Opinion | Segregation Disappoints at UWM

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Milwaukee is one of the most segregated cities in America. Yet, the most diverse campus in the UW-system is UW-Milwaukee. It would be irrational to think that this division does not bleed onto the campus. I was born in India and partly raised in England before moving to America. All changes allowed me to distinguish between racial tension and racial peace.

Through the nine years of living in England, I never experienced racial tension at any educational level. Most of my friends were white, and the rest were Asian and black. I still stay in contact with them. The friendship groups around me were alike because, skin color was not an issue.

As I moved to America and finally enrolled at UWM, I didn’t expect any changes on the topic of race. I thought I’d make friends with ease, and of all kind. I noticed the diversity and grinned with joy. I tried to converse with other students, and they were rarely interested. I thought wrong.

The black people only resided with black people. The Asians only resided with Asians. The white people only resided with white people. The Arabians only resided with the Arabians and what not. That was when I began to observe the segregation of the diversity. It was unsettling. I thought, this is happening in America? It’s more diverse than England. Then I discovered that diversity does not equal desegregation.

Racial tension at UWM may not be direct. It clears up when your class peers of other races won’t associate with you outside of class. Are they scared of change? Do they presume that I’m too different? I guarantee by being at the same age as most students, there are interests we will have in common.

With that said, it is not difficult to be a minority at UWM. The campus accommodates a variety of centers for all cultures imaginable. All are welcoming to everyone. The centers maintain a diverse environment and one’s feeling of belonging to their culture. It would still be worthy to step out of the shell that is your culture, as one day it may lead to greater experiences.