Chicanos Criticize Graduate's Book

A recently published personal account of one graduate's experience as an Mexican-American at Harvard has drawn fire from RAZA, the Mexican-American student organization, and the group met yesterday to consider whether to respond to the book.

In A Darker Shade of Crimson, which debuted two weeks ago, Ruben Navarrette Jr. '89-'90 describes his experiences at Harvard, which range from the arrest of a fellow Mexican-American classmate for armed robbery to the campus response to his questioning of activist Cesar Chavez's ideas.

Navarrette charges in the book that Harvard does not treat Mexican-American students as well as it should. And he says that RAZA promotes an "Us and Them" attitude, and does not help many Chicano students.

In addition, Navarrette told The Crimson in an interview last month that Harvard should have a Chicano Studies department. "Administrators were intent on ignoring racial differences in the student body rather than dealing with their consequences," Navarrette writes, as he argues that Harvard has low expectations for minority students.

Navarrette's story has attracted national attention, garnering a review in yesterday's New York Times Book Review, and some RAZA members said his tale of disappointment and discrimination could discourage high school students from applying here.

RAZA president Richard Garcia '95 said "the book is the big thing we are discussing right now."

"While I haven't read the whole book, parts of it seem true--students of minority backgrounds are alienated here--but other parts are counter productive," Garcia said.

"I understand he says that minorities don'tneed to come to Harvard," Garcia added, "and thatis counter-productive."

Chris M. Sotomayor '96, RAZA's representativeto the Harvard Foundation for InterculturalAffairs and Race Relations Academic AffairsCommittee, said the book is not damaging. "The oneproblem I have is that Navarrette seems tointernalize his problems, he keeps wondering if hegot in because of his race. No one gets in becauseof their race; they only accept us when they areconfident that we can do the work," Sotomayorsaid.

Sotomayor said other members of RAZA may feeldifferently. The club has been discussing whethermembers should buy the book, he said, because theymay not want to contribute to Navarrettesroyalties.

Navarrette said that copies of his book hadbeen sent to President Neil L. Rudenstine, Dean ofthe College L. Fred Jewett '57 and the HarvardFoundation.

The controversy surrounding Navarrette's bookmay be generated more by its publicity than itscontent, which consists mostly of one man'spersonal narrative. But Navarrette has alsoprompted controversy in the past.

When Navarrette spoke at Edison High School inFresno, Calif., last year, Garyun B. Kong '97,then a senior at the school, said he was "booedoff the stage."

"He seemed really cocky," said Garyun, "andpeople didn't like what he was saying."

Christopher J. Hernandez contributed to thereporting of this story.

"I understand he says that minorities don'tneed to come to Harvard," Garcia added, "and thatis counter-productive."

Chris M. Sotomayor '96, RAZA's representativeto the Harvard Foundation for InterculturalAffairs and Race Relations Academic AffairsCommittee, said the book is not damaging. "The oneproblem I have is that Navarrette seems tointernalize his problems, he keeps wondering if hegot in because of his race. No one gets in becauseof their race; they only accept us when they areconfident that we can do the work," Sotomayorsaid.

Sotomayor said other members of RAZA may feeldifferently. The club has been discussing whethermembers should buy the book, he said, because theymay not want to contribute to Navarrettesroyalties.

Navarrette said that copies of his book hadbeen sent to President Neil L. Rudenstine, Dean ofthe College L. Fred Jewett '57 and the HarvardFoundation.

The controversy surrounding Navarrette's bookmay be generated more by its publicity than itscontent, which consists mostly of one man'spersonal narrative. But Navarrette has alsoprompted controversy in the past.

When Navarrette spoke at Edison High School inFresno, Calif., last year, Garyun B. Kong '97,then a senior at the school, said he was "booedoff the stage."

"He seemed really cocky," said Garyun, "andpeople didn't like what he was saying."

Christopher J. Hernandez contributed to thereporting of this story.