"The student was mocking that fact that a bunch of Hispanic boys had just walked in."
It caught me off guard, and I don’t know if nobody heard it, but I felt like the only one that was really shook by it. Recently I’ve been a part of groups where we try to get rid of this type of stuff. Actually witnessing it in our own school...I couldn’t believe it. I don’t want to blame people for not saying anything, or maybe they didn’t even hear it, but the fact that everyone just let it slide didn’t sit right with me. It hits me close to home, being Hispanic, and knowing people are out there thinking we should just go back, or something.
"I was born here, and people don’t always know that."
I tried to reflect on it and ask myself if I overreacted. But if it was an overreaction I wouldn’t have felt like that.
I thought the equity lessons tackled the issues we were trying to address really well, but there were students who didn’t really take it in they way it was meant to. That was sad to watch, some students not really accepting it or listening to it. I think equity is a big issue that people tend to ignore. They know it’s there but they don’t know how to address it. I think it is a good way to help people talk about it and really identify with themselves what they think or believe. The fact that these lessons plant a seed in someone’s mind makes them a good idea. When people say these lessons are stupid, I ask them to really reflect on why it is they think that, and where they are coming from instead of blaming them or getting angry with them.
I like the fact that we’re actually trying and we’re talking about issues with race more often. Incorporating more lessons is a step in the right direction.
Ariana Sanchez