The College of Social Work and the Division of Occupational Therapy are offering a new class this semester on Utah’s changing racial makeup. Titled “Immigration and Resettlement: Interdisciplinary and Community Perspectives,” the class focuses on issues relating to cultural awareness around refugee and immigrant communities on the national and local levels.
The course, which has been offered as a summer seminar for the past few years, is an acknowledgement that Utah’s largely homogenous white population is changing. As one of the most Republican states in the union, Utah’s political philosophy regarding immigration is not what one might call progressive. Regardless, a 2006 USA Today article on Utah estimates the state’s growing Hispanic community will be 20 percent of the total state population by next year.
Since 2006, Utah has accepted 1,100 refugees from around the world per year, hailing from such countries as Iraq, Liberia, Nepal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania and Thailand, according to a press release announcing the course. The image conjures a utopian ideal: people of different ethnic groups living harmoniously in Salt Lake City8212;perhaps lunching at Café Rio with a nice view of the LDS Temple in the background. Unfortunately, cultural divides still permeate and a majority of new immigrants and refugees continue to build niches for themselves on Salt Lake City’s west side without adding their two cents in the debate about their new roles in their adopted state.
As the state changes, so does the U. With the introduction of diversity and international course requirements in the general education program, U officials recognize Utah’s changing demographics require an extra degree of knowledge for all students wishing to function harmoniously with their fellow Utahns. But when it comes to extracurricular campus activities, the majority of participants are still white. Forget the multicultural Café Rio paradise: Asian immigrants still stick to their own groups, passing by cliques of sorority girls from Sandy, who then shuffle against gaggles of Brazilian students on their way out of OSH. So much for the diversity class they took last semester.
Is it human nature to stick to cliques? Perhaps. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to embrace our common ground by getting to know someone who grew up in Delhi and not in Utah county. Although it can be intimidating to get involved, it’s crucial that student leadership and activities represent a fluid, ever-changing campus that includes a diverse array of students from a wide variety of experiences. Utah is changing, but it’s up to you to truly gain perspective.