Regarding the article ”Some students steering clear of school melting pot” on May 12: I am disgusted that Brother Rice High School reached the point where its African American students felt the need to have their own prom.
I am an Asian American graduate of Mother McAuley (1990). I thought I would be able to forget the racism within these Catholic schools, but I cannot ignore it when it is so blatant and on the front page. The article states,
”As minority groups gain identity, there is less willingness to give up their cultures to fit in with the white majority.” That should never be asked of minorities.
There is a very false definition of the word ”integration.” It is not a denial of one`s own culture in order to assimilate into the white world. Integration is ”a unification and mutual adjustment of diverse groups or elements into a relatively harmonious society.” This definition brings out the real issue: black students are not included in the school`s decisionmaking and thus they are forced to separate instead of being silenced and ignored.
I am also concerned about the other minorities. Which prom did the Asian or Latino students attend? Which prom did the inter-racial couples attend? Did they feel welcome at either?
True integration must be mutual adjustment, not assimilation.
