A realistic portrayal of Hispanics is "racist", apparently
We read:
"At first, the ``South of the Border Party'' thrown by Santa Clara University students didn't strike freshman Nadine Rasch as offensive. It seemed a cool event with nachos, sombreros, mariachi music and salsa dancing. And this being a college party, some tequila and Mexican beer were to be expected if not approved by the select ``Jesuit university in Silicon Valley.''
But students came dressed as Latino janitors, gardeners, gangbangers and pregnant homegirls.
``I realized they're making fun of me, because my dad worked so hard so I could have these opportunities, and they're making fun of people for that,'' said Rasch, 18, a finance major from Guatemala, who did not attend the party. ``A lot of people have the idea that Mexicans or Latin Americans are all like that and that's wrong.''
Photographs taken at the private, off-campus party and splashed on Internet sites reveal a crude and narrow portrayal of Latino life. One student hammed it up before the camera with a stuffed balloon on her belly, under her blouse. Another posed for a close-up shot of her puckered mouth, thickly lipsticked and lined in black. One student wore a janitorial costume complete with the long rubber gloves commonly used to clean bathrooms.
Officially, President Paul Locatelli, administrators and faculty members condemned the party. Spokeswoman Deepa Arora said the school is investigating who organized and attended the party. While the college cannot ban off-campus parties, she said, Santa Clara has a code of conduct for all students, including those living off campus. Student leaders organized a protest march that was joined by 250 people. The campus has held meetings and plans a forum next week....
Meanwhile, a student writing in facebook.com said she attended the party and found it racially harmless."
Source
Some of the photos are here and there is an extended comment on the issues involved here
