What makes Archer unique? Is it the innovative young women participating in STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] or the curriculum that teaches girls to #LeaninTogether? Or maybe it is the many diversity clubs that educate students and faculty about important issues on and off campus.

According to Archer fast facts, there are 495 students, and 41 percent of the students are of color.

There are currently 14 diversity-related clubs on campus. One of these clubs is the Asian Culture Club, led by juniors Portia Freeman, Cat Oriel, Sydney Shintani and Cybele Zhang.

Oriel and Freeman noted that a large issue in the Archer community is the lack of education surrounding Asian and Pacific Islander culture in the school’s curriculum.

The lack of representation of Asian culture is apparent not only in the school environment but also in the media. A study done at the University of California shows that Asians only made 4.4 percent of speaking characters across 100 of the top grossing films of 2013.

“The Archer community can become more connected [to Asian culture] by asking questions, going to the club and suggesting topics they want to talk about,” Freeman said.

Both Oriel and Freeman said that while this is already a practice at Archer, the community can become even more educated by considering everything about a culture and actively seeking out information.

Archer students continue to create and work towards a safe space where girls can learn about the Asian and Pacific Islander community. The club meets every week on Wednesday.

Hermanas Unidas, Black Student Union [BSU] and the Diversity Club focus on other diversity issues.

“[Hermanas Unidas] wants to bring down stereotypes of the Latino population and stereotypes of immigrants,” Jacky Cach ’17, one of student club leaders said.

Cach said that while topics on diversity can be tricky, it is important to talk about and educate the community.

“Hermanas Unidas has been a huge support system because I have been able to be confident and to be proud of who I am,” Cach said. “Being a Latina at Archer is one of the greatest things.”

April Tate is one of the club leaders for BSU. BSU raises awareness for a wide range of issues in the black community, including cultural appropriation, “a word now associated with the white Western world’s co-opting of minority cultures,” according to op-ed columnist Parul Sehgal.

“Taking the time to learn about different issues is important, whether it involves the Hispanic, Black or Pacific Islander communities,” Tate said.

Anika Bhavnani ’17 is the president of Diversity Club.

“Diversity Club is a place where students can come and make mistakes and learn from them,” she said. “Our club is a place for people to come and engage in certain topics that can be hard but will ultimately make them a better person.”

Diversity clubs allow students to embrace different cultures and perspectives.

“I think Archer’s diversity clubs have really fostered a safe space to talk about things like race and gender and identity,” Tate said.