When he decided to join Delta Upsilon (DU) in the spring of his freshman year, junior Harry Pierre was excited about getting to know his football friends off the field. Before pledging began, he had one major concern: binge drinking. "I had known people in fraternities who had died of alcohol poisoning," he said.
His race didn't come into play until he began pledging, when he became more aware of his identity within the fraternity. "I know I'm the only black guy in DU, and I know I'm the only black guy living in the house," he said.
When Pierre examines the photos of brothers, past and present, hanging on the walls of DU, white faces stare back at him. He's pored over old photos and asked other brothers the name of the last black member of the fraternity, but no one seems to know. "I might have missed a year," he said hopefully, recapping the in-depth search.
Because so few blacks joined the frat, Pierre says that some of the older brothers took note of his race while he was pledging. "They asked me how it feels to be the only black guy in the house. I think they wanted to know how I was doing and how I felt, stuff like that," he said. Despite this line of questioning - and what could be construed as "singling out" - he says he never felt like a token. "It didn't make me feel like [they] were saying, 'We need a black person, so let's get Harry to do it.' I wanted to do it."
In retrospect, Pierre is glad that his friends broached the subject. "It made me feel good that somebody was thinking about it," he said, recalling that he initially avoided the topic of race. "I didn't think it was important to pledging. I didn't think any of them would take my race as an issue," he said, adding that he has heard few offensive comments about race in his three years here. "The guys I am living with right now are not racist," he said. That doesn't mean, however, that they don't crack an offensive joke or two every once in a while.
"Sometimes I have to set some of them straight when they make jokes about Mexicans or Chinese. Sometimes you have to say, 'All right, guys, that's not funny.' But, sometimes I laugh too."
While concrete statistics are not readily available, a quick look at the racial composition of fraternities and sororities at Tufts reveals that the number of minorities in the Greek system is relatively small. Many Greeks themselves perceive that there are fewer minorities within the system than on the campus at large. While some Greeks, minority or otherwise, note that there may be a low number of minorities in the Greek system, many don't view this as a problem, and report that very little is being done to raise the numbers of minorities.
In fact, although certain minority Greek students can easily rattle off a list of fellow students of color in Tufts' fraternities and sororities, some white students in the system say the issue simply doesn't come up. Instead of using race as a measure of diversity, some fraternity brothers and sorority sisters say they utilize other standards.
Mark Tang, a junior in Theta Chi, says he didn't pay too much attention to his Chinese background until he came to school. While he always spoke Chinese with his parents, he was simply considered "one of the townies" in predominately white and Jewish Sharon, Mass.
"When I got [to college], I would look around the room and realize that I was the lone Asian. College makes you think of where you fit," he said. "It seems like a common thing [to think about this], but we don't really talk about difference, we just deal with it."
Tang says that he grapples with issues of identity on from time to time. How can he find a happy medium between being what he calls a "hardcore" Asian and a "whitewashed" Asian?
"I think that we are all in many ways whitewashed. I don't profess that I'm 100 percent Chinese, [and] I'm not going to say that I'm whitewashed, but I'm also not going to say that I've lost touch with my culture.... I can't change my skin tone, my eye color."
Being the odd man out in his classes is a familiar situation for Pierre, as well. While he doesn't often consider race in the context of his fraternity life, he sometimes finds himself thinking about it outside DU's walls. "Usually, I'm the only black person in my classes, so I notice that."
But unlike Tang, Pierre doesn't feel like he's caught between two identity extremes. He's gotten used to being one of few black students and DU boys - except for one brother who he describes as "half white, half black."
Although he accepts his status as the sole black in DU, he's looking to encourage other black students to rush. "I wanted to pledge so that other black guys would see me living in the house, and [then] they wouldn't be scared to enter DU... and they would be like, 'These guys aren't racist, they like Harry.'"
Though Pierre seems optimistic that his solo mission to change the Greek system will be successful, to an outsider his experiences might suggest otherwise. Though Pierre says that he didn't get any "sh-t" from his black friends for joining, he doesn't rule out the possibility of this happening in the future. "Most of my friends don't know I live there," he said, drawing a distinction between being a member of DU and actually living in the house. This could eventually prove subtly problematic, he says, but there would never be a situation where he would face open criticism.
"Nobody would ever say it directly to my face," he said. "Nobody's ever said I shouldn't be in DU because I'm black."
Diversity of all kinds in the Greek system
Senior David Hartnagel, former president of Alpha Phi Delta (APD), is quick to say that his fraternity lacks racial and ethnic diversity. He explains that the racial makeup of APD, which he says had three Asian Americans and two Indian Americans two years ago, and now has one Asian out of the 16 total brothers, just sort of happened.
"We have a lot of Jews. We're good on the Jews," he says, laughing. The people who join the frat, Hartnagel explains, come because they know brothers in the organization. "It's rare that a random person will show up."
Though Hartnagel can't pinpoint the cause of the racial and ethnic homogeneity in the frat, he insists that the group is geographically and economically diverse.
Junior Adrian Baschuk, rush chair of Delta Tau Delta (DTD) and a self-described "American of Mexican descent," agrees with Hartnagel. There are 13 different countries represented and six different languages spoken in the house, he boasts. "All parts of the world are represented, it's an incredible group of guys. Our house prides ourselves on diversity."
Junior Krista Linstroth, vice president of Chi Omega, also touts her sorority's diversity. "The house is predominately white and European Americans, but there is a great and strong representation of different ethnicities such as Asian or Indian."
Although Linstroth acknowledges that people may perceive the system as bereft of minorities, she is quick to note that numbers aren't all that matters.
"I don't think it's how many different ethnicities we include, it's what role they take and how they're treated and what position they hold," said Linstroth, who is white. "A sisterhood is devoted to its traditions, regardless of who's in it," she explains, describing Chi Omega's fundamental tenets.
Because she believes that all women in the Pan-Hellenic Council feel welcome and receive equal treatment, Linstroth says that fostering increased diversity is not a priority. "People wouldn't want to see people in the dining halls soliciting minorities. It's not realistic and probably not wanted," she said.
While she reports that members of her sorority embrace other cultural backgrounds by organizing outings to restaurants that serve foreign cuisine, there is no real interest in promoting diversity. "Sisters in general at dinner don't talk about or come up with problems and concerns," she said.
Part of the issue, according to Linstroth, may lie with the limited scope of the rush process.
"This year there's a lot of effort going into rush... and expanding the number of rushees to include a much larger and diverse group of people." Even with this extra push for a larger rushing pool, however, she doesn't envisage any imminent demographic shift. "I'm almost negative on getting a really strong diverse group of rushees."
Members of other Greek organizations echo Linstroth's observations about the lack of racial diversity within the system. Junior Andrew Markus, a white brother in Theta Delta Chi - more commonly known as 123 - calls race a "non-issue."
Senior Maya Rom, a member of Alpha Phi, says that diversity didn't factor into her decision to rush her freshman year. "I guess I really don't think about that stuff. I just thought, this is a nice group of girls [and] everyone's different in their own way." According to Rom, most of the women in her sorority share her opinion. "We don't really work on [promoting diversity]. We just want a lot of nice fun girls who want to have a good time."
Senior Sam Schwartz, a member of Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi), whose national chapter classifies itself as a Jewish fraternity, thinks some members of the Greek community, primarily white students, don't pay much attention to the disproportionate numbers because they are not generally concerned with issues of race. "The way our society is, I think minorities think a lot more about race, and whites don't, so we don't see the way the racial dynamics work because we're in the majority."
What's the real issue?
Though she rarely considers the issue, Rom perceives a waning minority representation in Alpha Phi. "Lately, the diversity has kind of left our group because there [aren't] diverse people that come to rush," she says, echoing Linstroth's sentiments.
"Am I embarrassed by [the lack of racial diversity]? I don't know, should I be?"
Searching to explain the small number of minorities in her sorority, Rom puts forward a number of theories. Stereotypes about sororities, she says, could serve as a potential deterrent. "I'm sure that we're not exactly perceived as the most welcoming.... It's hard to work against a bad image."
Tang also noted ingrained stereotypes, which he feels cast a shadow on the Greek system as a whole. "Historically, [we think] of white, rich frat boys, but now they have Asian fraternities and cultural fraternities. The whole frat system isn't what it used to be."
Pierre says that there could be any number of reasons why blacks and other minorities don't rush DU. "Maybe it's a personal issue, maybe they think all we do is drink, maybe they look at [our] fraternity and they see that it's a football fraternity. There's a ton of factors."
Rom, who describes herself as a white Jew, feels that this lack of diversity is a problem that pervades the Tufts community, not just the Greek system. "Our school is not diverse... so you don't see diversity within the Greek system."
Markus agrees, saying that statistically fraternities are a microcosm of campus as a whole. "I think that the frats are a pretty representative sample of the student body."
But those who do think the Greek system lacks diversity are divided over how to deal with the issue. Schwartz doesn't think that increasing the number of rushees - Linstroth's suggestion - is the solution. Rather, he agrees with Rom and Markus that Tufts' school-wide lack of diversity needs to be addressed on a much grander scale. "I don't think that the answer is to integrate the Greek system, I think the answer is that Tufts needs to work on this issue."
Looking at the Tufts community at large, Rom says that many of the school's factions are rooted in the strength of the culture groups and houses. "When you first come to college, you go to the thing you can identify with. I am a white Jew, so I went to Hillel." While programs and organizations that bring together people of similar racial or ethnic backgrounds can be beneficial, she says they can also create greater division.
Schwartz has also noticed this phenomenon. "I just think that white people don't think to go to the Start House. People get caught up in their own bubbles. If you are a minority student and you don't see someone who looks like you, you don't feel as comfortable.... Having group solidarity is really important."
Linstroth recalled a situation at Chi Omega that crystallized for her the importance some place on ethnic and racial bonds. A couple of years ago, she recounts, an Indian girl's parents objected to her joining the sorority because they felt that there were not enough Indian sisters. It took coaxing from the sorority's president at the time, who was of Indian descent, to show the student's parents that she would be surrounded by other Indians.
Understanding identity
College is a time when many students explore their identity, facets of which may center around their ethnic background. "It's great that people can come to college and reconnect and be friends with people of their ethnic background," Tang said.
To Schwartz, embracing an ethnic identity is important to a person's development. "I think you need to cultivate [and] deal with broader interests also. I can be Jewish Sam, or white Sam," he said. Senior Robyn Herzog, an Alpha Omicron Pi (AOPi) sister, is quite familiar with exploring her many identities. Herzog is African American, Native American, White, Jewish, Polish, German, and Christian - a self-described "mutt." She is one of the only AOPi sisters who looks "black," though she is not as conscious of her uniqueness as is Pierre in the DU setting.
When Herzog joined her sorority, she didn't really give much thought to race. Though she had been bombarded by e-mails from historically black sororities encouraging her to join, she declined the offers. She liked the AOPi sisters she knew, and was certain that it would be a good fit for her. "If I feel that there's a lot of close bonds, same interests, same classes, if there are a lot of themes in common, then I'm not [going to] say that if I'm black or a minority that I won't be a part [of an organization.]"
Despite her nonchalant attitude, she acknowledges the diversity in AOPi. "There's a range of diversity - quite a few Asians [and] there's another half-black, half-white like myself. You can tell that there's a significant mix of people," she said.
For Herzog, who grew up with a diverse group of friends, this atmosphere is nothing new. "Because I'm used to having friends from diverse backgrounds... things such as race or ethnicity didn't play a role in my decision to join."
Although she does not often consider race, Herzog has occasionally been confronted with the topic. As in Pierre's case, girls in her sorority are often more sensitive to the issue than Herzog herself. Herzog remembers a function when her sisters had to set her up on a date. "When I first joined, the assumption was that I'd be set up with a black guy because I'd probably feel more comfortable."
Like Pierre, Herzog wasn't put off by her sisters' focus on race. "It didn't make me feel bad because I know that they were trying to do it in my best interests. It wasn't intentionally done to insult me or to state that I should be with a certain race."
Reminiscing, she finds it humorous that they put so much thought into the matter. However, she does believe that the incident was indicative of the way people perceive race.
"A lot of people don't learn about other races and ethnicities until they hit college," she said, adding that it is this naivet?© and possibly ignorance that causes people to prejudge. "When I'm viewed by some people, I may be viewed as being black and then there maybe assumptions made of me based on the race they perceive me to be."
She admits that it's sometimes hard to go to fraternity parties. Guys generally do not see her the same way they see "white-looking" sorority girls. "I can meet a guy and I can have the same interests as him, but he may not make as much of an attempt to get to know me better... [because] he may already have a preconceived notion of who I am based on my race."
Though this is hurtful at times, Herzog knows it's not done with ill intent. "I don't believe people do it in a hurtful manner. It just may be that they do not have as much of an open mind about a person when they give them a label."
Herzog, like some other members of the Tufts Greek system, sees this issue as one that should first be resolved outside the doors of frat and sorority houses - within people's own minds.
She speaks about progress in the area of race relations, saying that while they've improved, there is still plenty to be done - people just need to open their minds. "Don't make assumptions about people based on their religion, based on their race, based on anything. You really have to get to know them."
