Hiding from the Left

CalSERVE presidential candidate reveals her true beliefs

By Andrew R Quinio
From the April 2005 Print Edition

“I’m not for affirmative action.” One would think that this defining statement was made by a member of any conservative Republican organization, but it was not. This was written by Justine Lazaro, CalSERVE’s candidate for the office of ASUC president.

The CalSERVE party caters to the progressive crowds of UC Berkeley. The “SERVE” stands for “Students for Equal Rights and a Valid Education.” According to their Web site, two of CalSERVE’s goals are to lead a progressive agenda, and fight the “isms.” The site reads, “We will push a progressive agenda, organizing students to rally and fight for civil rights and equality on both a national and a local level … fighting any form of institutional and stereotypical hatred, including but not limited to racism, sexism, and homophobia.” Essentially, CalSERVE is the beacon of liberal hypersensitivity. However, after discovering what Lazaro truly stands for, one wouldn’t be able to distinguish CalSERVE as the “progressive” party.

On her Xanga site, Lazaro writes candidly about her views on affirmative action and racial politics. Xanga is an online site where individuals can keep a personal blog or journal for anyone to view. On a March 17, 2004, entry, Lazaro describes the changes she would be making in her life. She writes, “BALANCE is essential and it’s something I haven’t had in awhile. So I’m making a few adjustments, so don’t be alarmed if I miss a few meetings here and there and wear freaking Abercrombie once in awhile.” She refers to the 2002 controversy in which the popular clothing franchise Abercrombie and Fitch sold shirts that depicted stereotypes of Asians. Lazaro continues, “It just means that I rather sing Karaoke at Pi Lam at the moment than be the spokesperson for multi-racial peeps.”

Note that Lazaro is a coordinator for REACH! the Asian/Pacific Islander Recruitment and Retention group. Its mission statement calls for its members to be “Committed to the service and empowerment of immigrant, refugee, and underserved Asian/Pacific Islanders by promoting higher education to empower ourselves and challenge the economic and social conditions facing our communities.”

She continues the entry with her thoughts on political demagoguing. She writes, “I have so much respect for all of you that have politicized your lives in every aspect, but there are so many ‘down’ folks who are quick to judge, when they don’t know the half of what I do or how I was raised.” Lazaro then defends her Republican pals. “Sorry if you question the fact that most of my friends are Republicans. Guess what, my mom is, too! Does it make them bad people automatically? If anything, they’ve enhanced my life and political views by challenging me so much that I am able to strengthen my argument.”

Lazaro then delivers the crushing, final blow when she expresses her views on affirmative action. The Xanga reads, “No I’m not a Democrat and I’m not for affirmative action. Before you put me on your hit list, ask me why? To be brief, as far as party affiliation, I am a very issue-based person and I don’t like anyone thinking for me. As far as affirmative action goes, I don’t think it helps the right people and I think there are better ways of dealing with institutionalized racism.” This would most likely disappoint anyone supporting the progressive CalSERVE platform.

Aside from her views on race-based admissions policies, the most conservative that Lazaro gets is when she writes, “although we know what we do is important and we truly believe in helping others, we need to be selfish with our lives and help ourselves first.” Has Lazaro been swayed by the philosophy of Adam Smith and the Wealth of Nations? She sounds as if she is summarizing, “It is not the benevolence of the butcher or breadmaker that gives us our daily meat and bread, but their self-interest.”

In some ways, it is refreshing to hear that the leader of the CalSERVE ticket has more in common with campus Republicans than previously expected. However, it is unlikely that Lazaro’s moderate views will translate into ASUC policy. Lazaro has since taken down her Xanga, a testament to the intolerance of hard-line leftists on campus who even hold Cal’s liberal CalSERVE party hostage. The fear of being unfairly labeled is apparent when Lazaro makes explicit that she is not who the left may think she is. She reassures, “Of course I’m not conservative or racist, so don’t think I am. If you want to know more, ask me, don’t just assume.” Justine has not changed her Facebook profile, which displays her liberal label.

Most likely, the left will go on assuming that everyone who disagrees with them is from the Klan. Consequently, Lazaro will presumably continue to keep her views hidden, thus strengthening the reality at Berkeley that students have to hide their own principles to gain access to opportunity.

If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting the Patriot