one racial or ethnic group.

Yale also boasts many organizations that address the needs of particular ethnic groups. In response to concerns that the large number of Asian American groups encouraged fractionalization within the community, the Asian American Students Organization (AASA) reconstituted itself in 1993 as an umbrella group. AASA brings together the Chinese American Students Association, the Filipino American Students Association, Korean American Students at Yale, the Taiwanese Club, the Vietnamese Student Association, the Asian American Women's Group, and the South Asian Society.

Since then, the groups have coordinated dozens of activities and increased the Asian American presence on campus. Among other projects, the organization hosts a Chinese New Year celebration, sponsors a number of activities during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and draws speakers throughout the year to address a variety of issues relevant to Asian Americans. Such promotions often ease minority students into Yale, creating a comforatble atmosphere.

"Coming to Yale is often a big change for students of color, and ethnic organizations are very important because they help minority students feel welcome and fit into the Yale community," said Bob Hoo, MC '98, moderator of AASA. He said that AASA wants to promote cultural understanding throughout Yale and invites all students to participate in its activities.

A number of student groups also exist to help foster a strong sense of community among African-Americans. The principal organization, the Black Student Alliance at Yale (BASY), organizes many events, and sponsors the annual celebration of Black History Month. Other African-American student organizations include he National Society of Black Engineers, the Black Undergraduate Law Association, the Black Women's Caucus, the Yale Chapter of the NAACP, and the Black Political Forum. Many of these organizations, as well as some fraternities and sororities, are closely affiliated with the Cultural Center and encourage students to become more involved in community service.

Latino students also find a very active cultural community at Yale. Despierta Boricua (DB), created in 1974, works with New Haven Puerto Ricans on a variety of service projects. It was instrumental in creating La Casa, where it now hosts theatrical productions and cultural activities.

The Mexican-American community is also highly visible at Yale, with many activities organized through the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA). Last fall, Chicano students from across the country flocked to Yale for Pachanga, a national conference featuring Mexican food, parties, and speeches by prominent Mexican-Americans in a variety of fields. The Professional Society of Latinos, an organization that encourages Hispanic students to pursue careers in a variety of fields such as law, business, and the sciences, hosted a career forum at Pachanga.

While Yale's Native American population is small compared to those of other Ivy League universities, it is developing a greater presence on campus thorugh both student and faculty activism. The Association of Native Americans at Yale invites speakers and encourages action on a variety of environmental and social issues. Visitng profesor Jace Weaver was recently promoted to a junior professorship. As the University's first Native American faculty member, he is expected to increase awareness of issues relevant to his ethnic community.

Minority freshmen may seem overwhelmed by all the social and academic changes that come with their journey to college. But Yale is committed to providing the resources necessary to help make the transition as smooth as possible, and to provide an environment in which all students feel comfortable and accepted.

Graphic by Carlos Mena. Back to the Freshman Issue...