Call for Caucasian Culture Club Creates Criticism in California
by Jim Brown
August 11, 2004
(AgapePress) - Another California high school student is on a quest to start a Caucasian culture club at his school.Last year, Lisa McClelland tried to form a club for white students at Freedom High School in Oakley, but was harassed so much she decided to leave the school. Now Patrick Herndon, a senior at Fremont's Irvington High School, wants to establish a Caucasian club that focuses on his heritage and roots.
Conservative activist and columnist David Huntwork says contrary to what critics claim, the idea is not racist. "There's certainly nothing wrong with being white, and there's certainly nothing wrong with being proud of your culture and your heritage," Huntwork says. "And from what I understand from both of these students' situations, these were purely culturally explorative ideas and groups that they were trying to do."
The Colorado-based columnist says Herndon simply wants to be a part of the school's multicultural environment in his own way, but unfortunately has already come under "vicious condemnation" because of his race and ethnic background. Huntwork says the student has every right to start a club at Irvington High that will raise awareness about his heritage.
"If Asian Americans and African Americans and Hispanic Americans can all have heritage groups and racial-based groups to explore the culture, then why shouldn't Caucasian or white students have that right too? And it's interesting, there's no controversy for any of these other groups -- except if a student is white and tries to do that. So there's definitely a type of reverse discrimination going on here. I believe that is very obvious."
Huntwork urges Irvington officials not to exacerbate the situation by overreacting with claims the club is racist.
