Talking about the Hard Things

Ms. Ptasienski’s discussion on Racism

What did you all define as racism?

Racism is when someone discriminates against someone based on the color of their skin
or based on their culture.

Because of the history of our country, do you think that racism is only happening between
Caucasians and African Americans, or can it be happening between other races as well?
- Racism is not just happening between Caucasians and African Americans. Racism is
prevalent amongst all races. Think about World War II. Japanese planes attacked Pearl
Harbor. After that, many Japanese Americans were discriminated against simply because
they were Japanese. Or even think about 9-11. After that incident, many Indian/Middle
Eastern Americans began to be discriminated against.
- I also have some Caucasian friends who were minorities in their schools and were
racially discriminated against because of their skin color as well.

This brings me to my next point:

- Can Latino Americans be racist?
- Can Indian Americans be racist?
- Can African Americans be racist?
- Can Caucasians be racist?
The answer is ‘yes’ to all of these questions. Notice that all of these people are Americans,
right? America is what?—the land of the FREE. Right? While all Americans are technically
free, do you think that racism infringes on their feelings of freedom?

 It could be something as simple as being excluded from a conversation or having your

opinion overlooked. It feels like you’re not equal even though you know you are.
 What are some ways that can make you feel less important than or discriminated against?
o I was the only girl in a leadership meeting, and my idea was forgotten about, but
then a man repeated my idea, and it became the focus of the rest of our meeting.

I think this is where stereotypes come in. What is a stereotype?

- Pre-Judgment
- Let’s say that I believe all people with blue eyes are poor students. So in my teaching I
automatically expect them to fail their exams. Pre-Judgment.

How can we personally combat our own stereotypes?

- We can treat each person as an individual.

If you can’t think of any stereotypes you might be believing, consider some of these examples,
and I ask that you do not fill in the blank, just think in your mind...
- If they wear glasses, they _______________
- If they wear those brands, they _______________
- If they are slow runners, they ______________
- If they’re smart, they ___________
 - If they live there, they____________
Let us be careful not to judge based on what people wear, their skin color, their test scores, etc.
Let’s define them for who they are. Each person is an individual.
We always hear the golden rule: “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”
But what about when you’re not treated with respect? Then what? Is that other person’s
breaking of the rule an excuse for you to break it?
--NO, why?
--Think about what our world would look like if everyone returned a WRONG with a
WRONG.
* Disorder, Chaos, A constant fight/battle
--What would your life look like if the people in your life always returned WRONGS
with WRONGS?
* You would always be hoping you didn’t hurt others so you wouldn’t get hurt.
Or you would just be waiting for people to mess up so you could hurt them back.
You would always be defensive and threatening. It would be really hard to trust,
too.
Have you ever heard the term integrity?
def.—adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty
--Ms. Ptasienski’s Definition:
Doing what you know is right even when no one is looking.
So we talk in this class about racism. I have heard that many of you have experienced racism,
and in this class, we have freedom to discuss and challenge, but what about when you’re NOT
held accountable by a contract?
--How can we have ‘integrity’ outside of class when it comes to racism?
--So you’re wronged and insulted about your race, how could you respond with
integrity—how could you do what you know is right even when the cops aren’t around or
I’m not around or your parents aren’t around?
*Is it okay to tell them they’re wrong?
YES
*Is it alright to be angry?
YES—there is a difference between being angry and responding out of
anger.
So you’re pushed to anger when you’re spoken to in a racist way—what do you say/do?
Tell the person that they are assuming something about you because
of the color of your skin and it’s WRONG. You could say to them,
Yes, I am ____________(fill in race—Caucasian, African American,
Asian American), but I am also an individual, so treat me for who I
am, not who your stereotype tells you I am.

When we respond in anger, it may give that more reason to judge you or to make racist
comments to other people. They need to hear that it’s wrong.

Should we leave it alone and just forget about it?