BY PRERNA CHAUDHARY ’22
Due to the perception that many Asian-Americans have achieved conventional forms of success, like attending highly ranked colleges and having a high income compared to the national average, thus achieving the “American Dream,” they are often stereotyped to be the “model minority” of the United States.
BY PRERNA CHAUDHARY ’22
I first saw South Asian American political commentator and comedian Hasan Minhaj on “The Daily Show” as a senior correspondent in 2014. He introduced himself then as “has-AHN min-AJ.” When he said his name on his own Net ix special, “Hasan Min- haj: Homecoming King,” he pronounced it “HUS-un.” Now, four years later, when I watch his Net ix show, “Patriot Act,” he says “I’m HUS-un meen-AAJ,” which is the actual pronunciation of his name.
On the list titled “2019 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” by U.S. News, Mount Holyoke College ranks at No. 30. Niche ranked it at No. 33, and Forbes said it was No. 49. Why does our college ranking vary so widely on different lists? Different rankings are based on different criteria, and between the lists, the same criteria is weighted differently. While some ranking systems measure “reputation, resources and selectivity,” others measure “student satisfaction” and “post graduate success.” There is little agreement or standardization between the lists that far too many young students use to determine their future schools.
BY PRERNA CHAUDHARY ’22
When Mount Holyoke College was founded, one of the institution’s goals was to create a place where women would remain “pure,” drawing from Mary Lyon’s strictly Christian values. The student body was mostly homogeneous in the beginning, predominantly made up of cisgender white women who came from evangelical families.
BY PRERNA CHAUDHARY ’22
I began to think critically about the role of race in friendship during my firstyear seminar, The Meaning of Friendship. Our Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students, Marcella Runell Hall, is the professor for this class. We learned about social identities, which are the groups a person identifies with that shape their daily experiences. In Hall’s book, “UnCommon Bonds,” women of various social identities tell stories about friendships that bridge various social divides. Professor Sonia Nieto from UMass Amherst wrote that it is “not easy” to be friends with people different than you.