Chico State: The Harvard of the West
Illustration by Melissa Joseph
Coming to Chico was the biggest culture shock to me. I was born and raised in Southern California my whole life and back home, diversity was all I knew.
Coming here, I was so surprised to see very little diversity and it almost made me laugh during class discussions where others would say Chico was “very diverse”.
Yes, it may be a little diverse but compared to other places. Coming to Chico was the first time I felt out of place.
I felt a bright spotlight on me, with the warmth of it making my entire body uncomfortable as I sat in my seat. As I melted into a puddle of insecurity from the eyes observing me, I seemed to sink deeper and deeper into a sense that I did not belong here.
Chico State claims to be diverse which may be well-intentioned for the sake of a good heart or a hungry wallet. Whichever the case may be, I believe we need higher statistics about minority student enrollment before campus can truly claim to be diverse.
As of now, the demographics on diversity could possibly rank us as another “Harvard of the West Coast.”
The statistics between Chico State and Harvard are pretty close with undergrad demographics for Chico State showing 43% white, 34% Hispanic/Latino, 2.7% black/African American, 5.5% Asian, 5.3% two or more races and 6.6% unknown. The demographics show that the faculty and staff are around 70% white, according to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Chico State.
Harvard’s demographics show 45.8% white, 12.2% Hispanic/Latino, 14.3% black/African American and 25.3% Asian. These statistics were taken from each institution’s official website.
The school claims to be diverse, however even those a part of diverse clubs feel hidden. Taylor Austin, a member of the Black Student Union club on campus, does not feel the support from Chico State either.
“All of the diverse spaces are pushed into one hallway,” Austin said. “Many of the white students don’t even know that we exist.”
If Chico State truly cares about diversity, these clubs that are created to unify different ethnicities should be recognized more on campus. More events should be put on to acknowledge different cultures and the minds of the majority should become more understanding toward the matter. We live in a world where differences are ignored rather than admired. We need to take the time to educate ourselves and listen to stories and the cries from the unjust society we live in.
There is a reason why the minority still fights to break down a barrier of stereotypes. We are all human, no matter the color of our skin or our different accents. We still bleed the same.
White privilege is a wall of protection that most don’t acknowledge. Although life is easier for someone who is white, that does not give them a pass to ignore real ethnic issues, which consists of an unjust criminal system and violent crimes against people of color.
Chico State and the majority need to stand up for diversity and support one another as much as the majority.
Before claiming to be diverse, Chico State should open their arms to increasing diversity not for the sake of their image but for the sake of changing the world.
Ernest Meyer // Apr 10, 2020 at 5:36 am
Anyway, to add to my prior post in response to yours, the reason for harvard’s racial demographics could be attributed to bias if you want, but as my father did teach there, I actually got a chance to see the applications for prospective students. The fact is, they were all white kids. Colored and hispanic kids are not interested in harfvard because it is remote and expensive. The cost might matter more than it should, but the distance from any large city is definitely a factor, because white kids are used to be being alienated and left alone, whereas people of other backgrounds tend to be more gregarious. I would say I would expect more Hispanics to enroll in chico, but what I have learned since I removed myself from the ivory towers is that they are more interested in the amount in paychecks, and how soon they get them, than learning for the sake of knowledge in itself. So the appeal of being, say, a plumber for $80/hour straight out of a polytechnic after less than a year is just too great compared to seven years of free or minimum wage work as an intern before one can be an attorney. As you can tell, I am not a fan of programs which admit lower-quality students to force reductions in ethnic disparities,. because of that experience of what people in the real world want to do with themselves when they are of different ethnicities. Besides which, one has reached pretty much the bottom of the academic barrel already when not even staff know which way North is, let alone the students, as I explained in my prior comment. To force more ethnic equality, you will be scraping off the street who don’t even know how to read. Maybe that would not be such a bad thing either, except it would discourage even more people who actually have brains from wanting to work there. Teaching people who dont even care where the sun rises and sets is difficult enough already.
Ernest Meyer // Apr 10, 2020 at 4:56 am
I only know a few Harvard students who were Rhodes with me at Oxford University, but I have to say your assessment is fairly typical of what I encountered in Chico so far. I thought it would be fun to take some courses, so I went to about a dozen various offices whose staff told me I should next go to another office, handing me a map. So I thought it would not be a surprise if I asked which way was North, having just driven in. When the first person sitting at a desk couldnt tell me,, I asked another. Out of 15, only one knew which way was North. So I tried asking some students. When I got to 40 and still no one else could tell me which way was north, I decided I must not be mature enough to go to university again, because I was having difficulties with accepting people in Chico could really be so incognizant of their environment. Ok, my IQ is only 145, pretty low compared to most Rhodes, so maybe its wrong of me to think that intellectual acumen would be the appropriate gauge for comparing to an ivy league school like Harvard, but then again, no one here knows which way North is, so how could people possibly expect to consider such an opinion as having any merit.
Truth // Mar 20, 2020 at 6:06 am
Egalitarianism is the biggest lie ever perpetrated on the American public. People are inherently racist and this instinct to support and work with people who look like us has served humans for countless generations. Instead of complaining about all the white people (and this article punctuates the fact you are rightly insecure around them) maybe recognize these basic truths and move on with your life?
Its okay to.be white. Free men are not equal, and equal men are not free.
Luke // Mar 13, 2020 at 2:45 pm
Chico state already negatively effects our community of Chico in many ways. Also geographically there are more white Latinos and Mexicans in Chico then any other race. I feel this is a pointless article!