Saratoga’s subconscious racial divide

During a recent lunchtime, we walked around the school and took notes on the friendship groups. Our goal: to discover the divisions among students that are formed either intentionally or unintentionally.

As we walked through the back of the school, we noticed that a lot of groups in the band quad were based on interest. Tables consisting of members from the Robotics Club and tables filled with band kids were evident. As we entered the quad, we noticed a variety of other groups formed based on common interest.

It was also clear that groups often formed along racial lines.

Starting from the library down to the entrance of the school, there were groups of Indians, groups of Asians and groups of whites: more than one of each.

According to registrar Jeanie Jamieson, out of the 1,402 students who attend the school, the breakdown of the racial breakdown is white (568), Chinese (428), Asian Indian (250), Korean (57), Vietnamese (33), Other Asian (27), Japanese (17), Filipino (13), American Indian or Alaskan (6), Black or Afro American (2) and Laotian (1).

According to a study conducted by University of Michigan sociology researchers, Siwei Cheng and Yu Xie, if a school has a larger student population, instead of integrating within races, students will settle into groups of their same race.

Often times, for students like junior Anish Srinivasan, this is because of the many similarities they find among students of the same race.

“The people that I hang around are generally of my same race, mainly because I tend to feel more comfortable around them,” Srinivasan said. “It is a matter of being able to relate to who you hang out with, and people of the same race often relate to each other better.”

This could be because of similar family traditions, hobbies or an overall understanding of a certain culture.

“I think that people feel left out if there are inside jokes or specific things that they don’t know about the culture,” Srinivasan said. “A few of my friends have complained to me about the fact that they don’t feel included and they don’t feel like coming to certain parties or events because it’s dominated by a certain group of friends or ethnicity.”

While Srinivasan said he is “guilty of self-segregation,” he does not believe it is the right thing to do since it can lead to exclusion of others.

Even if unintentional, groups of people talking about one issue related to their ethnicity or culture may make another person who is of a different race feel isolated.

The school is not alone in this issue. In The Chronicle, Duke University’s newspaper, the editorial board wrote an article on the effects of self-segregation on fraternities. According to the article, the Greek community there is largely divided by race.

The author posits that students may feel more comfortable pledging for a fraternity that mirrors their cultural ideals or may not join a certain organization for fear of being socially ostracized. Often, this could be viewed as forming “cliques” or selective groups.

At SHS, however, sophomore Katie McLaughlin said that, while people of a minority race at the school are not “left out of cliques,” they do feel the effects of exclusion every once in a while. For example, when McLaughlin walks up to a group of another race, she sometimes feels awkward because they are talking about something she does not understand. She also said that there is sometimes an unvoiced expectation that she should be good or bad at something just because she is white.

“When your personal interests go against the status quo of what your ethnicity is supposed to be, it sometimes feels a little weird or separated,” McLaughlin said. “I don’t think anyone has any intentions of leaving others out, but sometimes being the odd one out creates a feeling of exclusivity in itself.”

Psychology teacher Hana Chen believes that students “migrate” to those who look similar to them at first, since personality cannot be seen at first glance.

“However, if you give everyone the opportunity to get to know you, whether they look like you or not, you will greatly increase your chances of meeting wonderful people, making lifelong friends and becoming a more worldly person,” she said.

Sophomore Michelle Shen has done just that. Shen’s friend group is primarily Indian, and she does not see any negatives in being the minority because she is always finds herself learning new things when she is with friends. Shen has been invited to Diwali parties and has immersed herself in Indian culture. After noticing many of her Indian friends were interested in Chinese culture and food, she hosted her own Chinese New Year party so that they could experience the same cultural exposure she had enjoyed with them.

“Exposing myself to new cultures was really interesting and I’m so glad I made the effort to do so,” Shen said. “And learning that my friends also were interested in my culture was really awesome.”

Shen, who participated in the Indian Cultural Awareness Club’s event Bombay in the Bay, said that although she was the only Chinese-American in her class dance, she felt included throughout the process.

“I think if you express an interest in your friends’ cultures, then they’ll be happy to share it with you,” Shen said. “You only have to ask.”