(Campuswide multicultural discussion is hindered when groups self-segregate such as the proposed Latino center)
Segregating minority community headquarters into separate centers does not promote the ideal of diversity we're striving for.
The establishment of a Latino center at the University is an unnecessary endeavor that goes against the principle of multicultural collaboration.
A task force investigating the ethnic and multicultural needs of the campus is seeking to establish a Latino center for the University.
The task force argues that UNC's growing Latino population warrants the construction of such a building.
While it is important to acknowledge the implications of a growing presence of Latino students on campus establishing a separate center for any specific minority group is counterproductive to the collaborative efforts of multicultural groups on campus.
The establishment of separate centers for individual minority groups could effectively segregate the UNC community and hinder campuswide multicultural interaction and discussion.
The Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs already exists to provide all minority groups with a majority of the services that the proposed Latino center would offer its own constituents.
Diversity and Multicultural Affairs' purpose is to bring multiple cultures together to support the assessment and research of diversity issues and to promote the recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
The creation of a Latino center would undoubtedly draw one of the campus's largest minority groups away from that effort.
In addition it is not fair to allot University space for the construction of a building for a specific group of students regardless of the group's size.
The University did allow for the creation of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for black culture and history in 1988 which sets a precedent that could lead the Latino community to feel entitled to its own building.
Constructing an additional building to exclusively house the research and study efforts of a specific minority has the potential to snowball into a slew of similar proposals to build headquarters for other minority groups on campus.
If the UNC community is to benefit from the advantages of a diverse student body minority groups — including the Stone Center — must continue the effort to collaborate with one another instead of isolating themselves.
The creation of a Latino center would hinder the student body's ability to exist as a single multicultural entity by setting a precedent of institutionalized minority group separation.
