Town hall to address American identity
Panelists, audience to examine class, culture, ethnicity
By Phillip Carter
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Moore 100 will play host to a town hall discussion titled "The
American Identity" Wednesday at 7 p.m., with panelists discussing
issues including the aftermath of Proposition 187 and the meaning
of being an American, among others.
Warren Olney, host of KCRW’s "Which Way L.A.?," will moderate
the interaction among the seven panelists, which include UCLA
professors Sondra Hale and Richard Yarborough. Other community
representatives in attendance will include J. Craig Fong from the
Lambda Legal Defense Fund, and Miya Iwataki, who served as
statewide co-chair for Californians United Against Prop. 187.
Sponsored by the Daily Bruin, the event is being touted by
organizers as the first in a series of discussions about topics
which besiege the UCLA community.
"We felt the American identity was a really pressing issue for
our community, especially for our generation," said Matea Gold, the
Daily Bruin’s editor in chief. "(This issue) is the foundation for
a lot of other issues facing us right now, and there has never
really been a dialogue on it."
Olney, whose daily radio show often addresses topics like the
American identity, said more thought should be given to the
problems which come about because of different cultures’
interaction.
"Not enough attention is paid to the extraordinary diversity of
our neighborhood," he said. This type of discussion, he continued,
"is particularly appropriate at a place like UCLA where there’s a
lot of young people who can see and be exposed to this interaction
 the most important lesson in life is learning to live
together."
Some students said that the idea of a singular American identity
has become outdated.
"I don’t think there is one (American identity), that term is
too vague," said Elizabeth Frank, a second-year history major. "We
have too many cultures in our society to be able to clearly define
what an American is."
Another student said this diversity results in a stumbling block
for society, because individuals don’t communicate with each other
enough. Third-year chemistry and English student Heather McCarty
said that open discussions can help heal the rifts which grow
between groups in society.
"Diverse individuals are trying to assimilate, but instead of
assimilating and peacefully coexisting  they’re spending all
of their time fighting each other," she said.
The notion of a diverse society caused one student to comment
that America had become a salad bowl, instead of a melting pot.
"A melting pot assumes we have to be the same thing  it’s
where we mix together into one thing," said Omar Ezzeldine, a
second-year physiological sciences student. To rid the animosity
among races, Ezzeldine said that society must "eliminate ignorance,
and instead of listening to the media’s stereotypes, learn about
different people."
Gold added that she did not want the event to be one where the
participants left with the same feelings they came with. Instead,
she said this town hall meeting should be an interactive
environment where new ideas can be put forth.
"At best, we’d like to get a really productive conversation with
members of the community about issues that they don’t really talk
about," she said. "We’re hoping that people sit there and listen to
each other and perspectives that they really haven’t heard
before."
While admission is free, tickets are available at the Daily
Bruin offices in Kerckhoff 225.