Despite final exams this week at UCLA, which is ending its winter quarter, Yoo says he has yet to encounter any student or colleague who did not see the video and some of its Internet spinoffs, re-mixes and responses.
The Asian Pacific Coalition student organization released a statement calling for the UCLA community to refrain from “throwing out divisive words which only perpetuate a culture of racism and sexism.” The group also condemned the video as “ignorant and hateful.”
Colleges around the country have steadily added academic courses with a diversity component or global cultures aspect, requiring undergraduates to complete a certain number of credit hours as a graduation prerequisite.
In an interview with Diverse, Yoo says he was surprised to learn of the absence of this curriculum when he joined UCLA last year. “It’s somewhat odd,” he says. “I don’t believe you should make decisions based solely on what others are doing, but lots of schools are wrestling with similar issues. A diversity requirement isn’t a solution but a step in the right direction. It would at least signal a commitment to diversity.”
UCLA spokesman Phil Hampton confirmed that the school does not require its students to study diversity awareness.
Meanwhile, Hampton said UCLA administrators have been in contact with Wallace and are trying to determine whether her remarks violated the student conduct code, and if so, how to discipline her. He also said campus police are investigating multiple e-mail and phone messages that Wallace has since received to determine whether any of them “could be considered threats and therefore crimes.”
