Despite the traditional rivalry between the two schools, UCLA (photo by Simon Shek) and USC (photo by bitshaker) have decided to hold a joint town hall meeting to discuss the acts of racism that have occurred at both campuses.
“We want to highlight the fact that these issues transcend campuses and schools, and are also present in the larger community. The crosstown rivals (UCLA and USC) are standing together in order to demand that the administration at both these institutions look at the policies and programs (or lack thereof) that perpetuate racism and sexism,” said UCLA’s Vietnamese Student Union to LA Weekly.
The meeting comes in reaction to racist fliers sent to Asian American student groups at both campuses earlier this month. The fliers made racist and sexist comments about Asian American women and men, as well as Mexican women.
The students will ask administrators to give more funding to cultural groups, Asian American Studies, Ethnic Studies and Gender Studies, according to the UCLA Daily Bruin.
They will also ask the universities to create a general education diversity requirement.
The meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the UCLA Student Activities Center.