I Didn 't Be Racist?

Schools systematically subjugate minority and black students when a school’s enrollment contains a huge racial majority. If students have no exposure to persons of different ethnicities, cultures, races, and religions, then these students will experience culture shock when they confront “other” people. Even in our class, we talk about black and minority students as another group, one that differs from “us.” We think about the inequalities in school systems as problems we need to fix, not as problems that have influenced our thinking and affect us as prospective teachers. For example, a white graduate student with

This paradox is not just affecting low-income and minority students, but also students in non-minority groups as well. When there is no time for focus on skills that students need to participate in social change, these students will not learn to question practices within society or to work with other students from all different groups and backgrounds in order to effect change. Classes in schools which may contribute to multicultural education, such as social studies and foreign language, are being cut completely in order to spend more time on reading and math (Au, 2009). According to Au (2009), since multi-cultural anti-racist perspectives and content are not deemed legitimate by the high-stakes tests and classroom standards, the end result is that multicultural, anti-racist content and perspectives and not being included in the instruction time or curriculum. This reinforces the notion for white students that they are the dominant group in society, and works against the goals of multicultural education.

I don’t think there is one school district that is not fighting for or have some type of program in place to address the achievement between whites and student of color; but yet the issue doesn’t seem to be going away. As I reflect on the meaning of racism as defined by the authors, they also state that this mistreatment is carried out by societal institutions or people who have been conditioned by society to act, consciously or unconsciously in harmful ways towards people of color. Sadly, I fear that so many of our young people has or is falling prey to the transfer of racism. We (teachers, parents, and the community) have to acknowledge with our kids that race is part of their daily lives; but they do not need to conform and understand how to rise above the stereotypes through encouragement, high expectations, build caring relationships and self-confidence they will

I came into this class not so naïve as some students may have been. I’ve grown up going to public schools, living in a diverse small town, and having interracial relationships in my family. Although I was informed on some forms of racism and the fact that racism does in fact still exist, I didn’t realize it was extensive as it really is. All the readings, videos, and lectures have directly related back to the purpose of the course. As a whole, I feel like this class has grown in knowledge not only about how racism affects people, but how to change and make a difference. This class has informed me a lot more about the unfortunately thriving acts of racism in the United States.

Diversity on college campuses has increased, which has let people assume that racism decreased and acceptance expanded gradually, however minorities still face prejudice and discrimination. Harvard University presented a research where they gathered college students from 4 particular public universities and questioned them about the social behavior they have experienced or witnessed. In the contrary, they discovered that college students have encountered racist comments or negative facial expressions towards them from Caucasians (Caplan, page 31). This has led to propositions for instance, improving social conduct between children in school, more gratification in regard to one’s culture and positive outlook toward the culture of others because America’s obsession with race and racial attitudes continues to affect individuals emotionally. It is urgent to spread diversity at a younger stage of life, for upcoming children that are starting school. The need of role models around the nation is necessary and relevant to help multicultural education in the schools. Diversity has become significant since people all over the country are passionate about others knowing where they come from and making it possible of a more diverse society in the future.

Tomi Tunrarebi, an alumni of Monte Vista High School, wrote a narrative essay all about her experiences of stereotypes. She writes, “Lexi and I go out to eat out in Walnut Creek...I’m immediately met with harsh eyes of an old white lady...I can see the word clearly in her eyes: nigger” (Tunrarebi 2). This further adds on to the problem of society today: some people still holding strong prejudices against people of color. They haven’t realized today’s society is way different from in the past, and those people haven’t changed their opinions at all. Furthermore, the people resist the change because they like the current racism, which in and of itself, is

In order to achieve high standards for all students we must address the issues of race, and have frank conversations with each other. We can no longer avoid conversations about race by sweeping the issues of race under the carpet, or we’ll fail to move forward with our students of color. Many teachers, and students are uncomfortable discussing race for fear of sounding offensive, or racist. Racial awareness is the willingness of educators to listen to students talk about their racialized experiences, to probe for deeper clarity about these experiences, and to seek ways to learn from them. The way in which young Black and Latino males frequently are criminalized in schools and society cannot be ignored, and requires a critical awareness of race and racism (Duncan, 2002, Ferguson, 2003). Interestingly, students in elementary schools have some of the more profound discussions on race issues, at their own level, so their thoughts are there and it should be a part of the conversations about race. An increasing number of scholars have encouraged White teachers to

I learned that I will need to understand the issues facing my students inside and outside of the classroom. By having this understanding, I hope to be able to form real relationships with my students, make learning relevant to each student, and be able to provide the necessary support to make them successful learners. I want to be a resource and/or participant in my students’ life rather than just a spectator and/or teacher teaching about diversity. I realized that my previous perception would have left some students struggling in my classroom. I would have overlooked students’ needs if I only concentrated on teaching diversity in my classroom. I believe that this experience has made me grow as an educator and made me realize how I need to understand the complexities faced by my students in order for me to become successful in the classroom and to become an effective teacher.

The video that addressed the Chicano community had a large issue with the teachers and their communication with the students. It is important that teachers exhibit positive and appropriate forms of communication. The video documentary created by PBS displayed the clear negative attitude that were exhibited towards students that were non-native language speakers. In the video, the teachers in the school had complete transparency with their unapproval of the Chicanos and their inability to speak english. Students were given a hat that labelled them as “Spanish” until they learned English. Teachers would even go as far to reference the students in their classrooms as “you little Mexicans.” Teacher attitude plays a key role in the progression of all students in the classroom, but especially the ELLs. Teachers must realize and acknowledge that the expressions they make in the classroom have a lasting effect with the students they teach. The classroom is a social setting that ELLs must learn to adjust to with time and patience. ELL students thrive off positive interactions in the classroom. When a teacher shows a student negativity or disapproval, the student is more likely to become avoidant and withdrawn in the classroom. An immigrant student needs a teacher that encourages their interaction in the classroom and provides continuous positive feedback, both verbally and nonverbally. This affected the students in many ways. The students’ confidence levels were low in the classroom. The students also were given a sense of motivation from their teacher’s poor attitude. If I were the teacher in this circumstance, I would provide a positive attitude for all of my students. Regardless of my personal feelings, I would treat my students with respect and love. I would embrace my students cultures and educate the rest of the students in the classroom about

America’s schools are challenged to meet the academic and interpersonal needs of all students regardless of culture, race, or ethnic background. Hawley and Nieto (2010) claim that race and ethnicity significantly impacts students’ learning in their article, “Another Inconvenient Truth: Race and Ethnicity” (p. 66). They contended that educators should be “race and ethnicity -responsive” to effectively understand the challenges students from diverse races and cultures face (Hawley & Nieto, 2010, p. 66). Moreover, the article noted that schools should have practices in place that promote an inclusive, supportive, and enriching learning environment for all students including students from different races and ethnicities.

Growing up as the only white kid in my elementary school classes didn’t feel ostracizing, but was my first lesson in diversity and cultural respect. Despite my the economically, socially, and racially diverse surroundings, I came from a conservative home, and was often isolated from a diversified mindset. Still, the diminutive self-awareness I was fostering began to grow, under heavy influence from a sixth grade teacher. Ms. Ray talked about subjects that I was unaware adults could discuss, presenting the option

”(Feagin 1) Racism has not died yet. One might think it has because there are no segregation laws or slaves anymore but it is still prevalent today. There are many ways to combat racism all over the world though. For college campuses, we need programs implemented into the curriculum, not only for students, but for staff also. The school will get everybody talking about race, even though it is a touchy subject in today's time with all that's going on. It will still get them talking about it and the people who don't have to deal with racial subjection because they are white will most likely feel uncomfortable talking about this. The university will have the students and faculty do these classes in big seminar groups, or they can do it by themselves in their dorm or at home where they may feel more comfortable. We hope that educating the youth about racism and combatting racism will reduce systemic racism, and racism in the youth of America. According to the article “College degree gap grows wider between whites, blacks and Latino,” by the author by Meredith Kolodner in the state of West Virginia, it shows the percentages of college graduates compared between races. Only 24% of the African Americans in West Virginia graduate from colleges, compared to 48% of Whites

I’m not racist. It’s just that as a middle-class Caucasian, I find it incredibly insulting when minorities endeavor to assess the culpability of my fundamental beliefs simply because these convictions supposedly hurt their feelings. They should toughen up and deal with it; this is a harsh world, and the weak don’t last. Whining about their problems or whatever social injustices they believe are being done to them is a complete and utter waste of their time, and time is a valuable thing these days. Perhaps rather than wasting this time grumbling about their so-called struggles, they should take a seat for a moment and realize that life isn’t fair, for anyone, and that there’s nothing they can do to change this fact. Sure, they argue that

Since I started this class, I have a learned a great deal about cultural diversity in the classroom and abroad. My perspective has changed slightly but my knowledge of this subject has improved. In my family, my father taught me about the civil rights movement and the evils of segregation in the U.S. My parents taught me to be tolerant of all humans, no matter what they look like, how they dress, or their sexual orientation. My family has always been liberal thinkers who taught me the dark history of racism and bigotry in this country. As an educator I would be accepting to all race, creeds, and religious peoples.

Once students and teachers are aware of cultural differences, they become aware of racism and can fight to eradiate it. Through their unbiased understanding of the differences between cultures and races, they are able to come to a point of acceptance of themselves and others. If you noticed in my previous paragraph, I mentioned the different types of diversity. Diversity emphasizes how different students and teachers are, but when explored in a classroom, can be used to reveal our similarities. Once students and teachers grasp the concept of diversity, displayed through everyday interactions with diverse groups of students and teachers, racism begins to disappear. In addition, positive sense of self can be developed once students and teachers have an understanding of their own uniqueness through experiences and understanding of diversity. Once teachers and students