I would like to congratulate Student Foundation and all the student groups who participated in this year’s Homecoming parade. The floats were some of the best I’ve seen my entire time here. Each group did a good job of representing their selected country in a tasteful and respectful way.
However, there was one exception. The Kappa Alpha float depicting Mexico was nothing more than a hurtful joke. This group obviously had put little effort into their float and tried to remedy it by reverting to offensive, inaccurate stereotypes. Their representation of Mexicans as drunk, beer-bellied, dancing fools was rude and distasteful.
As a Mexican-American, I felt insulted. As an SMU student, I felt embarrassed. The fact that these students found humor in their actions speaks loudly on how they view Hispanics. What’s more surprising is that the coordinators allowed this group to continue their mockery throughout the entire parade. No one made an effort to stop them or pull them out. They were allowed to create a spectacle in front of parents, students and community members. It’s no wonder that SMU’s minority enrollment has experienced a decline in recent years. Who would feel comfortable at a school where their heritage is ridiculed?
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Rubalcava
