My school is on the US/Mexico border. The student body is about 95% Hispanic. The other 5% is made up of Caucasians, a few Asians, and a couple of African Americans. Half of the students commute from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico everyday. There are groups within the Hispanic population. There are the Mexicans, the Mexican-Americans, and some others from various Latin American countries. We always have a few exchange students, too. They usually come from Germany, China or Brazil.
I selected the students for my one journalism class for next year. I took 3 junior girls, 3 senior girls, 3 junior boys and 3 senior boys. Most are Hispanic, but I did get in a few others. I also broke from a tradition of accepting the best of the best (academically) and took some others. That’s my attempt at diversity in the journalism class.
There is one problem. Although I have an application process and I select the students, the administration ultimately places the students where they fit. I may get the 12 I selected and I may get not one of the 12 but 30 others who did not even apply.
Notwithstanding, after listening to yesterday’s speakers, I will begin with lessons in diversity.
Myself, I'm an Irish-Italian-American and all of my grandparents came to the US from Europe. I have a bit of a diverse background. Both the Irish and the Italians were the dogs in the US not long ago.
Mark Salvatore
Saint Joseph Academy
Brownsville, Texas
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I have a similar problem. Although I was assured last year by the principal that the journalism class would not becoming a "dumping ground," it did. Sure, I did have a handful of students who were genuinely interested in reporting and writing, but I got a group of others who were more interested in strolling in a half hour late and shooting the breeze.
ReplyDeleteI am really not sure at all how to manage this situation, and I would be naive to think it won't happen again. What puzzles me is these students don't "get" the concept that the class is a sure-fire credit as long as they show up and produce something. This seems to escape them.
I am hopeful that when we actually have a newspaper attitudes will change. I also took note of the fact that Alan Weintraut found production roles for those students not interested in writing and reporting. Perhaps this is where students of this ilk belong.
I am also Irish though mixed with German/Scot. When my doctor father chose to marry and Irish woman, his predominantly German family was horrified. The idea that their blood would be mixed with drunks who had children indiscriminately was a family outrage. When I was young, I say that same conflct over interracial marriages between those of a different color.
ReplyDeleteI would believe it is difficult for anyone to have not experienced some form of racial prejudice even if it was to just bear witness to it.
In my current conservative community,I am dealing with a backlash from the majority population over the idea of unwelcomed and forced diversity. It isn't expressed quite like that but it is a clear undercurrent.
That complicates outreach to under-represented groups.