<p>Congratulations all for being admitted to the UCLA Class of 2013. I'm a fellow admit myself and I decided to start this group really for us to get connected before we head to UCLA Black Admit Week April 16th- 19th.</p>
<p>With the low number of black admits at UCLA and the rumor of UCLA not being a suitable college for the yonung prosperous African-American, we must defy all false conceptions and really focus on promoting a strong black cultural enrichment at UCLA in the next coming years.</p>
<p>I hope all are you guys are planning to attend. Lets start to communicate. Build and embrace our culture.</p>
<p>seriously though? that is not even needed. It’s just an oppurtunity for African-Americans to feel comfortanle with the school and really get them to come because being only 3% of the school’s population, it could be hard to fit in. i think your comments are really rude and not needed.</p>
<p>This is where I stand in High School currently. I am an African American in Phoenix, Arizona. When I was a Freshman, I hung around with all of the other black students, but later I found out that I shouldn’t pick and choose my friends based on the colors of their skin. Sophomore year, I met some of friends who I consider to be my best friends right now. Most of them are white. Many of them are asian. It wasn’t really hard for me to accept that I was the only black individual in Honors/AP classes. Sure, it may be awkward at times, but that’s just the way it is. I learn that it’s best to find a way to integrate without dealing with the color of our skin, because if we do consider things like that, factions will emerge and eventually separation will just be apparent. I’m not saying that I have no sympathy for the Black community. It’s just that I have a primary focus in life that deals with Biochemistry/Acting. If I wanted to deal with ethnic integration, I would’ve done something that would lead me to the NAACP.</p>
<p>@psycheycho: Why feel awkward? You get a day off from school…rofl</p>
<p>I just want to the have the best time at UCLA as I can regardless what kind of ethnicity I come across.</p>
<p>I’m half black, and grew up surrounded by diversity, until I moved to my current town in the 8th grade, where it’s 65% white and 35% asian. I had a bit of an identity crisis over not seeing anyone like me, and feeling like an outsider I tried to singlehandedly compensate for the lack of blacks in my school. Over time, I came to see that it was ridiculous that we separate races: black history month, hispanic heritage month, etc. In my opinion, they only serve to cause more division among different races. I understand the need to be around people who look like you, and that accidental ignorant remarks are often made, so it’s nice to have a friend with your point of view, but grouping everyone of one race together doesn’t sound like it’s going to achieve the goal of race ‘blindness’. I’ve gotten along fine without anything like that, and have white, asian, black, hispanic, and middle eastern friends. It’s just my belief that multiculturalism is the way to go, and special groups don’t contribute to that.</p>
<p>Definitly true Lasko. For the past three years, I also have been the only African- American in all my ap classes. Agreeing with Lasko, most of my friends are white and asian because that is the type of surrounding I am in. In class, I forget my color but yet there are definitly times where I am in class and I cannot connect and I wish I would have another African-American classmate or even teacher to discuss a certain situation with because they might understand what I’m going through. Now one may argue that I should have went to an HBCU If wanted that type of attention. No. My point is UCLA is a wonderful campus. Diverse. Every state in the nation. Over a 100 countries. I’m totally looking forward to meeting new and different pple and yet at the same time pple who are ethnically from my background and have the same goals as me. I’m a rags to riches story. I have had five friends murdered in gang violence. The reason of the UCLA black admit week is to make us feel comfortable and to connect with students just like us. My whole hs career, I never had a black teacher or a fellow black peer who shares my same goals academically. I’m excited for this oppurtunity. Building confidence in the enrichment of my own community will allow me to be comfortable so I can therefore embrace that same confidence with all my peers despite their skin color. This is definitly an oppurtunity of a lifetime. I’ve been accepted but I want to really be accepted. Ya feel me?</p>
<p>Congratulations to everyone that got into UCLA. Being a minority myself (Puerto Rican/Black) I was elated when I got into UCLA back in '96, so I know where you’re coming from. It’s definitely great to see UCLA making a concerted effort to admit highly qualified minorities to add to the diverse campus that is UCLA. Embrace the opportunity and relish the journey that has now been afforded to you.</p>
<p>thats really sad westerndad. I’m ashamed by the comments here on cc. thats really shameful. this is 2009. im truly hurt. this is ridiculus. Im the first person in my family to go to college. Nobody ever thought I would make it. I get excited about a program that is there to make my stay at ucla more comfortable and i get rude comments like that. and you’re a father to someone. it sad that you may be teaching your ignorance to someone else.</p>
<p>njl615. this has nothing to do with admissions ok. the afrikan student union put this together. these are students organizing this. if the business group wanted to have a week for business majors to check out the oppurtunities there before they admit, it would be the same thing. it happens to be that blacks at ucla is only 3% only about 230 blacks enrolled last year. the program is encouraging black to come. thats all. relax. seriously.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, we still aren’t all equal. So usc2013 has every right to express pride in his own race, and UCLA has every right to hold sessions for underrepresented minorities to help them better understand the entire college process, specifically that at UCLA.</p>
<p>This is so stupid. “Black admit week?” Give me a damn break. This country will not progress further in eliminating the race “divide” until this type of thinking is eliminated. All people are equal, there is no need to have special welcomes for certain races.</p>
<p>My comment was neither shameful, rude, or ignorant. It was a comment on how ridiculous race awareness has become. It was a comment on the self-segregation that goes on in universities. </p>
<p>My son has had courses at UCLA in which he has been just about the only white student in class. Rather than being defensive or agitated about this, he merely finds it amusing. He does not feel a need to find a race-based group, or a race-based activity, for support. He does, however, work his tail off.</p>
Sounds like a heated debate … but I would agree with this. The admit day is for the group of students who have made it very far to attend college. If you didn’t grow up in the inner city, then you wouldn’t understand what you have to go through and how much education is valued there. Being admitted to a college, particularly UCLA, is an accomplishment and sign of upward bound.</p>
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I think it’s a different experience. Growing up in tough conditions, family with no money, growing up in a neighborhood violence, staying away from trouble, battling the lack of concern of inner city teacher, learning on your own, holding multiple jobs to support the family … I think these outweigh the uncomfortable situation of being the only white student in the class.</p>
<p>Yes, I would agree with you that working hard would be the key to success.
But As usc 2013 said,
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<p>The admit day is not all about celebrating the admission and relying on this kind of support to do well … but it’s just to encourage people from the area to follow the path and pursue education.</p>