I’ve decided to focus on the relationship between race and education. Through extensive research, studies have shown that disparities in schooling can be contributed to historical discrimination. In this essay, I will focus on media sources from Southside Weekly and The JapanTimes.
In the first article, the organization highlights that children of Black and Latino descent face lower rates of math and literacy comprehensions. This can largely be traced to injustices such as Jim Crow Laws that enabled segregation for students. Though Brown vs. Board of Education ilegalized segregation, the effects are still everpresent today as primarily Black schools are more likely located in poverty stricken areas. Take author Ismael Cuevas Jr. ‘s ex
perience. As one of the first Mexican families to move to a majority Black neighborhood, he took notice of the “Whitelash ” that stemmed in his street’s history. Like Cuevas Jr. mentioned, violence due to integration was met with backlash from many protestors, which caused funds to be withheld. The aftermath of this funding lack highlights how these minority students have been disadvantaged by the system, when compared to white students who generally have carried more privilege throughout society.
On the other hand, minorities like Asian Americans are often on the opposite spectrum. Once again, much of this can be credited to past injustices against them. Specifically, the transition period after the Chinese Exclusion Act marked a time where only certain Asian Americans who met specific quotas regarding high achievement in education were allowed to immigrate. This fluctuation of the concentrated “elite” has continued the cycle of segregation in present day America. This is highlighted by author Andrea Gambor as she notes that “Three-quarters of the students enrolled in gifted-and-talented programs are White or Asian” in New York City.
In summary, both of these articles highlight how segregation among diffe
rent races such as Black, Latino, Asian, and White play a role in modern society. In these two situations, Spivak’s elements of othering are overarching. Throughout time, systems such as corporate institutes and the law system have used “othering” tactics to marginalize minorities in educational facilities through whitelashing and legislation such as the Chinese Exclusion Act and Jim Crow Laws.
https://www.teachforamerica.org/what-we-do/the-challenge
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2021/11/01/commentary/world-commentary/segregated-classrooms/