Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Section 1
2/24/2015
Reflection 1: White Like Me Refection
is much easier for him not to offend, both people of color, and white people and/or Caucasians
whereas if someone like Jose Antonio Vargas (who is an immigrant and person of color)
addresses this issue, may be easily misinterpreted or viewed as a racist person himself. In many
ways I find that white people may feel guilty or that they have done something wrong while
discussing this issue and people of color feel victimized to the circumstances, which in many
cases may also be very uncomfortable to talk about. As anti racist educators we must be very
mindful and careful when talking about race, while still being honest about how we feel. I
assume that many people prefer not discussing the issue because they dont want to sound racist
or say something that might offend someone.
How do/can we as educators address institutional racism and become allies
There are ample ways to address institutional racism and becomes allies. First and foremost, we
must be aware of who we are, and the biases we have towards other people that are different
(gender, ethnicity, background, experience, etc.) I believe we must start with awareness. Once
we are aware of our biases, then we take action to overcome them. We can address racism by
discussing past and current issues such as immigration, overrepresentation of English language
learners in special education programs, lack of resources in public school based on demographics
(SES, number of students receiving free or reduced lunch, ethnicities, background, location,
disabilities etc.), spread awareness, and in general, be color conscious.
How can educators create anti racist environments?
Teachers can create anti racist environment by learning about and embracing diversity
in the classroom, acknowledging differences among students, making students feel comfortable,
getting to know students as individuals, and grouping students in a way that allows students to
get to know one another, incorporating multicultural education into our lesson plans. Because our
classrooms may be very diverse it is also important that we not only learn names but learn how
to pronounce names to show that we respect everyone as an individual and where they come
from. Lastly, discussing racism in an age appropriate manner and educating students about
different countries and languages. Learning and teaching diversity is an ongoing process.