My Impact on Diversity Anonymous

At the University of Oregon, I would be eager to be a part of the advancement of the equity and inclusion division by contributing my ideas and passions to the Multi-Ethnic Student Alliance group. People often struggle to fully understand what it is like to be a person who identifies with multiple ethnicities. I identify as Caucasian, Hispanic, Native American, and Japanese in no particular order. Safe spaces like affinity groups as well as open groups both serve different purposes and offer different benefits. However, they come together because they bond people who are interested in exploring specific aspects of themselves. Providing both forums for students to discuss and explore their identities will help those who feel like they do not fit into a specific racial group.As a student who identifies as both Caucasian and as a person of color, I would want to help create spaces for people who identify as multiracial at UO to talk about their experience being a mixed person. Being multiracial is different for everyone and definitely varies depending on individual circumstances. Some students (myself included) have been told “Oh, you’re Mexican? No! But you’re so… white!” The phrase “but you’re so white” might seem harmless out...