2008 Woodie Awards
Arcata: A caring community for some, but not all
Karmen-Rita Chase
Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: Opinion
In the five years that I have been a student/friend/community-builder/student leader here at Humboldt State University, I have heard from many that this is a wonderful place full of redwoods, liberals and a caring atmosphere. While I have been able to experience all of these aspects, it is the latter that I am having the most trouble agreeing with wholeheartedly. As a woman of color who not only attends this university but also lives in this community, I have been faced with many instances that have made me question exactly who is safe and for how long? I have been called a nigger, told that I shouldn't be in Eureka or McKinleyville after 5 p.m. for fear of how these communities treat people of color, and even stared at in stores as though the color of my skin automatically equals theft. Yet with the recent remarks made by President Richmond and Kevin Hoover, a local reporter for the Arcata Eye, I am to believe that what I experience occurs in a safe, wonderful, and caring community. Am I to think that these acts are committed by tourists and passers-by, not by residents of this wonderful and caring place?
I am extremely enraged by the fact that there are issues of racism, oppression, and violence towards those of us who are deemed different, and that these acts continue to go unnoticed by leaders in the community. I personally have had conversations with the many higher-ups on this campus, and I often leave their offices thinking that they understand a little of what I've just shared in regards to being a student of color on this campus. Yet I only find that my words went through one ear and out the other.
What am I to tell people who call the Admissions Office, where I have worked for the past four years, and ask if this school is safe? Should I first ask the color of their skin and then give them a response on a Likert scale, 1 being safe, 7 being not so safe?
I would not still be a student at HSU without the allies that are here, however it's a different story when I leave campus. The surrounding community is filled with many different opinions about who should and shouldn't be here. There are people who go out of their way to make sure that those of us who are not the majority are reminded of that frequently.
Please note that I am not trying to slander Arcata, but rather point out that this is a community that has issues that need to be addressed. To continue to pretend that this is a happy-go-lucky wonderland for everyone is false. Instead headlines should really point out that unless you are a part of the mainstream, then brace yourself for what could come your way. Frankly, I am tired of people who have not experienced what I have, telling me what a wonderful place this is for all.
I would like to give a shout-out to those allies that have kept me here and feeling safe: Senior Seminar 485, Jesse Urban, Christina Accomando, Kim Berry, Anne Marie Dannenberg, Tracy Smith, and Randi Darnell-Burke.
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Karmen-Rita Chase is a women's studies and psychology senior at Humboldt State University.
I am extremely enraged by the fact that there are issues of racism, oppression, and violence towards those of us who are deemed different, and that these acts continue to go unnoticed by leaders in the community. I personally have had conversations with the many higher-ups on this campus, and I often leave their offices thinking that they understand a little of what I've just shared in regards to being a student of color on this campus. Yet I only find that my words went through one ear and out the other.
What am I to tell people who call the Admissions Office, where I have worked for the past four years, and ask if this school is safe? Should I first ask the color of their skin and then give them a response on a Likert scale, 1 being safe, 7 being not so safe?
I would not still be a student at HSU without the allies that are here, however it's a different story when I leave campus. The surrounding community is filled with many different opinions about who should and shouldn't be here. There are people who go out of their way to make sure that those of us who are not the majority are reminded of that frequently.
Please note that I am not trying to slander Arcata, but rather point out that this is a community that has issues that need to be addressed. To continue to pretend that this is a happy-go-lucky wonderland for everyone is false. Instead headlines should really point out that unless you are a part of the mainstream, then brace yourself for what could come your way. Frankly, I am tired of people who have not experienced what I have, telling me what a wonderful place this is for all.
I would like to give a shout-out to those allies that have kept me here and feeling safe: Senior Seminar 485, Jesse Urban, Christina Accomando, Kim Berry, Anne Marie Dannenberg, Tracy Smith, and Randi Darnell-Burke.
--
Karmen-Rita Chase is a women's studies and psychology senior at Humboldt State University.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Imelda Fernandez
posted 4/17/08 @ 1:40 PM PST
Hey Karmen I loved your article it's very intense. It's unfortunate that you have had to deal with so much prejudice and rudeness. I had a wonderful experience at HSU and the community and it makes me sad that one of my favorite people is having some rough times. (Continued…)
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