The Student Room Group
Original post by Quin87
Has anyone seen this?

http://www.buzzfeed.com/robinedds/students-of-colour-share-their-experiences-of-life-at-oxf?s=mobile

65 students from oxford have done something similar to what was done at Harvard, and spoken out via photos about the problems they have at oxford university about being a student of colour and in the minority.

Would this put you off applying there? Do you think the university needs to change their policies? Are there other (UK) universities where this is also a significant problem?


Posted from TSR Mobile


Yeah, some friends linked me this yesterday. We all think it's a bit of a joke really; there's really no 'problems being a student of colour and in the minority' at Cambridge (I doubt Oxford is any different). This is just a handful of hypersensitive types trying to create an issue where one doesn't exist.

So, given that it's a joke, I'm going to go ahead and nominate my top 3 funniest pics:

3) 58 (incidentally, this is something South Asians say to each other all the time)
2) 31

And way ahead of the pack: 26 had me in stitches.
Reply 2
Original post by ClickItBack
Yeah, some friends linked me this yesterday. We all think it's a bit of a joke really; there's really no 'problems being a student of colour and in the minority' at Cambridge (I doubt Oxford is any different). This is just a handful of hypersensitive types trying to create an issue where one doesn't exist.

So, given that it's a joke, I'm going to go ahead and nominate my top 3 funniest pics:

3) 58 (incidentally, this is something South Asians say to each other all the time)
2) 31

And way ahead of the pack: 26 had me in stitches.


58 is funny!

I actually think you'd have to be seriously thick to ask/say most of those things on those boards. 57 isn't uncommon though, but for any country/race. For example the amount of times I've been in America and said I live in the UK and someone has said to me "oh you may know my cousin then, he lives in Manchester" and I'm like um no!


Posted from TSR Mobile
Pretty much all of those I have experienced as a Scottish person in England. People need to learn the difference between racial stereotypes and national stereotypes. Making a joke about Nigerians or Chinese people is not necessarily racist just because the inhabitants of those countries happen to be black and East Asian.
Some of these sound really stupid

23. 'If you don't ''see race'', how come we don't see that in admissions statistics'

Erm, what? There's a higher percentage of blacks in Oxford than in the country, so what you're saying is it has to match therefore kick some blacks out? What a moron.

I lol'd at 57 because my step-grandad is from Kenya and is white and it was clear the implication is that we think they're good for nothing but servant and childcare jobs.

39. Obvious foreigner is obvious by use of the 'oreo' reference.

Also coloured is still used? Wow that's totally not racist and hypocritical at all.
(edited 10 years ago)
Reply 5
Original post by Quin87
Has anyone seen this?

http://www.buzzfeed.com/robinedds/students-of-colour-share-their-experiences-of-life-at-oxf?s=mobile

65 students from oxford have done something similar to what was done at Harvard, and spoken out via photos about the problems they have at oxford university about being a student of colour and in the minority.

Would this put you off applying there? Do you think the university needs to change their policies? Are there other (UK) universities where this is also a significant problem?


Posted from TSR Mobile


Just to let you know that I've moved this to Chat. Your link is to Buzzfeed, a site known for its satire and humour. Can you find any mention of this project anywhere else? I'm left to assume it's Buzzfeed being Buzzfeed.

However, if you wish to create a serious discussion about racism in universities (in Educational Debate) you're more than welcome to. I'm just uncomfortable with using a Buzzfeed article as a source, and I think the replies have already picked up on this (laughing at some of the comments and thinking they're a joke).
Reply 6
Original post by River85
Just to let you know that I've moved this to Chat. Your link is to Buzzfeed, a site known for its satire and humour. Can you find any mention of this project anywhere else? I'm left to assume it's Buzzfeed being Buzzfeed.

However, if you wish to create a serious discussion about racism in universities (in Educational Debate) you're more than welcome to. I'm just uncomfortable with using a Buzzfeed article as a source, and I think the replies have already picked up on this (laughing at some of the comments and thinking they're a joke).


No that's fine :smile: I wasn't particularly intending on a serious debate at all - I just wanted to see what other people thought.

It's also in the guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/education/shortcuts/2014/mar/12/oxford-university-students-of-colour-being-othered

And the independent: http://www.independent.co.uk/student/news/oxfords-students-of-colour-speak-out-in-powerful-i-too-am-oxford-campaign-9189117.html

And huff post http://m.huffpost.com/uk/entry/4947630?utm_hp_ref=uk

Amongst others :smile:


Posted from TSR Mobile
It's more ignorance than racism, still interesting though to see.
Reply 8
Most of those aren't even bad...whiny bitches
The ego among these people is astonishing.

Just because some white leftists are filled to the brim with white guilt doesn't mean we all are.

I don't care about any of these "problems", they're all 1st world problems to me.
Most of these are not racist, but really stupid questions. Some stereotypes in there as well. I thought students at Oxford would have more common sense. A few are pretty offensive. "You only got in here because you're black". That person is clearly a ****er. The Oreo and Bounty **** is another that stands out for its ****ness.
58 is pretty dark :awesome:

I've heard asians say that to each other in a jokey way. But I guess how that joke could offend people.

I do notice when people ask me where I'm from, they're not generally looking for the answer "London" or "UK", if I say that, they'll go on to ask what's my ethnicity or where are my parents from. Doesn't really bother me, but a lot of the time if someone asks me that, I just say I'm from UK but my parents are from...., just to avoid the awkwardness if they were curious to know my ethnicity.
Reply 13
No surprise.
When I first heard the term "person of colour", I thought it was a joke to take the piss out of political correctness, much like "person of size".

We are all "of colour", and a true non-racist (or simply, a Physicist!) will understand that.

With that said, some of those posters are just whining (#1 is not racist, just uneducated), others are pretty funny (#47 - more Pakistani English speakers exist than British), one in particular is a baseless accusation of "institutional racism" in one of the most racially-free countries on Earth (#27) and a *few* seem genuine (e.g. #40 - although I would say that the colour of your skin should have as close as possible to zero influence over your identity).
Race baiting. It's a sport for some on the left.
Original post by Just my opinion
Race baiting. It's a sport for some on the left.

Please don't bump 5 year old threads.

Latest