Latino Center editorial was ignorant and misinformed

TO THE EDITOR:

The most troubling aspect of the incredibly biased and borderline ignorant editorial regarding the Latina/o center at UNC (Mono-cultural center" March 22) is the slew of misinformation that it provides.

The task force has never suggested the construction of any buildings on campus whatsoever. Quite the contrary, from the beginning, we have worked under the assumption that we will maximize existing University resources by combining efforts and searching for under-utilized space.

The need for a center comes not from just the growing Latina/o population, but from a growing interest in Latina/o issues, language, culture and advocacy.

Overcrowded Spanish language courses, numerous student organizations dedicated to Latina/o outreach and the first Latina/o Studies minor in the Southeast all contribute to this need, as does the immense amount of research surrounding Latina/o health issues currently in the schools of medicine and public health. Our aim is to unite the campus by inviting both Latina/os and non-Latina/os to learn more about these issues.

To say that efforts like the Sonja Haynes Stone Center and this prospective Latina/o Center segregate"" the campus is to ignore the already divided history and current state of the University" including the lack of diversity on your very own editorial board.

The lack of understanding about diversity aptly demonstrated in your editorial on this campus is exactly the reason why such individual centers are essential to the University and its students.

A survey asking for feedback on the prospect of a Latina/o center has yielded 99 percent positive responses. Please visit www.unc.edu/ecc to leave your own individual thoughts.


Ronald Bilbao

Junior

Task Force on Promoting Emerging Campus Communities