I arrived at Pepperdine less than five weeks ago. Since classes commenced I have had four published articles in The Graphic have copy-edited an entire monthly newspaper’s articles for an internship and have kept up with my reading (Great Books). Oh yeah and I have provoked a Pulitzer Prize winner to the level of fist-clenching anger. Pepperdine sure does throw its students right into things.
I had the privilege of interviewing the Los Angeles Times columnist novelist and aforementioned Pulitzer Prize winner Hector Tobar. Lesson No. 1 since arriving at Pepperdine: Do not be intimidated by titles.
Fliers throughout campus advertised “Hector Tobar speaks on immigration.” After what I thought was a thorough and adequate research of his writing I prepared a few questions aimed at— yes you guessed it — immigration.
Only three questions into the interview Tobar interrupted me with a rant on the ignorance of my questions beginning with a question of his own: “Is that what they teach you here [at Pepperdine]?” He then threw a blow to Pepperdine’s supposed lack of awareness. “Most people from this side of the city [Los Angeles] wouldn’t venture past La Cienega [a street that divides east and west Los Angeles] he accused. My personal favorite, though, is the
My parents are immigrants” affair which I’ll cover later.
I am embarrassed for him that he was compelled to make assumptions about a student body made up of thousands after just 15 minutes on campus of an institution he believed to be Jesuit until corrected.
I kindly combat his claim that Pepperdine needs a curriculum that further includes the history of minorities. Seaver College’s Western and Nonwestern culture requirements foreign language requirement strong international programs involving nearly 70 percent of sophomores and Inter-Cultural Affairs and all the clubs affiliated with it (ranging from Hawaii to the Middle East to Latino culture) all contribute to the university’s keen understanding of the importance of diversity. The university’s mission statement further stresses the importance of being a global citizen.
That’s what they teach us here at Pepperdine.
His second claim was that the residents of Malibu rarely venture past La Cienega an implicit way of calling us culturally unaware. I can’t speak for every individual but last week my friend and I bragged about our trip to Little Tokyo — getting stuck in traffic having dinner at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant and having a poor animal’s corpse flung at us by a stranger on the street. We loved every minute of it.
A couple of days later more than 1000 Pepperdine students took part in Step Forward Day participating in service projects throughout Los Angeles. My group distributed food and school supplies at Nickerson Gardens considered the biggest projects west of the Mississippi.
These types of service activities don’t just end after Step Forward Day. Student groups such as L.A. Mission and Midnight Mission work soup kitchens on Skid Row. Project Exodus strives to bust human trafficking rings in the city. Students involved in the Social Action and Justice Colloquium (SAAJ) pay regular visits to downtown L.A. to spread social awareness.
Of course on any given weekend you will find Pepperdine students also exploring all the available culture and nightlife of “that crazy city.” We venture. We definitely venture. Now for his final point which is particularly touchy. When I asked him to share his thoughts on illegal immigration he quite literally became furious. He began a heartfelt account of his family’s history immigrating to Los Angeles from Guatemala and all the difficulties and implications of that. But then I stopped him to mention that my parents are also immigrants from the Palestinian territories from Bethlehem. Awkward silence quickly ensued as he realized his mistake. I guess it didn’t register that some people to whom he preaches do have first-hand experiences with the same callous treatment and painful stereotypes. I guess it just didn’t occur to him that we’re not all ignorant of the plight that many immigrants face on a daily basis.
Irony: The person coming to speak of the dangers of ignorance turns out to cling to some stereotypes himself.
Lesson No. 2 since becoming a Wave: Ignorance is not only born of misinformation and stereotypes. It also stems from the self-righteousness to reject honest inquiry. What Tobar failed to realize is that not every question is inherently racist. Mine were not yet he used them as his vehicle and excuse to be defensive when no defense was necessary. This brings me to the final lesson I’ve learned since starting at Pepperdine. It occurred to me during my 3 a.m. walk to my dorm from the library that same night: Life does not wait until you’re ready.