As a cultural competence specialist, I was shocked to hear that the Multicultural/International (MI) requirements at Fresno State were taken into consideration for elimination.

Being culturally competent is not about knowing every aspect of every culture, but rather understanding and accepting everyone for who they are. But how can we understand and accept others for who they are if we don’t learn absolutely anything about them and leave it to Fresno State to make this ignorance possible?

What exactly is culture? When many think of culture they automatically think of race or ethnicity. Culture, however, is much deeper than that. Culture is what makes an individual who they are; it is about finding their true identity and being proud of it. We all belong to our own unique cultures, whether it be the Mexican culture, African-American culture, Punjabi culture, Hmong culture, gay culture, deaf culture, Greek culture, feminist culture and so on.

Our culture is who we are, and I don’t believe that Fresno State nor anybody else should have the right to say, “You don’t need to learn about those people anymore.”

I’m not saying that we should force everyone to learn about different cultures. I simply want everyone to understand that it is important and beneficial for their future to learn about the diversity that unique cultures in the world have to offer us.

When I heard this news I asked myself, “Can we truly afford to eliminate these requirements? Are we sure that we are thinking about the consequences this might bring?” I think not. I believe that by eliminating these requirements we are increasing the amount of ignorance already prevalent in the world. Fresno State is already culturally incompetent and to eliminate these requirements would be a complete mistake.

I believe that these requirements were interwoven into our education because of the ignorance and oppression that the world had and continues to have.

Yet, so many students have benefited from such requirements. The MI requirements have helped students gain unique cultural experiences and they have given students the opportunity to learn about different cultures they never even thought about. Students’ horizons and knowledge about themselves have expanded to new levels and they have received the opportunity to learn how to work with individuals from different parts of the world, and they have shown many students how to empathize with people that are not like them. The MI requirements in my view are vital to every student’s education and to their personal and professional growth.

I come from a little town in central Washington State. Culture, as well as diversity, was never a problem there. Why? There was no diversity. I was 14 years old when I moved to Fresno and had my first encounter with African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Middle Easterners and so on.

Now, I am proud to say I am a Californian. I have been given the opportunity to enjoy the many cultures and lifestyles California offers. It’s beauty comes from the different cultures and diversity it offers not only to its residents, but to the world.

I just hope that Fresno State truly takes into consideration all the benefits and does not make a decision that will eventually hurt many students, communities and, ultimately, society.