UCI fraternity accused of racism

Christine Carrillo

The Sigma Pi fraternity was accused of racist behavior on Friday for

distributing fliers and T-shirts that displayed stereotypes

denigrating Mexicans.

About 40 students, mostly Chicanos, protested Friday after the

fraternity began distributing fliers to promote its Cinco de Mayo

party, “Drinko for Cinco.” The fliers contained a caricature of a

Mexican man holding two pistols and wearing a sombrero with Sigma

Pi’s logo on it.

Members of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, a Chicano

student organization, said they organized the protest because they

felt that nothing was being done about Sigma Pi’s actions. While both

of these depictions raised concern among the Chicano community at

UCI, the item they found most offensive was the promotion of the

fraternity’s “Dirty Sanchez Look-a-like Contest.”

“They have a right to say what they want. The problem is they also

have a responsibility,” said Leo Chavez, a UCI professor of

anthropology and director of Chicano and Latino studies. “We’re all

part of this community and [Chicano students] also have a right to

learn, to grow. By reverting to this sort of racial taunting, they’re

basically representing what you see as a society. Rather than

criticizing [the Chicano community] as scholars, they’re falling back

onto [stereotypes]. It doesn’t bode too well for the betterment of

our society.”

Members of MEChA contacted Sigma Pi with their concerns at the

beginning of the week, but feel that the fraternity has not taken the

necessary steps to rectify the situation, said Maria Malagon, a

fourth-year student and outreach chair for MEChA.

“We want to dialogue with them, and they’re not understanding,”

she said. “They think we’re being overdramatic ... but I would like

to think that we’re all educated enough to not perpetuate these kinds

of stereotypes.”

Sigma Pi’s president, Yashaar Amin, stated that the fraternity’s

actions were not intended to offend nor perpetuate stereotypes, but

rather stemmed from bad judgment on their part.

“We are a multicultural organization and are very aware and

compassionate to the sensitivities and intricacies of all cultures,”

Amin said. “We are constantly evaluating what is appropriate and we

attempt to be as compassionate as possible. Unfortunately, this one

wasn’t seen as offensive by the various members of our chapter.”

While many Chicanos were personally offended by the flier, others

were more upset with the use of racial stereotypes.

“It wasn’t so much that I found it offensive as it was the use of

racial stereotyping for a party,” said Ramon Munoz, a UCI counselor

in both social sciences and Chicano studies. “You can argue on the

grounds of free speech, but with the right to free speech comes

responsibility to the community. The community has every right to

feel safe at their campus and free from harassment.”

The university’s administration agrees and has assigned an

ombudsman to aid both groups in coming to a resolution.

“We like to think that the learning curve on these issues and the

level of sensitivity on these issues is more refined than this would

suggest,” said Randy Lewis, executive associate dean of students for

UCI. “While the members of this fraternity organization really are

quite ethnically diverse, there’s a difference between diversity and

a level of consciousness.”

Members of MEChA also had a problem with the fraternity in the

fall when fraternity members wore T-shirts of road signs depicting

people crossing the road similar to those seen near the border.

MEChA members are now asking the fraternity to do more than just

stop its members from distributing fliers and wearing those T-shirts.

They’re now asking them to publish a letter of apology to the Chicano

community in the university’s paper and to attend some sort of

diversity sensitivity workshop.

“I just want to focus on the fact that we’re moving forward and

making everyone aware there was an error in judgment on our part,”

Amin said. “Hindsight is 20/20 and, admittedly, we employed bad

judgment. Now, we are doing everything we can to rectify the

situation.”

Both groups are expected to meet early next week to resolve the

issue.

* CHRISTINE CARRILLO covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at christine.carrillo@latimes.com.