Incidents of Racism at UC Berkeley: Testimony of Martha Hernandez

Good day, everyone. Thank you for being here. My name is Martha Hernandez and I’m a second-year student at Cal.

I want to start off by telling you a little story that has had a very large impact on my best friend, and on me, that will stay with me forever. The first semester here at Cal, my best friend and I were taking a col¬lege writing course. One day she went to her class and asked her teacher for help. The teacher told her that she would not pass her class because she was too proud of being Mexican, and too proud of speaking Spanish.

We didn't let this fly. We tried to go talk to the Administration, we tried talking to Vice Chancellor Padilla. And guess what they did? I know what you’re guessing. Absolutely nothing.

We let the semester go by and see what would happen. Sure enough, she failed her course. Now, you tell me, was it because she wasn't ready for class or was it really just because she was too proud of being Mexican and too proud of speaking Spanish.

I’ve had this question on my mind since this happened. My family was forced to withdraw -- my friend, to withdraw from the University because she felt she was not smart enough to be here, even though in the courses she was taking in the second semester, she was getting good grades. Two of her classes she was failing.

I ask you: Was it because she was stupid? How would you feel if one of your classes where somebody told you, “You’re not smart enough for being here?” How are you going to feel in your next course? Are you going to feel like you should stay here and stand strong? You don't feel like you belong, so why struggle.

She decided to withdraw before the second semester was over. This is why she’s not here today to give her own testimony. It is sad to say that she is gone because she was the only Latina on my floor.

After this, I was left alone. I also wanted to withdraw because I didn't want to go through the same thing. It got as ridiculous to the fact that I didn't even want to invite people here because I wasn't going to be here next semester. I wasn't going to pass my classes, I was going to fail everything.

Now, to that fact, I constantly get reminded of my race every day. When I walk through campus, people look at me, and they say, “What are you?” Not “Who are you?”, but “What are you?”, like I’m some sort of specimen, an experiment. “What are you? You talk weird but you look white. What’s wrong with you?”

And they probably say -- And I proudly say “I’m Mexican,” and their first response is, “How did you get in?” And then they come to a fabulous conclusion. This is smart, right? Strategic. “Oh, I get it. Your last name is ‘Hernandez.’ It was on the application. That’s why you got in.”

They have pity for you. I don't think so. I busted my ass off through all of my years in school, until I got here. Just to give you a little background, neither of my parents finished elementary school. I’m first-born, raised in the US, and I’m the only person in my family to have finished elementary school, middle school, high school, and to have gotten to such a prestigious University. You tell me: Do I deserve to be here? I think so. And I don't believe that anyone has to question that authority.

So now, you tell me: “Why do you say you’re Mexican? Are you wearing contacts? But your eyes are blue, you can't be Mexican.” Yes, my eyes are blue, naturally. It’s not that I’m proud of it, or ashamed of it. That’s just who I am. That’s my identity, and I don't have to explain it to everyone. In Mexico we have different ranges of colors of people. Just because I don't fit the stereotypical Indian “Maria,” with little dresses and braidings, doesn't mean I don't come from such a nice culture. Just because I don't look like someone that you could just humiliate off the bat. It doesn't mean I don't belong here.

I’ve had several instances when I started a conversation with a person, or they started talking to me, and they assumed that I’m white. And we have a conversation, and throughout the conversation it just comes up, I start talking about my family, where I come from, and they say, “Oh, you’re not white?” And I say, “No, I’m Mexican.”

And they completely change the conversation on me. Their tone of voice changes, their context changes, they start talking about completely different things and avoid the situation. They don't want to talk to me anymore because I’m not worthy enough, because I don't have what they consider to be the white privi¬lege. So they shouldn't talk to me anymore.

In high school I was one of the cream of the crop. Because I was working so hard, and blah, blah, blah. Our high school was probably about 95% Latinos, so you would think there's so many of us there, you don't get -- there's not racism. Of course not, because there's so many of us there. Yeah, right.

The same thing that happened at UC Berkeley campus, racism we see every day, discrimination, sadly enough, from our faculty. I had one teacher tell me constantly, every single day, “Martha, when you graduate from high school, you better make sure you get your martial arts ready because your husband is going to beat your ass with a bat, because you’re going to marry a Latino. He’s going to get drunk and he’s going to beat you every day.”

How was I supposed to respond to this? I wasn't even one of the regular students. And I just sat there, thinking to myself, “What the fuck is he thinking?” Like, I’m actually going to take that? Yeah, right, I don't think so. Sadly enough, you know what? He’s actually Mexican. You see where we’re getting. It's really sad.

Another one that didn't surprise me at all was a white teacher on campus, when he found out that my friend and I got accepted to Berkeley, while everybody else was jumping for joy and telling us what we should take to the dorms, and buy this and buy that, yada, yada, yada, he told us straight up flat, in front of the class -- there were 40 of us there -- he said, “Oh, you shouldn't go to Berkeley.” And I turned around and I said, “Why? Why are you the only person telling me this?” He said, “Because you’re a girl. Because you’re Latina.” Please, like you can't perform at that level.

This was in an AP course, and he told me, he told all of us, straight out, “Oh, I’ll see you next semester.” Right on the perimeter there's a community college, right next to the school, and he said, “I’ll see you here next semester.” That was two semesters ago. So when I graduate, I’m going to shove that diploma in his face. (Applause)

But, you know what? One time I asked this question, I asked, “How do I respond to somebody telling me, ‘Well, yeah, we know you’re on affirmative action, yet you worked hard, but everybody else is lazy. You got in, but you were one of the few who were good enough for Berkeley.’” Bullshit. That’s not how it works.

We know the system has a max on underrepresented minorities that they're letting in, because they're scared of the right, Republican wing. That’s the only fucking reason. There are many more minority stu¬dents that are qualified to be here, and should be here, and are not here, only because the white, privileged students, and fathers of those students, want to keep them here. I know that I worked much, much harder than a lot of the students, a lot of the white, privileged students who are here.

So let me tell you what this very, very smart person responded to me when I said -- how do I respond to the question of why am I -- how did I get in, and not the other people. And he said, “Martha, the question isn't why are you here. The question is, why aren't there more of you here.” Which is exactly the ques¬tion we’re addressing today. We need more underrepresented minorities on this campus and we need them now. We’re not asking for a favor, we’re demanding this. (Applause)

Now I’m going to go into a little bit something a little more practical. If you’re a student at Cal, or any UC, you know you had to go through the rigorous application. Now I’m going to ask you one question. I know when I filled out the application, I came up to the question that asked you if you have family or alumni or somebody you know who has come to Cal who is somehow related to you.

Remember that question? Okay, I’m not crazy. What did I have to answer? Of course not. I’m a first generation born here. It’s discriminatory to me. So I ask you, what does that have to do with your per¬sonal academic merit and hard work? Hmmm.

I pondered for a couple of days and then I thought, “Well, Martha, because of privileged white students whose mommies and daddies pay for the bears outside, the big bears, the big Class of 18-whatever, they say, “Yeah, you know what? I have a couple of million in my pocket. If you let my kid get in, you know you’re sponsored for ten more years.” What’s Cal going to say? Sure. Why? Because nobody else knows. It’s all hidden in the administration. We’re never going to know.

I know that I have -- and all of the other underrepresented minorities that come to this school -- have much higher GPAs; had to work part-time while they were in school; had to baby-sit. I mean, what did they have to do to be here. All these extracurricular activities. We had sports, we had theater, whatever, anything. You don't see the transcripts from a lot of these white students. 2.7 GPA. Maybe their SATs are high, and then they tell you why? Who has the money to take expensive SAT courses? I sure as hell didn't. I scored low. I wonder why. Because I didn't have -- I mean, the SAT is already biased, so it’s going to bias preferentially towards them.

So I came to the conclusion that this whole bullshit about the 209, 209 being take away preferential treatment towards races, etc. There's always been preferential treatment, people, always, always, always. And racism. It’s always been preferential towards the rich, white, privileged students on this campus.

If mommy and daddy have enough money to buy your diploma, you’re in. You don't have to show any¬thing else, you don't even have to apply. All you have to do is write down your name and your mommy’s and daddy’s last name has to be one of the donors of Berkeley, right in front of Doe Library. That’s all you need.

So I’m asking you, how strange is it that in a majority/minority State like California we have such a dis¬proportionate percentage on the UC campus. I mean, statistics-wise, this doesn't make sense. It’s practi¬cal, right? Just make it proportionate to the rest of the State. Who has the money? Who has the power? I just want to leave you with that thought. Thank you.