diversity – Penn Disorientation Guide

Cultural Resource Centers: A Decades-long Battle

Over time, marginalized students and staff formed their own communities on campus and advocated for formal recognition from the University of Pennsylvania. These are their stories.

On-Campus Organizations

There are many organizations at Penn striving to improve the University for its students, workers, and surrounding community members. We encourage you to find a group that aligns with your identity and values and get involved.

Penn’s Deliberate Neglect of Cultural and Ethnic Studies

When you’re at an institution with immense money and power, one would expect that every program and department would be given ample support. However, the reality is much more disappointing, with many programs going underfunded. In particular, Penn has a history of leaving its cultural and ethnic studies departments and programs behind and only giving them more support in moments when it can serve as a boost to its own image.

On-Campus Organizations

There are countless organizations at Penn engaging in community-building and striving to hold the University accountable for the harm it perpetuates. We encourage you to get involved!

The Erosion of Asian American Studies

Six student protestors stand in front of the Ben Franklin statue on College Green with other protestors demanding more resources for the ASAM program. Photo courtesy of The Daily Pennsylvanian

AM Program was the result of countless and constant efforts on part of students and faculty, and its existence holds an important place not only for academic enrichment but for students who fall under the AA+NHPI label at Penn. While it is important to celebrate the program’s tenacity, it is equally important to understand the program’s past, specifically Penn’s consistent institutional disregard of the program and its students and faculty.

Cultural Houses at Penn: A Decades-long Deadlock

Photo of the ARCH Building and a portion of Locust Walk in front of it on a cloudy day. Currently, the three major race-based cultural centers are housed in the ARCH building's basement. Photo courtesy of The Daily Pennsylvanian.

For those who are not already aware, the University of Pennsylvania is a predominantly-white institution. This detail is overlooked by some who are aware of Penn’s strong history of establishing some of the nation’s first Cultural Resource Centers (CRCs) on college campuses. However, many remain unaware of the history behind these spaces and the war that their student leaders have continuously waged in their journey to advocate for students of color at this institutions.