The idea of race did not occur to me until college. As odd as that seems now, it’s true, at least in terms of how race is taught in universities. My parents were large supporters of complete color blindness, something leftists foolishly denounce. They taught me to judge people by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin, which, through the years, I did my best to accomplish.

I’ve already witnessed condescension toward this view in ethnic studies courses. The professors and TAs are convinced that the only reason I was indifferent to race was because obviously the “”people of color”” in my life were “”white-washed”” or selectively dissociating from their race.

It is frustrating to respond to this sort of ignorance, but necessary. My best friends in high school were Diaz and Suarez, from Colombia and Cuba, respectively, and both spoke only Spanish at home. Both were proud of their heritage. I understood their respective cultures were different, but it had nothing to do with skin color. If anything, I was jealous that they were bilingual, and I was not. I never placed them into racial categories, even subconsciously. And I certainly did not pick them as friends because I had some fabricated idea of racial quotas in my friend-selection process.

So it was only upon my arrival at UCSD that I was taught that race should be a deciding factor in my judgment of peers. From that moment, professors and counselors talked about the values of diversity but only offered clubs and activities for “”ethnic”” groups, which definitely do not include whites. It’s hard to “”fit in”” with slogans like that of MEChA: “”Por la raza, todo. Fuera de la raza, nada.”” (For “”the race,”” everything. For those outside the race, nothing.)

I realized that diversity was a crock according to the university’s standards. Diversity, which is supposed to supplement everyone’s education through interaction with different cultures, is actually manifested by pockets of self-serving students who stay with their ethnic group, show a lot of pride, and refuse to interact with other ethnic groups.

I greatly support the idea of diversity. In fact, few things are more rewarding in life than interacting with different cultures and languages. I quickly learned that this is not how UCSD college students function. First-year friends of mine, who were nearly all Indian, learned quickly that their true place was among other Indians, not with white folk ó or any other race for that matter. Their rejection of all other ethnic groups occurred in an astoundingly short number of weeks. While they represented a small number of students, their attitude was absolutely indicative of the larger problem.

Suddenly, it was clear that the practical application of diversity does not actually mean learning about other cultures. This is solidly verified by such atrocities as cultural graduations, wherein diversity has so run amok that we aren’t even supposed to graduate with other races. If this is not segregation, nothing is.

Despite the undeniable plight of minorities, it is truly a no-win situation for white students on campus. Anything with “”white”” in the title either has to be in the context of “”evil white men ruling the country”” or “”dead misogynist white men”” taught in humanities. There is no club or resource for “”white”” students because white is the only race that has no ethnicity.

And no matter what disclaimers are used, almost every class blames all the world’s problems on “”white men.”” “”White men”” has become a catch-all for bad guys, rich and slimy, exploiting the world. Whether or not this is true doesn’t matter. To be a white student sitting in class and hearing this mantra repeated ad nauseum imbues a sense of self-loathing which is hard to shake.

It doesn’t help that students even go so far as to spread racism themselves. It’s easy to mention The Koala, but at least they are self-proclaimed “”equal-opportunity”” racists. Much more sinister are examples like the New Indicator column stating that all white students are racist. There is also the ever-blatant and present racism of the Voz Fronteriza. These examples have been mentioned in this column before and will be repeated so that they may not be forgotten.

One response to this attack on the Voz was that, despite racist undertones against whites, historical precedence excuses these groups because they are minorities and have borne the brunt of more discrimination than whites ever have.

It is truly ironic knowing that the beacons of intelligence in our country excuse racism because of historical precedence. It is ironic to understand that white students will receive no help in times of racism, even if they have never had a racist thought in their life. A history of racism from one group does not eternally justify racism against innocents of that group now.

But in the end, there is no plea for a “”white”” club or “”white”” resource center. Certainly, there is no need for pity or even action to correct these petty injustices. It is only disheartening that many white students will learn that we must judge people based on the color of their skin. Don’t you know? It’s wrong to be blind to color! Or at least that’s what my professor said.

And somehow, by bad luck and a bit of “”historical precedence,”” white students have ended up on the wrong side. It is disheartening that homegrown ideas, such as judging people by the quality of their character, are so despised in the name of academia and fake diversity.

For me, the saddest day was the day I returned home to meet with my best friends from high school. Because of the constant indoctrination of racial quotas and segregation, I saw them not as my best friends, but as racial categories. Shame on me.