Racism in Schools is Being Ignored

By: Emma Lin

        Have you ever seen those videos of people telling immigrants or people of color to go back to their country? Many students have been victims of words like that. Things such as discrimination and xenophobia are things people of color experience in their day to day life. As of now, people have been speaking out about their experiences with racism. Many students and adults may not understand how heavy and significant this topic is. There are countless reasons why people need to speak out on topics like these; let’s start with racism in schools. 

        In Farnsworth Middle School, a seventh grader was interviewed on racism. When asked how people were racist to him he answered how people would say terrible words. These words consist of the n-word, monkey, slave, cotton picker, burrito maker, leprechaun, orangutan and blackie. These are horrible words directed to him, and many others have encountered the same thing.  “People think I can run fast, I like watermelon, I can wrap a burrito and speak spanish all because of my race,” said the seventh grader. When asked how he feels about this, he responded saying, "I feel horrible, and I wish it would stop.”

        For hundreds of years now, colored people have been discriminated against and treated unfairly. There are many stereotypes on people of color that have been around for decades.  Asians are stereotyped to be extremely smart, know how to play instruments, play sports, have glasses, etc. The reality is that people judge others based on their skin color. For example, graduates who are black have two times the chance of being unemployed, even if they are from a prestigious college. Even people with ‘black sounding’ names have a 50% chance not to get a job even after getting a diploma. 

        Racism is also something the school system forgives and forgets. When growing up as a person of color, it is difficult to be treated the same by peers and teachers. For example, black students have three times more chances of getting suspended or expelled than white students. Many underfunded schools have more colored students. Many teachers at these schools don’t even have a license to teach. Just imagine going to a school unable to learn anything since your teacher is not even trained at all because you are a person of color. The fact is that racism is deeply rooted in school systems. In the USA, black students make up 42% of school suspensions. However, black students only make up 16% of public school enrollment.

        Many students and adults who have been victims of racism develop mental illnesses. People ages 18 to 28 are 25% more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness caused by racism and discrimination. Racism can cause trauma, which may lead to other mental problems too. Those include depression, anxiety, and a possibility for the student to become suicidal. BIPOC (Black and Indigenous People of Color) adolescents with mental health and behavior problems are more likely to be sent to the juvenile justice system instead of a therapist or specialty care institution. This can damage a student's mental health as they are not receiving the care needed. This causes a student’s mental health to lower. It can cause them to not pay attention in school or have grades dropping. Students should not have to encounter racism in schools. Schools are meant to help students, not lower their mental health.

        Schools are supposed to be a place where kids are learning and having fun. They are not supposed to be a place where you get discriminated against. There are millions of kids out there who have been facing racism in schools everyday. Protests such as Black Lives Matter and Stop Asian Hate have been major in America. As people start speaking their opinions about racism, there has been one topic people have been forgetting about: racism in schools. We as a community need to voice our opinions and fight back; racism in schools needs to end.