I was reading about the Latino institute (or something along those lines) at the University of Notre Dame in their most recent magazine. My first question was this: how many Latinos are actually positively affected by that institute? My second was: how many Latinos are present at Notre Dame (sadly, my guess would be they are not represented as students in proportion to their numbers in the US Catholic Church)? Now, this is not to bad mouth Notre Dame, a school which I love, defend, and admire. Nor, is it to criticize the Latino institute which may serve a legitimate academic purpose. Rather, the purpose of this post is to think about the whole notion that we can feel good about ourselves by creating institutes, hiring coordinators, creating new vice presidents, etc. when in reality we may actually be doing little to help minorities or actually diversify our institutions.
Back when I was Episcopalian, we had a Latino coordinator for the diocese or some other sort of title. We have a lot of Hispanics in Ohio and the bishop wanted to serve and evangelize that group. The results, at least at my former parish, were less than spectacular. The diocesan coordinator came in beforehand and posted a bunch of fliers at a local Mexican restaurant in Spanish. They had images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and other traditionally Catholic symbols. The week he preached, he brought all kinds of Catholic symbols into the parish and the liturgy was partially in Spanish. None of this was authentic to our parish mind you. The next week he was gone, but many of the Hispanic people were back. Realizing it was all a ploy, a sham, within a month they too were gone. It probably didn’t help that later, at an ecumenical gathering, the same diocesan coordinator mentioned his love for an author who was active in Hispanic lesbian circles, saw this type of focus (e.g. Hispanic lesbianism) as a good way to get more Hispanics in the Episcopal Church (what was he smoking??), and finally expressed his disdain for the “backwardness” of most Hispanics who would reject his views. What a great recipe for Latino outreach: misrepresent your parish, bring in someone who goes along with that misrepresentation and has nothing but contempt for the people he’s supposed to reach out to.
Basically, this is the problem I have with most efforts at diversity. They are geared not towards the people they claim to want to reach, but are rather efforts to make white people feel less guilty. Thus, they become more stuff white people like rather than achieving their supposed goal of helping minorities. I believe in diversity and love the fact that the Catholic Church has it. But, we’re not going to get more of it through institutes, coordinators, or any other such effort. And, neither will any other institution.
David Bennett
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Forced “diversity” (and it’s been around for ages) is ALWAYS silly…it is inauthentic, it comes off as just goofy, and it annoys everyone in the end. I see it even in the Catholic Church in America.
Our own parish is made up of Anglos (mostly of German, English, Irish folks), Hipsanic folks, Native Americans, and Asians. When each group is allowed to do what it naturally does according to its culture, we blend just fine. The problems have arisen when non-hispanics have customs not their own (say those of the Day of the Dead) forced on them…it just makes people feel resentful. OR when Hispanics and Asians in the parish are made to sing English/German hymns that are foreign to their cultures…it only annoys.
Let us be who we are in the churches…we’ll figure it out without (albeit well-meaning) bishops and others trying to stir pots they know nothing about.
While it’s silly to try to force diversity through a high-and-mighty white person, minority coordinators can be crucial to integrating minorities on campus, especially when diversity is a university’s weak point. Resources such as these can help students find friends and remind them that they don’t have to renounce their culture to get an education — and that helps destroy some of the boundaries that keep minorities out of the university system.
While I am absolutely for everyone keeping their culture intact when they come to the USA, I also like MY culture (which is Euro-American) and don’t want to see it swallowed up. I also won’t take on some kind of guilt complex about it either. There has to be room for me too.
[...] Diversity Through A Coordinator – They had images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and other traditionally Catholic symbols. The week he preached, he brought all kinds of Catholic symbols into the parish and the liturgy was partially in Spanish. None of this was authentic to … [...]
[...] Diversity Through A Coordinator – They had images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and other traditionally Catholic symbols. The week he preached, he brought all kinds of Catholic symbols into the parish and the liturgy was partially in Spanish. None of this was authentic to … [...]
[...] Diversity Through A Coordinator – They had images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and other traditionally Catholic symbols. The week he preached, he brought all kinds of Catholic symbols into the parish and the liturgy was partially in Spanish. None of this was authentic to … [...]
[...] Diversity Through A Coordinator – They had images of Our Lady of Guadalupe and other traditionally Catholic symbols. The week he preached, he brought all kinds of Catholic symbols into the parish and the liturgy was partially in Spanish. None of this was authentic to … [...]