Letter to the Editor: Racism
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Berlinda Fernandez
President of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers |
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Dear Editors:
I am writing in response to some vandalism that has occurred here at WPI. Recently some members of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, myself included decorated a bulletin board to honor those Hispanics that have made a difference in the world of science and engineering. With careful planning and a lot of time, we fixed the board to the point where we were proud of it.
The next day when I passed the board, figures where drawn in the boxes where the Hispanic scientist's face should have been. These figures included a stereotypical Hispanic with a sombrero and poncho. Upon viewing this I chalked it up to ignorance and covered the drawings with small squares of paper. Later on I checked the board again and the pieces had been ripped off, exposing the drawings again. I took those pictures down, and checked another day to see that all of the pictures of famous Hispanics had simply been ripped down. Included in those pictures was the first female Hispanic astronaut, and several scientists who had won Nobel Prizes.
I am aware that vandalism happens to just about all of the bulletin boards. However, these actions simply crossed the line. The Black Student Union's posters had also had racist remarks written on them. What am I getting at here? What I am trying to say is that we are not in the dark ages anymore. We all have equal rights, and my heritage and skin color and culture and language does not make me inferior to anyone, and it doesn't give anyone the right to ruin my hard work. You don't have to like everyone you meet; I know I don't. But you do have to maintain a level of civility and respect. We are not in kindergarten anymore.
In closing, I want to say this to the person(s) who ruined my bulletin board: I don't know if you are racist, I don't know if you thought that what you did was funny. It wasn't. You hurt quite a few people, myself included. If you are brave enough to ruin my posters, then you are brave enough to come to me, to my face, and talk to me. I am positive that you will find that I am a normal person, I bet you couldn't even pick me out of a crowd.
God created everyone equal, and God doesn't make junk. So if you are so brave, I challenge you to talk to me. I am sure you can find me somehow. I don't hate you, I feel sorry for you. Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs...but that doesn't give you the right to disrespect other people's property in the process.
May God bless you.
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