Ethnic diversity at Biola has not seen much growth in past years. There have been slight increases primarily from Asian communities, according to Biola’s Institutional Research Enrollment Summary.
Enrollment from students of Asian background has risen about one percent since 2004, and remain the second-most common ethnicity after Caucasian enrollment for the entire student population, including undergrads, grads, BOLD and ELSP. Out of Biola’s 5,899 students, 2008 enrollment consisted of 61 percent Caucasians, 13 percent Asian-Americans, 9 percent Hispanics, 7 percent Internationals and 4 percent African-Americans. Numbers for 2009 aren’t out yet.
Although Biola occupies a seat next to culturally diverse Los Angeles and Biola’s Diversity Statement encourages a multi-national, multi-cultural body of believers, the cultural mixture of the city hasn’t totally spilled onto Biola’s campus. Christian colleges are not always well known for diversity, Glen Kinoshita, director of multi-ethnic programs, said.
“In fact, secular campuses at times are more intentional about [diversity],” he said.
One of the schools that attracts the most international students in the United States, the University of Southern California, another private institution, sees a greater percentage of minority groups. With an undergrad population of 15,672, 22 percent are Asian American students and 13 percent are Hispanic, numbers that about double Biola’s. About 34 percent of its graduate program is non-residential aliens, according to a USC Snapshot Enrollment by Ethnicity.
Schools comparable to Biola, however, also report lower numbers for diversity.
Out of approximately 1,435 students, Vanguard University’s demographic consists of 17 percent Hispanic, 2 percent Asian, 1 percent African American,1 percent Native American and 1 percent international students. Their school for professional studies has a 33 percent multi-ethnic population.
Kinoshita believes the challenge lies within the church and addressing it is a multi-faceted issue. Racially conscious admissions programs have made efforts to broaden university nationalities across the board.
A number of reasons factor into this, but, people of different cultures need to be able to relate to both other students and faculty members need to feel welcome and at home here, he said.
Kinoshita points to the culture-clash at Biola as one related to Biola’s value system. As a Christian university, the core of Biola’s beliefs include God’s Kingdom through education, celebration and transformation, he said. Understanding of self, our differences and the nature of the Kingdom are all a part of seeing each other through a color-blind lens, he said.
Angela Blake, an junior intercultural studies major, wants to see Biola students take advantage of how Biola is placed in a racially diverse area. Biola faculty members and admissions counselors should try to reach the areas of the United States that they have not talked to, she said.
James Kim, president of Biola’s Asian Student Association, encouraged members to make friends outside of their own cultures and integrate through sharing and fellowship. However, the road ahead to achieving true diversity is long, and there are still tensions. Reaching out and knowing others is an ongoing process, he said.
Anabel Munoz, a Hispanic senior journalism major, came from a high school where she was in the majority to a college where she is in the minority, which was strange for her. Although she experienced a bit of culture shock coming here, she said the students and faculty have made it a very positive experience for her. Munoz said she feels like Biola is doing something right.
“Since I’ve been here I feel like there has been an increase in student diversity,” Munoz said.
