The 2008 election proved a number of things that represent the era in which we live.

History was made as Barack Obama became the first African-American president. This was merely a mile-marker, however, in the struggle against racism and for civil rights, as it is still ongoing. Legally, racism can no longer exist publicly, but prejudice still goes on behind backs and among individuals.

But, does NIU’s ethnic-specific organizations help fight this battle, or do they further segregation by grouping together people of one single culture?

Maybe, though, people should accept that they are always going to associate themselves with others who have the same common interests.

Some students have pointed out that organizations such as the Black Student Union, the Asian-American-based fraternity Kappa Pi Beta and other similar groups hinder diversity and put up ethnic barriers. Surely this is not their intention.

“Historically, we were not allowed to join white organizations,” said Laverne Gyant, director of the Center for Black Studies. “So, we created our own.”

Besides socialization, fraternities and student groups help students get involved in their community and network for more opportunities. These organizations still exist, but in a time when anyone of any ethnicity is supposed to be able to join a group. Are these groups still necessary for minorities to have opportunities?

“We still need them,” Gyant said. “But, we join the organizations based on their motto, philosophy and goals.”

These groups do not serve to acknowledge one’s ethnicity over another’s.

“We want to express and embrace culture,” said Nina Valencia, sophomore co-creative director of the Latino Resource Center. “I guess you could blame the forefathers for when it was segregated.”

To assure the clarity of the latter statement, it was people of the past who created these arbitrary boundaries. If you were to ask an anthropologist, though, they would tell you that race does not exist, because there are not enough defining characteristics to tell one person from the next. So, people should see such organizations as groups of culture.

It makes more sense, then, that students will always flock to a culture they can relate to. You can find differences in appearance in not just black, Latino or Asian cultures but also in skateboarding, fraternity and other cultures. Some people participate in several of these, some do not. Get over the fact that people have differences and do different things. It is not possible for everyone to be everything; absolute diversity is unrealistic. But diversity can exist in the sense that different paths can cross without hostility or apprehension but with appreciation.