Another Take On “Diversity”
I apologize. I am probably about to violate the copyright act. If I’m sued,
I hope one of you sympathetic lawyers out there can make a persuasive
argument that reproducing an entire student column from the University
of Colorado newspaper is fair use, because reproducing less than all of it would
have been unfair.
Erika Usui
For The Campus Press
I’ve got brown skin, almond-shaped eyes and dark, curly hair. Oh, I also have a slight accent.And let me tell you, my features have really come in handy at times.
Hiring managers practically kill each other trying to get to me first. Employers and recruiters go gaga over me and offer me goodies.
Ahh, it’s good to be of mixed race, to be “diverse.” Or not.
Sometimes I find myself feeling extremely guilty and foolish for flaunting my “diverseness,” letting people know that I am oh-so-desirable because of my Japanese, Philippino and Spanish heritage. Because when I do so, I realize that I am only attracting attention through my so-called “diverseness.”
Rather, I want people to see through my dark complexion and peer deep down inside to where my passions lay. I want people to listen to what I have to say, not to my accent. Yes, it sounds cliché, but I’d rather be recognized for being “diverse” through what’s on the inside, not on the outside.
That’s not to say that outward appearance doesn’t matter, though. It does matter – it matters a great deal, in fact, because it is what makes each person unique. But uniqueness is not necessarily diversity.
Diversity is beyond skin pigmentation. Diversity is not decided upon based on whether your hair is black, blond or brown. Instead, being diverse means having dissimilar passions, interests and accomplishments. Diversity is having your own family, cultural and religious traditions. Diversity is being proud of your heritage, of who you are.
I am proud to say that I am part of the diverse community at CU. But that’s not because of my dark complexion, almond-shaped eyes or accent. It’s because I have goals, goals that are different from anyone else’s, and I work hard to achieve them. It’s because I keep close to my heart the customs I have grown up with. It’s because I have my likes and dislikes in fashion, culinary and the arts. It’s because I have strong viewpoints on politics and worldly issues. It’s because I am proud of my mixed ethnicity and love who I am.
When we are able to look past the obvious, we’ll finally be able to recognize that the conception of “diversity” as an exclusive club that only invites a select few is just plain wrong. No two people are the same; everyone is diverse. And that means you.
Say What?
John, I have occasionally reproduced entire columns or articles. I would be highly surprised if you violated copyright.
First, you don't make a habit of it. Second, the article is core political speech, and on a topic that you focus on. As such, the "fair use" standard, which involves "context" of both your use and the purpose of the creative work, would probably protect you. Third, the student paper makes its money off the entire collection of its work, and you, by giving it praise, may be increasing its value. This is just one small piece of the collective of the student paper's work.
Now in other contexts, even the tiniest snippet of text is a copyright violation. For example, I believe that so-called "scraper" websites, that clip thousands of clips from other pages to draw google hits and sell click-through ads or another product, are copyright violations. They decrease each quoted work's value marginally by "deflating" the density of "good" hits on google. I'd love to see a class action lawsuit against them (since individual action would be impractical in terms of payoffs). But you are adding value and staying focused on a definable mission that is related to core speech.
This is not legal advice.
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March 25, 2006 3:35 AM