After four years at Columbia University, the frustrations of Tenaya Izu have mounted.
Tenaya watched with excitement her first year when she saw lion dancers on the lawn entertaining students.
It showed promise for cultural diversity.
But in her blog in the Columbia Daily Spectator, she says she now knows “this celebratory façade is just a showcase.”
She says she has never been able to take an Asian American history class on campus because few are offered. Columbia axed its Asian American Studies program during her sophomore year. She now majors in ethnicity and race studies through the Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race.
She lays out a strong case for why she thinks the cultural celebrations new students are welcomed with each year are all for show, with little substance.
Have you ever felt the same way, or do you think Tenaya is over reacting? Read her blog in the Columbia Daily Spectator and let us know what you think.
