So i think there has been some misunderstanding....
So i am sure that by now most people have already heard about Alexandra Wallace and her "Asians in the library" video. if not, you are lucky, or under a rock. either way, this will mean nothing to you. for those of us who have seen the video, this post is about the larger reaction and interpretation of the video, although i will comment on the video itself. so, here it is...
Alexandra Wallace was a student at UCLA when she posted a video where she rants on about asian students in the library being on their cell phones. now, some people seem to feel that she has a perfectly valid point. that students should not be on their phones while in the library, which is a quiet place intended for students to be able to study in peace. fair enough. students probably should not be in their phones in a place where as you walk through the doors there are signs expressing a no phone policy. however, kids will be kids, and it is inevitable that in the modern age where cell phones seem to have risen to a place of almost prime importance to everyday life, cell phone usage will occur. therefore, one must wonder what the school does about this. from my experience, not much. their policy on phones seems to be that of the policy they have involving food and drink. although the actual rule expresses a strict ban on this activity, as long as it does not become disruptive, they usually leave it alone. again, this all from my experience. i have seen monsters, candy, snacks, bottled beverages, all sorts of things that are technically prohibited out in the open being used by students of UCLA. and yes, i have seen cell phone usage. furthermore, i am willing to be honest about it and admit, that i myself have used a cellphone and consumed both food and beverages that were not allowed into the library. in each occasion i have done my best to limit the impact on my fellow students. i clean up my trash, make sure i do not spill, and in the case of phone usage, i keep the call short, my voice low, and try to only make or receive calls when it is of legitimate importance. and as someone who does engage in this activity, i feel that as long as other students follow these rules, there is never truly a problem, at least for me. i am not a hypocrite and therefore am willing to allot students the same leeway that is allotted to me. so i feel this has effectively stated my belief on the actual issue the video attempts to bring to the attention of its viewers. however, the reality of the video to me is completely different.
Now, the actual issue i have with the video is the inherent racism and intolerance. again, people seem to be of the opinion that the girl has a point and that people should not be on their phones in the library. again i say to you, fair enough. but why has she taken a general problem and minimized it to the domain of a single race? im predominantly white (unless you agree with the asia to americas mass migration in which case my mexican heritage has descended from asians in which case i am asian), and to the casual observer i would seem entirely so. therefore i do not fulfill the requirement of this video and thus i am allowed to be on my phone. but again, one could say that by looking at the problem as a whole, it would seem that she has only had this problem with asian students. however, i would then ask that person to view the first half of the video where she discusses the familial happenings of asian tenants in the same apartment complex as herself. this point clearly has no purpose or relation to the larger argument of people being on there cellphones in the library and therefore has no place in the video. yet, she felt it was necessary and she included it. i feel this is evidence that her video was not intended to discuss a social or collegiate issue, but rather to express her racism. or maybe she didn't even intend for it to express her racist mentality. maybe she was unaware of her actions and was simply victim to her own mental constructs about race and cell phone usage. however, ignorance is not an acceptable excuse. in this day and age, there is no place for racism or intolerance. we must all struggle to continue to leave the world in a better place than we received it. and this means that things such as racism and intolerance should be in the same category as crime, disease, famine, and injustice as something we strive to eliminate.
as a student at UCLA, i am doubly upset about this video and the aftermath that ensued. firstly, is everything that i have stated above. i feel that this post was fueled by anger and intolerance and racism. if it would have been just anger about the action in general, i wouldn't mind it. cuz to be honest, we probably shouldn't be on our phones in the library no matter the measures we may take to minimize the impact it has on other students. that is a video i would be willing to support as an outlet for anger and a simple psa. however, i do not believe that was the case in this video and therefore a different reaction was called for in my eyes. however the second reason is much more personal.
i am, as i said before, a student at the University of California at Los Angeles and i take great pride in that. i have been a fan of the school's sports teams my entire life, and it has always been my dream school. and now that i am here, i have a tremendous amount of pride in my school as well as an over abundance of school spirit. this is new for me because the closest i ever got to true school spirit before was a desire to win in regards to the sports teams i was on at both my high school and my community college. however i hardly count this because no matter who i play for in sports i want to win, whether it be rec leagues or pick up games or school teams. however, ever since i received my letter to UCLA and i made it official i would be attending here, i have had nothing but the upmost pride and respect for this establishment. that being said, i was deeply upset, offended, and disappointed that someone else who came to this school would have that type of attitude or outlook. obviously i do not expect everyone at UCLA to agree with me on everything, or even anything, however i do expect a general level of self-respect and respect for others, their beliefs, and their cultures. to prove my point, i know a gentleman who graduated from UCLA, played football for UCLA, and is a very conservative person. i, on the other hand, am not to, put it mildly. however, i do believe that man to be of sound character, integrity, and i do not believe that, despite our opposing political or social views, he would disagree with me on the matter of equality and civil rights and the need for racism to disappear from UCLA, and the world at large, entirely. again, let me reiterate, i have no problem with people having different opinions from me. i respect everybody's right to their own thoughts and their own opinions, however, i feel that if you also abide by this belief, then you should have a genuine acceptance for others and their opinions as well, and not just feel entitled to your own opinions. racism is not, was not, and will never be acceptable. it has no place in the realm of intelligent and informed thought. and it definitely has no place at an institution whose sole goal as an establishment is to foster knowledge, acceptance, and critical thinking in people of all ages and from all walks of life. that is one of the biggest reasons i have been so upset over this video. i feel it embarrasses a place and an establishment that has never been about any of those things to me. i feel it embarrasses me and every member of the UCLA staff and student body.
having had time to think about the event in its entirety and its impact on UCLA and the reactions from people everywhere, i have tempered some of my anger and resentment for this girl. it has been reported that she has dropped out of UCLA. i hope she is able to start over somewhere else and is exposed to various peoples in the ways that i have been so blessed to be exposed to them and i hope she truly learns from her mistake and truly sees the error of her thoughts. i hope she turns over a new leaf and becomes an intelligent and thoughtful individual. these are my hopes for her. as for UCLA and its student body, i hope we may never have to deal with something like this again. i hope this has brought light to the eyes of those who may have been of a similar mind and that they will change any ill conceived thoughts and opinions and prejudices they may have. as for myself, i hope to live up to my ideals everyday. i hope to be as good of a person as i try to be. and in the wake of my missteps and faults, i hope to learn from them and move forward with a sense of renewed faith and knowledge. these are my goals.
thank you for reading this.
my father text me the other day telling me he was very proud of my administration and that i should be too. i was confused at first and had no clue as to what he was referring to. he then told me that the administration of UCLA was not going to take action against Alexandra Wallace. at first i was angry, i could not believe that this administration would choose not to act on something that was so clearly a embarrassment to the school. i relayed this opinion to my dad and he told me that free speech was free speech. and that although we may not always like what people have to say, that does not mean we should punish them for saying it. i realized then that everyone is entitled to an opinion and that in times like these more than ever we must defend their right to speak or the potency and power of everything else we may have to say as a nation or as individuals within this nation will be diminished. needless to say, i was proud of my administration.
