Cultural Discrimination

Cultural Discrimination: Exploring the Struggles of Being an Ethnic Minority Student

A Thesis Presented to the

Senior High School Department

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Subject

Practical Research 1

Keanna Chantal Y. Abanes

Emma May Y. De Mesa
John Patrick M. Lozano
Kian Paul R. Lalas
Andrei Emerson Y. Mangalino
Andrea Francine B. Peralta
Jaycee D. Parungo
Romelia Moselle S. Rivera

March 2021
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page …………………………………………… 1

Introduction …………………………………………… 2

Method …………………………………………… 6

References …………………………………………… 18

Appendices …………………………………………… 20
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Cultural Discrimination: Exploring the Struggles of Being an Ethnic Minority Student

Introduction

Racism self-reported ethnic or racial discrimination is a highly prevalent

phenomenon. Members of most ethnic or racial minority groups report exposure over the

course of their lifetime, and recent research indicates that episodes of ethnicity-related

maltreatment occur on a weekly basis for some groups (Brondolo et al. 2009). Racial

discrimination is understood to be a combination of the ideology of racial superiority

(racism) and the social structures and interpersonal behaviors associated with dominance

and oppression (Pieterse and Powell 2016). Ethnic minority students are being treated

differently. According to Skiba, Michael, Nardo, & Peterson, (2002) educational

disparities plague our education system today. Students of color experience educational

disparities across developmental periods, beginning in elementary school and continuing

into adulthood. Racial inequality in education opportunity has been extensively

documented, including quality of instruction, physical resources, school funding,

tracking, and representation in curriculum. Ethnic minority children are afforded fewer

opportunities to learn than White children. Parents of ethnic minority children typically

have lower levels of education and test scores. Additionally, ethnic minority children

usually attend schools that cover less advanced material and employ lower-performing

teachers, amidst lower performing students (Farkas, 2003). As such, racial

discrimination manifests in people of Color being denied access to resources,

opportunities, and the power to define reality (Neville and Pieterse 2009).
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Students of color, especially Black students, are more likely to be expelled, suspended,

and suffer punitive consequences than White students (Skiba et al., 2002). Also, Black

students are more likely to suffer harsher disciplinary strategies, such as corporal

punishment, and are less likely to receive mild disciplinary alternatives 2 than their white.

Classmates. Furthermore, ethnic minority students are overrepresented in special

education and school dropouts (Skiba et al., 2002) and have lower access to health care

coverage than their White peers. It only does not happen to grade school students, but this

problem is very common to college students as well, as stated by Johnson, Wasserman,

Yildirim, & Yonai, (2014) ethnic minority students typically have less resources

available to them than White students and are typically less prepared for college

academically, as well as financially. Once students of color enroll in college, they face

additional barriers to academic success due to discrimination and non-affirming campus

climates for diversity. These factors play a key role in academic engagement and

persistence. As a result, there is a problem that is prominent regarding ethnic minority in

schools that should be addressed by a joined force from the cooperation of the

government, school administrators, parents, and students. The purpose of this study is to

address and help ethnic minority students from being treated unequally with stigma and

discrimination and also to improve the quality of learning for the ethnic minority

students.
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Statement of the Problem

This study aims to identify the struggles of being an ethnic minority student hence

this study also aims to answer the following questions:

1. What are the common problems that the ethnic minority students are experiencing in

relation to the new curriculum and new normal?

2. Is there any correlation between peer victimization and academic achievement among

ethnic minority students?

3. What are the main problems an ethnic minority student may encounter in their

schooling?

4. Does the governing bodies of education like DEPED or CHED has programs to protect

ethnic minority students from such unfair and unjust treatments from teacher’s fellow

student and school administrators?

5. What are the things that can be done by the school to provide assistance to these

students?

Theoretical Framework
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This study is based on Conflict Theory associated with Karl Marx (1818–1883).

Conflict theories are often applied to inequalities of gender, social class, education, race,

and ethnicity. A conflict theory perspective of U.S. history would examine the numerous

past and current struggles between the white ruling class and racial and ethnic minorities,

noting specific conflicts that have arisen when the dominant group perceived a threat

from the minority group. Conflict theories are perspectives in sociology and social

psychology that emphasize a materialist interpretation of history, dialectical method of

analysis, a critical stance toward existing social arrangements, and political program of

revolution or, at least, reform. This theory associated with a number of other perspectives,

like the race conflict approach it is a point of view that focuses on inequality and conflict

between people of different racial and ethnic categories.

This theory is anchored in our study for the reason that it deals with the problems of

unequal rights within race and ethnicity. Conflict theory views social and economic

institutions as tools to provide a

solution to a problem of discrimination and getting an unfair treatment of people with

different race and ethnicity, and what are these institutions we have the government,

economy, church, family, and school. In this study the researchers used one of these

institutions which is school to encounter the struggles and to provide assistance for the

ethnic minority students.

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Significance of the Study

Teachers. This will guide the teachers to become more aware of discrimination

against ethnic minority thus the teacher must promote a safe learning environment for all

regardless of any ethnical background.

Students. May be able to know more about this topic. Also, for them to broaden

their knowledge and their awareness for the state issues like racism.

Parents. This will help parents to protect their children from the negative effects

on emotional, physical, and mental health of discrimination in several ways like raising

awareness to the possible threats that their child may encounter.

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Administrators. For the administrators they will know how to properly organize and to

supervise certain issues like the discrimination of ethnic minority students.

Scope and Delimitation

The scope and delimitation of this study is to know the different struggles faced by ethnic

minority students in dealing with discrimination. The aim of this study is to know the

perspectives of ethnic minority students who were being treated unequally and

differently, and to know the factors that may influence ethnic minority students regarding

about the discrimination that they were experiencing.

This research will focus on raising awareness for ethnic minority students who were and

still are having a crisis and to help them stand up from getting unequal rights from the

dominants. This research will focus on how the participants responds and address this

issue. Also, this research will focus on how the local government handles this situation

and what programs do they have to prevent this kind of discrimination against ethnic

minorities. Thus, another limitation will focus only on the widespread discrimination

against students of ethnic minorities.

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Definition of Terms

The following are particular words that were defined for the better understanding of the

study:

Ethnic minorities. people who belong to an ethnic group that is a relatively small part
of a population. (Merriam Webster Dictionary)

Ethnicity. a particular ethnic affiliation or group (Merriam Webster Dictionary)

Ethnic. of or relating to large groups of people classed according to common racial,

national, tribal, religious, linguistic, or cultural origin or background (Merriam Webster

Dictionary)

Racism. (Dictionary.com) a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the

various human racial groups determine cultural or individual achievement, usually

involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has the right to dominate others or

that a particular racial group is inferior to the others.

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References

Blume, A. (2021). Diversity-Related Experiences and Academic Performance Among

Ethnic Minority College Students. DigitalCommons@USU. Retrieved 18 March

2021, from https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/5089/.

Brondolo, E., Brady ver Halen, N., Pencille, M., Beatty, D., & Contrada, R. (2009).

Coping with racism: a selective review of the literature and a theoretical and

methodological critique. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 32(1), 64-88.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-008-9193-0

Darling-Hammond, L. (1998). Unequal Opportunity: Race and Education. The Brookings

Review, 16(2), 28. https://doi.org/10.2307/20080779

Definition of racism | Dictionary.com. www.dictionary.com. (2021). Retrieved 19 March

2021, from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/racism.

Definition of ETHNIC MINORITIES. Merriam-webster.com. (2021). Retrieved 19 March

2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ethnic%20minorities.

Definition of ethnic | Dictionary.com. www.dictionary.com. (2021). Retrieved 19 March

2021, from https://www.dictionary.com/browse/ethnic.

Ethnicity | social differentiation. Encyclopedia Britannica. (2021). Retrieved 19 March.

2021, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/ethnicity.

Gopalan, M., & Nelson, A. (2019). Understanding the Racial Discipline Gap in

Schools. AERA Open, 5(2), 233285841984461

https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858419844613

Marx, K. (2021). Conflict Theories. Study.com. Retrieved 18 March 2021, from

https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-race-conflict-approach-in-sociology.html.
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Marx, K. (2021). Conflict Theory Definition. Investopedia. Retrieved 18 March 2021,

from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/conflict-theory.asp.

Nickens, H. (2021). The Right Thing to Do, The Smart Thing to Do. NCBI. Retrieved 19

March 2021, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223640/.

Yosso, T., Smith, W., Ceja, M., & Solórzano, D. (2009). Critical Race Theory, Racial

Microaggressions, and Campus Racial Climate for Latina/o

Undergraduates. Harvard Educational Review, 79(4), 659-691.

https://doi.org/10.17763/haer.79.4.m6867014157m707l