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OPINION
THE MIAMI HURRICANE
The Miami
HURRICANE Founded 1929
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To reach a member of the staff visit themiamihurricane.com’s contact page. The Miami Hurricane is published weekly during the regular academic year and is edited and produced by undergraduate students at the University of Miami. The publication does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of advertisers or the university’s trustees, faculty or administration. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of The Miami Hurricane’s Editorial Board. Commentaries, letters and cartoons represent only the views of their respective authors. The newsroom and business office of The Miami Hurricane are located in the Student Activities Center, Student Media Suite 200. LETTER POLICY The Miami Hurricane encourages all readers to voice their opinions on issues related to the university or in response to any report published in The Miami Hurricane. Letters to the editor may be submitted typed or handwritten to the Student Activities Center, Student Media Suite 200, or mailed to P.O. Box 248132, Coral Gables, Fla., 33124-6922. Letters must be signed with a copy of your Cane Card. ADVERTISING POLICY The Miami Hurricane’s business office is located at 1330 Miller Drive, Student Activities Center Student Media Suite 200. The Miami Hurricane is published on Tuesdays during the university’s fall and spring academic terms. Newspapers are distributed for free on the Coral Gables campus, the School of Medicine and off-campus locations. DEADLINES All ads must be received, cash with copy, in The Miami Hurricane business office, Student Activities Center Student Media Suite 200, by end of the business day Friday for Tuesday print. SUBSCRIPTIONS The Miami Hurricane is available for subscription at the rate of $50 per year. AFFILIATIONS The Miami Hurricane is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Florida College Press Association.
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
February 18, 2020 - February 24, 2020
Opinion
We need to stop attacking Iron Arrow Every time I open a copy of the Miami Hurricane nowadays, it seems another member of our Canes family is attacking the Iron Arrow Honor Society. Some claim the use of native traditions and symbols in IA ceremonies is racist and “cultural appropriation.” I can understand the need to point out important issues, however, I can’t help but feel that these sentiments are not only ignorant but also divisive in nature. The facts present a much different picture of the situation. Iron Arrow was founded on respect for the Miccosukee tribe of Miami, a tribe whose history
is deeply intertwined with this city. The entire purpose of the society was to honor Miccosukee culture and preserve it while honoring the greatest leaders and changemakers in our academic community. Calling the society’s traditions “exoticizing of native culture” and racist is a complete denial of concrete fact. The Miccosukee tribe itself sanctions and participates in the dissemination of these symbols and traditions. Referring to these actions as “play acting” or fetishizing native culture is disingenuous, considering they aren’t misinformed parodies of native traditions. Are we to un-
derstand that a sovereign nation cannot decide for itself whether or not such actions are racist? Are those outside of the Miccosukee nation somehow authorities on what is and isn’t offensive? Who are we to police how sovereign nations share their culture? The truth is, we have no right to do so and acting as if we do is patronizing at best. Nothing about Iron Arrow is an outlet for white racists to act as the “others” they apparently seek to commit genocide against. In actuality, Iron Arrow is a society that holds Miccosukee culture in such high esteem, they based the
highest honor at this university after it. We as a Cane community need to step back and recognize that not everything we disagree with is racist or evil. Participating in and learning about other cultures is a beautiful thing, and Iron Arrow’s goal above all else is respect. We must stop this ignorant, hate seeking rhetoric immediately, as it serves no purpose but to divide our community further. Sofia Diaz is a freshman studying finance and broadcast journalism.
IDENTITY
The diary of an African immiBY KIKI ADEROJU Contributing Columnist
Plenty of African immigrant children or first-generation Americans know the internal struggle that comes with finding a comfortable middle ground of where they fit in. These are usually children who didn’t fit in with the white kids but would find themselves not fitting in with the black kids either. They felt like Africans in America more so than they felt like African Americans. Many times, their culture, their traditions manifested in completely different ways than for African Americans. As someone whose family emigrated from an African country to the United Kingdom, there are surely differences between my experiences and those of my Afri-
can friends who grew up here in the states, but nevertheless, I still relate to them. They have stories of feeling like they didn’t belong no matter how hard they tried to fit in. They have stories of being laughed at when their parents came to pick them up from school and spoke to them in the native tongues. They have stories of their own parents telling them not to talk about being African because of the stereotypes that would inevitably follow them around. These are stories I know all too well. Those times were harsh but they built character. With our generation gradually beginning to embrace our African heritage, these sentiments are beginning to spread in an effort to prevent our narratives from being forgotten.
There seems to have been a sudden rise in the celebration of African culture. Black, white or otherwise, people are listening to us. People are interested in our cultures, our traditions, our stories. They’ve watched “Black Panther” at least three times. Six out of the last seven winners of the “Best World Album” Grammy Award have been African, and Zozibini Tunzi just won the title of Miss Universe 2019, representing South Africa. The times of hiding our Africanness at all costs are over. The history of African immigrants to America is in some ways woven into the broader umbrella of black history. The experiences of the “African American” may not mirror those of the GhanaianAmerican, the Ethiopian-Ameri-
can or the Angolan-American. Regardless, when the white man sees us in the streets, they see a black man. They see a black woman. They see a black child. The separations between us cease to exist. It will always be important to celebrate our individual cultures. Creating divisions between ourselves will yield no progress. African immigrants and their children are finally feeling like they belong without feeling like they are sacrificing a part of themselves. As Kwame Nkrumah said, “I am not African because I was born in Africa but because Africa was born in me.” Kiki Aderoju is a junior majoring in international studies and journalism with a minor in English.
