MCC to Host Recruitment Weekend

By Matthew Rupel

The Multicultural Center is developing a recruitment weekend for Asian Pacific Islander American students similar to Noche Latina for admitted Latino students and Students of African Descent Invitational Experience.

The MCC recently held an open forum in an attempt to adjust the budget to put on an overnight recruitment for APIA students. It was decided that between $5,000-$6,000 of the center's resources would be reallocated from the MCC Beary event.

APIA students represent 15.6 percent of the student population, less than the Hispanic population, which has a recruitment night. The population of the Bay Area is 23.9 percent APIA according to the Bay Area Census.

"It's not indicative of the demographics within the bay area, which is extremely diverse," said Gustavo Magana, director of the MCC. "So if we want to look at the numbers and say, you know, we're a school that promotes diversity, or that wants a diverse student body, we need to go after those communities that are often forgotten."

Leandra Ebero, associate director of the MCC, said that it was surprising that there was not a larger APIA population at Santa Clara and that there is not the same recruitment effort as there is for the Pan-African and Latino communities.

Magana said that the MCC plans to submit a proposal so that admissions can absorb the recruitment night into next year's budget, and hopefully make it an annual event.

Magana and Ebero expressed concern that APIA students are subject to the "model minority myth."

"The model minority myth is a very problematic stereotype, that promotes the idea that Asian students are extremely well-off, in terms of intelligence," said Magana. This can create an atmosphere that does not support APIA students because there is an assumption that they don't need any support.

Having an APIA night is a major priority for the MCC. "We want equal treatment and support," said Magana. As the MCC Director, one of Magana's goals was to see such an event take place. Now that he's in office, he is making every effort to see their plans work out.

The recruitment weekend will be an overnight event on April 12-13. The MCC is planning for the event to be even larger than Noche Latina and SADIE that will increase diversity at Santa Clara.

Contact Matthew Rupel at mtrupel@scu.edu or call (408) 554 -4849. Danae Stahlnecker contributed to this report.