As soon as I returned from Winter Term abroad I began looking forward to watching the Oscars with my new Oberlin friends, excited to share a Los Angeles tradition with peers from across the country. Just as my East Coast and Midwestern friends have shared food, stories and customs from their hometowns with me, I relished the idea of this modern form of experiential exchange.

I never truly realized until Winter Term how much Los Angeles is a part of me. Though I sometimes joke about the celebrity worship and shopping obsession back home, I take pride in hailing from such a diverse, artistic and singular coastal city. Thus, my excitement going into Oscar Night turned to surprise and resentment when what I thought would be a fun twist on an old tradition turned into a three-hour long session of L.A. bashing. I sat among my classmates and listened to them pick apart my home, calling on the tired stereotypes of Los Angeles as superficial, over-the-top and blinded by glamour to the world’s problems. As another flawlessly dressed star accepted another statuette, a girl near me rolled her eyes: “I don’t think I’d like L.A.”

First, as everyone knows, the Oscars are a strictly scripted and staged piece of entertainment rather than an accurate portrayal of Los Angeles life. It is as fictitious as Clueless, Pretty Woman or any other Hollywood film set in L.A. Yet, it became an opportunity to insult.

The real Los Angeles is a place of artistic expression, technological innovation and thoughtful politics. A real life Epcot, it brings together people from all over the world. On any given weekend I could eat Ethiopian food, see a Russian ballet and dance Salsa to a live Cuban band. And despite our image, we do care about our ailing world. I have personally participated in many local programs to tutor immigrant children in English, distribute goods to the homeless and raise funds for progressive political candidates.

Oscar Night was not the first time I picked up on anti-Los Angeles sentiments at Oberlin. For me, it was the final straw added to my hurt and frustration. “That’s so L.A.” is often used pejoratively, to refer to everything from aggressively trendy outfits to airheaded slips of the tongue. Instead of believing shallow creations like Entourage or ridiculous televised awards shows, I would encourage you to explore Los Angeles for yourself before judging.

Of course, like any urban era, the City of Angels has its flaws. Homelessness and pollution are pervasive, and the traffic on some of the more hellish freeways can give one suicidal thoughts. It’s not perfect, but many Obies call it home. I believe that they, like me, would appreciate respect instead of ridicule.

Here at Oberlin we constantly tell each other to tread carefully in judging others by their ethnicity, religion, sexuality, gender and culture, yet comments full of regional discrimination — against L.A., New York, the Deep South or the Midwest — pervade the campus. Why are our hometowns, a significant part of our identity, fair game for mockery?

Next time you feel the need to share a comment full of regionalist contempt, I urge you to consider the feelings of those around you. And when you think of L.A., think outside the red carpet.