Students at a private liberal arts school in Virginia found themselves in hot water this week after throwing a “USA vs. Mexico” themed party.
Hosted by the school’s Kappa Alpha fraternity, the party at Randolph-Macon College included a drinking game where party-goers dressed as border control agents tried to catch fellow attendees dressed in “illegal immigrant” garb, according to Richmond’s WWBT.
Mark Heideman, a sophomore at Randolph-Macon and member of Kappa Alpha, told WWBT that the party was “definitely not meant to be racist whatsoever,” but many of his peers thought otherwise.
“I think it’s racist because I think we’re undereducated and I think that’s what everyone sees when they think of Mexicans,” Randolph-Macon freshman Tiffany Shipe told WWBT. “I feel like they think of border control and illegal immigrants.”
Administrators at the private liberal arts school are investigating the students and groups involved.
“Randolph-Macon College does not tolerate any type of discriminatory behavior,” the school said in a statement. “The college finds this type of conduct reprehensible and in direct conflict with our values. We are in the process of holding the individuals and groups involved responsible through our judicial process.”
According to its website, Randolph-Macon’s freshmen class is made up of 78 percent white students and three percent Hispanic students.
Randolph-Macon isn’t the only frat under review this week for holding what is seen by some as ‘discriminatory’ parties. The California Polytechnic State University’s administration is investigating a “Colonial Bros and Nava-Hos” themed party where the men came dressed in Colonial-era ensembles and women came dressed as scantily clad Native Americans. Cal Poly’s Phi Sigma Kappa was reportedly behind that party, although the university’s chapter president has refused to confirm or deny his fraternity’s involvement.
