According to statistics*, there are a total of 56,087 students, faculty, and staff at the NYU New York (NYUNY) campus. Of this number, the community breakdown by ethnicity is as follows:

American Indian-Alaskan Native: 0.2% of students, 0.27% of faculty and staff

Asian: 14.5% of students, 10.4% of faculty and staff

Black or African American: 4.8% of students, 10.4% of faculty and staff

Hispanic/Latino: 8.1% of students, 8.3% of faculty and staff

International: 18.6% of students, 5.7% of faculty and staff

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.1% of students, 0.1% of faculty and staff

Two or more races: 2.4% of students, 0.8% of faculty and staff

White: 38.5% of students, 56.5% of faculty and staff

NYU prides itself on its international students, and former President John Sexton has claimed that “diversity is indispensable to NYU’s pursuit of excellence.” To this end, students of color can often be seen on advertisements and admission posters, but what experiences do these students really have on campus? How exactly “diverse” is NYU, and what kind of social settings and experiences has this diversity created in and outside the classroom? OCA had the opportunity to ask a few students of color about their experience at NYU and in the local community. NYU Shanghai junior Sarabi Eventide, who studied at the New York campus in Fall 2015, commented on her experience at the Washington Square campus, “I guess I expected a little bit more diversity. NYU is always bragging about its international students, but the campus felt overwhelmingly white and Jewish. Tandon was an exception, everyone there was Indian or Chinese. The Islamic Center (IC) was mostly South Asian…I am a little spoiled by the diversity at NYU Shanghai I guess.” When asked about how she believes students of color are perceived, Eventide added, “As far as treatment goes, I didn’t have many problems with the NYU students and staff, but people in the neighborhood definitely treated me with blatant disgust. What’s worse - I expected them to do so. I’m so used to it that it hardly even phased me. I only had two horrifying discrimination-related experiences, and no one attempted to injure me. I consider that a success.” Holly Ajala, from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), stated: “Even at its best, as a place that offers once in a lifetime opportunities and access to privileged spaces, I think being a student of color at NYU can be a trying experience. Speaking personally, I know there are still several instances where either myself or some of my friends are the only black students in our class, and I’ve only had a small handful of professors who were people of color. It can feel like you are the only one speaking from that perspective and as a result, feel the burden of representing all black people or POC in the most general way possible.” NYU Shanghai junior Paula Velasquez, who hails from Peru, commented on the lack of effort towards including specific communities: “I don’t think I’ve faced racism on campus, but I have heard weird comments about being Latino which I do not identify as. Personally, I think latino is a term Americans use to describe someone with South America, Central American or Mexican heritage; I prefer use nationality rather than race or ethnicity as those don’t always correlate. Also, when international activities occur, I don’t think there is much emphasis on South American culture.” While the issue of being a minority in the NYU population can be proved by statistics, the problem of racial discrimination and stereotypes against students of color on campus has been brought to light by several initiatives such as the “I, too, Am NYU” project. In December 2015, the creation of the Ad Hoc Advisory Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion was approved by the University Senate. The aim of this task force is to further NYU’s efforts to create an environment of inclusion for its diverse campus. While the committee began producing preliminary progress reports in April 2016, they will begin meeting monthly only in Spring 2017. NYU Shanghai junior Rewant Prakash believes NYU strives for a more inclusive environment on campus, listing several clubs, organizations and societies that students can turn to for a support system. A few of these organizations include the Black Students’ Union (BSU), the Association for Indian Cultural Exchange (ICE), and the Asian Cultural Union (ACU). “I think it is unfair to say that different minorities do not have representation on campus. Being a brown student at NYU, I have always felt rather comfortable and have never experienced racism,” Prakash added. For other students on campus, the discomfort lies in NYC rather than at the NYU campus. Xiaoyu He, a graduate student at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, commented, “NYC is another issue. At NYU however, I often see people from different countries and cultures gathered together. They may dress differently and eat different food, but they all respect each other.” The Center for Multicultural Education and Programs (CMEP) at NYU is an NYU department dedicated to producing educational initiatives on campus that promote ideas of diversity and social justice. Through collaborations with several clubs, organizations and departments on campus, the CMEP aims to “make an institutional impact in enhancing intercultural awareness” and to offer “compelling ways to explore the complex intersection of race, gender, religion, socio-economic class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, national origin, and other aspects of identity in our daily lives.” The CMEP, along with NYU’s Division of Student Affairs, also partners with clubs on campus to host Cultural Graduation Ceremonies at the end of every year, such as the Black Graduation ceremony, Latin@ Graduation ceremony, and the Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American (APIDA) Graduation Ceremony. On NYU’s efforts towards a more inclusive community, Ajala added, “I don’t think the university has gotten to the place where students of color really feel validated and an integral part of the university’s vision. At the same time, one can find safe and affirming spaces here and there on campus; the Leadership Initiative hosts important conversations and events along with CMEP and various other departments and student/faculty groups that prioritize diverse perspectives and experiences. There is also a lively and dedicated community of student activists who constantly push the administration to enact more inclusive and responsible policies. So there is potential here, it’s a matter of somehow taking those safe spaces and productive conversations, applying them to the university at large and then holding the university and our community responsible.” Eventide, on the other hand, commented: “I definitely think NYU needs to do more. People of color are educated as well, why don’t I see more people who look like me in the classroom? Why do all the people of color disappear after Welcome Week? I’m glad CMEP is getting more funding, but it feels like too little too late.” *All statistics have been obtained through the official NYU website on Diversity at NYU.This article was written by Lathika Chandra Mouli. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Lathika Chandra Mouli