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Many wonder why students of color feel isolated here at UCLA. The Undergraduate Students Association Council Campus Event Commission proved why.

Two weeks ago the Campus Events Commission printed a half-page advertisement in the Daily Bruin for the movie “Barbershop,” featuring a caricature of the Little Rascal Buckwheat saying, “Ice Cube is da bomb, O-Tay.” On the bottom, Campus Events stated that their organization had “Mo’ soul than fried chicken.”

While I realize the ad might have been in jest, it is clear proof that we haven’t come as far as some like to point out. However, with the end to affirmative action (SP-1) drastically decreasing the number of students of color at UCLA, I’ve seen and experienced too many blatantly stereotypical displays directed toward students on this campus. We should be working to dispel the stereotypes and myths about cultures here at UCLA.

Not all black men at UCLA play sports. I mean no disrespect to those who do engage in sporting activities, but I’m personally tired of being asked what event I run in track, what position I play on the football team, and why I don’t wear my athletic backpack. There are black men at this university who have gotten here on academics alone and continue to excel in fields from engineering to law, even though their numbers have never reached pre-SP-1 levels.

Meeting a person of color on campus should not encourage you to practice your culturally biased dialogue. Although you might be enrolled in Spanish 3, meeting a Chicano or Latino person does not give anyone permission to start practicing Spanish. In fact, reciting “yo” and “I feel you,” or talking about the latest Snoop album will not make all black students more comfortable in conversation. In actuality, you might find more angered faces than welcoming comments.

Another myth that should be dispelled is that all Asian Americans get straight As. Although this might seem obvious to some, students have bought into this minority myth. The Pacific Islander community is one of the most diverse at UCLA, where many different groups are all put under the umbrella of Asian. To target one whole group as “book smart” does not begin to really show the diversity within this community, it only shows stereotypes. We have to begin to look past our own notions and into the individual lives of those around us.

Not all black students on this campus are African American. Black students are a part of a diaspora which includes countries like Belize, Cuba, Kenya, Brazil, Benin, Jamaica and the like. The Nigerian community on this campus is one of the larger communities that you might see. We all come from various places, hopefully we can begin to share that.

Images that have historically been used as ploys and gimmicks should not be used to advertise any product or services here at UCLA. After Buckwheat, what’s next? Will a picture of Aunt Jemimah and Uncle Ben be used for your showing of the movie Brown Sugar? Maybe next time you can hand out flyers in minstrel makeup. If you really feel you have “mo’ soul,” illustrate it with some taste and decency next time.

As students, we need to look past our preconceived notions and educate ourselves about those around us. Mistakes like that of the Campus Events Committee drive a wedge between students and shows what happens when people are culturally ignorant.