My sister Stacy is a first year student at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City. For those of you who know the area, you know it is not the best place to be by yourself, especially at night. My sister has been having some difficulties with her roommates and the other students at the school. At St. Peter’s, Stacy is the minority. Her roommates happen to both be black. If you knew my sister in high school, you would know that she is not racist in any way. She was friends with all types of people and accepted everyone. At her college, she is the one being discriminated against. Because she is one of the only white people, everyone judges her the second she walks in the door – despite her bubbly personality and pretty smile.
Is this fair? We are talking so much about multiculturalism and how important it is for us to accept other cultures and ideas. But what if the other cultures do not accept us or do not want to be accepted? You can try and try and try to accept everyone until you are blue in the face, but nothing will be accomplished if both parties are not willing.
It is extremely frustrating for not just my sister, but for me –especially being on the outside of the issue. Stacy feels she cannot step out of line or say anything that could be interpreted the wrong way for fear that her roommates will gang up on her. If she tries to transfer out of her room because she does not get along with the girls, immediately it will be viewed as a black vs. white situation. She is so upset about what is happening that she wants to transfer. Should my sister have to leave the school because she is willing to be friends but the others will not accept her? Why should she have to pay for the other’s unwillingness to be multicultural?
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4 comments:
Your sister is now a minority when she was previously a majority. It's a shame that your sister is put into such an awkward situation.
People will judge each other no matter what. If not the color of their skin, it will be about something else. I wonder how long it will take for people to accept everyone for their differences. The prejudice judgments are what brings down mankind.
Your sister should NOT have to leave St. Peter's College, it's the students that don't accept her that need a reality check. The other students should treat her with as much respect as they would their own sister.
Its really interesting to hear an example from the other side of these things we have been discussing. It is truly a sad story that this is happening to your sister. I find it interesting that when we talk about being multicultural we almost never talk about the minorities who don't want to "get involved". All I can think about is the table in the dinning commons where the majority of the African American students sit during lunch. I almost feel as if they don't want to associate with us, and that they would rather sit with people who might "understand" them better.
How do we deal with other cultures who don't accept us? Its something I have never thought about before, because mostly the idea is for us to accept them. It's not a fair situation, but if we go around trying to sort out fair, nothing will ever get accomplished.
This is interesting. It reminds me a lot of every time I get on the bus, or go to a store in Trenton. The stares and looks of people thinking "what is this little white girl doing out here"
There is something here that we have been talking about in class that I am surprised has not been brought up yet, and that is the fact that White America is no longer the "majority". How are we as educators suppose to handle this? Is it something that needs to be handled at all?
Because I am a White Female, where do I find the balance in striving for my student's of any other race than white to exceed every one's expectations in inner city schools, and helping the one white child just feel like they belong?
I think the problem lies in thinking it as an "us versus them" situation. Neither situation is fair, just like how it is unfair when boys are left behind in education because the emphasis is now more strongly toward supporting women.
But no one talks about it.
It's true, if Stacy tried to stage a protest or claim her own drinking fountain, she would be accused of being a KKK member.
Wish her good luck from me.
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