Racist Announcement: Univ. of Houston: India studies program

[Guest guest]

The message below, purportedly announcing a University of Houston "India

Studies Program", is transparently and inherently racist.

 

The University's web site contains the following: "The University of

Houston, located in the nation's fourth largest city, is a public, urban

institution of higher education chartered by the State of Texas." As such,

as a public institution of higher learning, the message's statements

 

1. announcing a "reception for the community at the University Center" that

is "open to all members of the Indian community [sic]"; and

 

2. singling the newly announced program to be "crucial to the future Indian

generations in Houston"

 

are racist, exclusionary and offensive.

 

While a program may be of particular and especial interest to any group, a

public, state-financed institution can not and must not cater to and target

specific groups, here "the Indian community", either as invitees to its

"reception" or as beneficiaries of its largesse and energies.

 

Melvyn Bernstein

 

At 20:25 4/22/2006 +0000, you wrote:

>Message: 4

> Wed, 19 Apr 2006 11:02:52 -0400

> "S. Kalyanaraman" <kalyan97

>Univ. of Houston: India studies program

>

>The University of Houston will be starting a new

>program on India Studies at their Central Campus in

>the college of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences under

>the leadership of Prof. Dr. John Antel. This program

>which is spearheaded by the Foundation for India

>Studies (FIS) will be crucial to the future Indian

>generations in Houston. In the first phase, two

>courses will be offered this fall. In the second

>phase, a full fledged Department of India Studies will

>offer courses in other India related subjects. In the

>third and final phase, an Endowed Chair will be

>established to lead research on India in various

>fields. This is a community driven, University

>executed project which is estimated to cost about $3

>Million.

>

>The Department of International Studies at the

>university is organizing a reception for the community

>at the University Center to formally announce the

>program. The reception will be held at 8.00PM on

>Friday, 21st April at the University Center. It is

>open to all members of the Indian community. Please

>come and support this legacy project. Chau dancers

>(tribals) from the West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orrisa

>regions will entertain you, courtesy of Govt. of

>India. Seating will start at 7.30PM on first come

>first served basis. For directions : 713-743-0600 and

>parking : 713-743-5849

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

  I don't see any racism or exclusivity. It says "open to all members of the

Indian community" not "open to all members of the Indian community AND

closed to all others". It's just that statistically the largest group that

will most likely attend are desis. However, anyone whos interested may

attend. We won't nail them to stakes and burn them alive, honest .

 

[Moderator's note: this message has been edited by the moderator. This should be the last comment on this thread ("Racist Announcement"). I regret that the first message of the thread was posted to the list, since it does not concern the academic study of India per se (but the details of an announcement concerning a program in the academic [one hopes] study of India). Steps have been taken to prevent this happening again. Thanks for your understanding.]

 

 

 

 

 

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