It is not common for people to confront their inner demons, break away from stereotypes, learn what it really means to be diverse and experience personal growth in one weekend. Last weekend 42 Cal State Long Beach students and faculty got to do just that.
 
It wasn’t just a free vacation up to Idyllwild Pines to do a little camping, but an intense agenda of development activities designed to tackle the problems of racism. Students were told immediately to not be afraid to lean into their discomfort zones. That advice proved valuable as the weekend climaxed into an honest confrontation of each ethnic group, revealing their stereotypes and discussing them with each other in groups as well as one on one.
 
Eight to ten students from ethnic groups including Asian and Pacific Islander, multi-ethnic, African American, Caucasian and Latinos gathered to explore their cultures as well as to experience other cultures. The tension in the room was obvious as people came face to face with posters developed by their surrounding peers that read: whites feel that they are superior, African Americans feel that something is owed to them, Asian and Pacific Islanders are very passive people, multi-ethnic people choose a race that is convenient at the time, and Latino women like to have big families.
 
Students were forced to confess to the stereotypes they had written, stand before those who challenged the stereotypes and discuss them face to face. There were tears, uncomfortable expressions, passion in their statements and humiliation as students tried to discuss the touchy subjects.
 
Other activities were done to lead up to the pivotal ethnic stereotype exercise. Participants were assigned to two different groups — their separate ethnic groups and their diverse dialogue groups. The summit community as a whole served as a final discussion group.
 
There was a continuous rotation from group to group doing one on one interviews, team building activities that included working together to move each group member through a string spider web without touching it and diversity exercises to see the similarities and differences between peers.
 
One activity that many people found difficult included being asked questions like “what you would consider the most and least important aspect of your life?” Students were asked to stand under signs such as religion, race, sexual orientation and family that applied personally for each question. Looking around the room, students later admitted that they were surprised to see how certain people answered the questions.
 
The goal for the weekend posted in the “community” cabin read: to promote dialogue and respect through the use of communication guidelines. Many students admitted to meeting that goal for themselves.
 
“I am learning to accept people and their differences,” a pre-business major, Erijane Bagsic said.
 
Others found the weekend a little overwhelming to process at the moment. “I have a lot to analyze. I don’t really know what I’m going to take from this until I get away from here,” a Chicano/Latino studies major, Morgana Rose said.
 
At meal times, students were encouraged to sit with people of different ethnic origin. The feeling of really becoming a melting pot was evident. Most everyone came to the camp with an open mind, some came out of curiosity and some came because they were offered extra credit in one of their classes, but each participant included in a final discussion that the event was an experience they wouldn’t forget.
 
Although many people put many hours of time into preparation for the summit, it was well worth it, according to summit co-director and psychologist on campus, Rosa Moreno-Alcaraz. “The impact was worth it. The trip was very successful because people were communicating. They were so committed, dynamic and intelligent and driven to heal wounds within their communities,” Moreno-Alcaraz said.
 
On the final day, participants filled out a personal action plan, which held them to the responsibilities of continuing to explore other cultures, to battle stereotypes and to share what they had learned with others. Tears, hugs and feelings of appreciation poured through the room as people prepared to head “back to the real world” that might not be so open minded. The group had formed a camaraderie that was indescribable and many said they would return again the next year.
 
Kristen Wooley is a journalism major at Cal State Long Beach.

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